Common Core Courses. The Common Core program is divided into several sequences with individual sections: Social Sciences 101-102-103, 109-110-111, 121-122-123, 141-142-143, and 151-152-153. All sequences of Core courses are designed to present some of the main ideas, theories, and inquiries of the social sciences, and to show how they can enhance our understanding of central issues facing the world. Classical social scientific texts and methodologies are given close attention in discussion and lecture settings.
In Social Sciences 101-102-103 and 121-122-123, issues and problems basic to human existence are studied in relation to the general themes of the conceptual foundations of political economy (autumn), theories of the individual and society (winter), and interpretations of culture (spring). Social Sciences 109-110-111 concentrates on various aspects of power, from the roles of markets and states to the social structures that determine individual, class, and gender inequalities. Social Sciences 141-142-143 draws from psychology, anthropology, and philosophy to consider how the human mind functions, focusing on rationality, learning, and language. Social Sciences 151-152-153 draws on classical texts and contemporary writings to investigate the formation, just principles, and structure of political, economic, and social institutions.
Collegiate Courses. The Social Sciences Collegiate Division also sponsors several civilization sequences in the general education program and offers specialized courses on the concentration level that offer a particularly interdisciplinary or comparative theoretical perspective and which may be of interest to students in a variety of concentration programs. The latter set of courses should also be considered as attractive possibilities for nonconcentration electives.
101-102-103. Wealth, Power, and Virtue. Drawing on classics of social thought and contemporary work in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology, this sequence explores how the disciplines of the social sciences contribute to understanding human behavior and advancing human values. D. Levine, Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
101. Wealth, power, and virtue are commonly viewed as the fundamental ends of human action. What do we mean by these terms? How and why are they pursued? How do they relate to one another? How does thinking about them help us to understand the ways that societies get organized and change? Writings by Smith, Marx, and Durkheim explore these questions as they ponder the dynamics of markets and the growth of specialization in modern society, suggesting issues to examine throughout the year. Alongside these classics, we sample writings that relate their notions to current social realities.
102. PQ: SocSci 101. After examining wealth and markets in classical economic theory and various critiques of that theory, in this quarter we focus on power. How is power created? To what uses and abuses is it put? How does authority take form? We consult some theories that emphasize the make-up of individuals (Hobbes, Freud, and their successors) and others that emphasize social forces (Mead, Goffman, Mosca, Weber, and Foucault). We continue with studies of inequality in work sites and urban communities, and conclude by asking what virtues are specific to the political vocation.
103. PQ: SocSci 102. Why do some social scientists consider it essential to analyze "culture"? What different meanings do they attach to this term? How does the pursuit of wealth, power, and virtue get shaped by cultural patterns? What does it mean to talk about certain cultures as sick, phony, or excellent? In this quarter, we ask what social scientists try to learn when they compare different cultures, and look at some of the things they do when they focus on the cultural dimension of human experience. The authors we read include Simmel, Weber, Benedict, Geertz, and Bell.
109-110-111. Power. G. Herrigel, Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
109. Autumn quarter examines the relationship between individual preferences and collective outcomes. Under scrutiny is the degree to which individual desires and preferences are constrained by institutions such as the market, state bureaucracy, and organizations of civil society. Readings include Adam Smith, Schumpeter, Hayek, Marx, and Engels.
110. PQ: SocSci 109. Winter quarter is concerned with the problem of equality. The main concern is examination of the sources of inequality, such as race, gender, and class. We attempt to understand the ways in which power is unequally distributed and how this distribution is maintained. Readings include Beauvoir, Du Bois, Nietzsche, and Tocqueville.
111. PQ: SocSci 110. Spring quarter is devoted to the study of liberal political theory and the forms of criticism of that theory. Readings include Hobbes, Locke, Mill, Weber, Burke, Schmitt, Foucault, and Young.
121-122-123. Self, Culture, and Society. B. Cohler, M. Postone, W. Sewell, Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
121. In the autumn quarter we explore the nature and development of modern society through an examination of theories of capitalism. The classic social theories of Smith, Marx, and Weber, along with contemporary ethnographic and historical works, serve as points of departure for considering the characterizing features of the modern world, with particular emphasis on its social-economic structure and issues of work, the division of labor, and the texture of time.
122. PQ: SocSci 121. In this quarter we focus on the relation of culture and social life. On the basis of readings from Durkheim, Lévi-Strauss, Turner, Geertz, and other anthropologists and cultural theorists, we investigate how systems of meaning expressed through metaphors, symbols, rituals, and narratives constitute and articulate individual and social experience across a range of societies, including our own.
123. PQ: SocSci 122. In this quarter, we consider the questions of social and cultural constitution of the person, with particular emphasis on issues of gender, through the study of psychoanalytic, historical and anthropological approaches found in the works of Freud, Foucault, and others.
141-142-143. Mind. PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This sequence presents an introduction to the study of how people think and what people think. The course examines mental processes such as perception, memory, and judgment and the relationship between language and thought. The course focuses on the issue of what is innate versus what is learned, the development of thought in children, and the logic of causal, functional, and evolutionary explanations. One theme of the course is the problem of rationality vis-à-vis the canons that govern the language and thought of the "ideal scientist" and how those canons compare to the canons that govern ordinary language and thought, the language and thought of other cultures, and the language and thought of actual scientists. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
151-152-153. Classics of Social and Political Thought. PQ: Completion of SocSci 151 is prerequisite to registration in 152 and 153. How can a society find its way to justice, stability, and prosperity? This sequence examines such problems as the conflicts between individual good and common good; among moral virtue, religion, and politics; and between liberty and equality, by reading classic writings from Plato, Aristotle, and medieval Christian writers to the great founders and critics of modernity: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, The Federalist, Tocqueville, Marx, and Nietzsche. Writing before our departmentalization of disciplines, they were at the same time sociologists, political scientists, economists, and moralists; they offer compelling alternative conceptions of society and politics that underlie continuing controversies in the social sciences and in contemporary political life. N. Tarcov, C. Fasolt, B. Manin, R. Pippin. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
Collegiate Courses
202. Abraham Lincoln: Writings (=LL/Soc 273). A close reading of the speeches and writings of Lincoln. R. Lerner. Autumn.
203. Melville: Moby-Dick or, The White Whale (=Fndmtl 216, Hum 219). PQ: Common Core humanities and social sciences. Class limited to twenty students. We do a close reading of Melville's work. In addition to discussing the text as it unfolds, special attention is given to the questions of whether and how this American epic is especially American. R. Lerner, A. Kass. Winter.
204. International Relations: Perspectives on Conflict and Cooperation (=PolSci 294). PQ: Class limited to sixty students; preference given to students of third- or fourth-year standing. This course examines a number of competing approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in the international system. Lectures by University faculty introduce key analytic concepts from several intellectual traditions (such as realism, liberalism, cultural theory, modernization theory, and social constructivism) and discuss their ability to explain war, alliances, revolutions, nationalism, cooperation, ethnic conflict, and other important international phenomena. S. Walt. Autumn. (D)
205. International Relations: Cultures, Societies, and Globalization (=PolSci 295). PQ: Class limited to sixty students; preference given to students of third- or fourth-year standing. PolSci 294 strongly recommended. This course brings together interested faculty and students to explore alternative research strategies for investigating conflict and cooperation. In contrast to a state-centered approach, this course emphasizes transnational and subnational processes, including issues of boundary designation, identity formation, nationalism, the role of communications, and the future of the interstate system. S. Walt. Winter. (D)
217-218-219. Introduction to Linguistics I, II, III (=Anthro 270-1,-2,-3/370-1,-2,-3; Ling 201-202-203/301-302-303). PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This course is an introductory survey of methods, findings, and problems in areas of major interest within linguistics and the relationship of linguistics to other disciplines. Topics include the biological basis of language, basic notions of syntax, semantics, pragmatics, basic syntactic typology of language, phonetics, phonology, morphology, language acquisition, linguistic variation, and linguistic change. A. Dahlstrom, Autumn; R. Janda, Winter; K. Kazazis, Spring.
220-221-222. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I, II, III (=Arab/I 220-221-222). PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. This course traces the rise and development of Islamic civilization from the appearance of Islam in the seventh century to the present. The interrelationships of cultural, religious, and institutional aspects are emphasized, particularly in their changes over time. Thus, while the course proceeds chronologically, the following topics recur: political developments, literature, law, philosophy, mysticism, the visual arts, social life, and material culture. Throughout, the focus remains on the diversity of cultural phenomena in Islamic civilization, rather than on any one particular group of Muslims or geographical area. W. Kadi, Autumn; J. Woods, Winter; R. Khalidi, Spring.
225-226-227. Introduction to African Civilization I, II, III (=Anthro 306-1,-2,-3). This course sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. This course presents the political, economic, social, and cultural development of sub-Saharan African communities and states from a variety of points from the precolonial past up to the present. The autumn quarter treats the social organization and political economy of several precolonial societies in southern, central, and eastern Africa. The winter quarter focuses on religion, ritual, and colonial authority. The spring focuses on a single region, the Manden of West Africa, covering village social structure and political economy, precolonial trade and empire, Islam, European colonialism, and postcolonial society. J. L. Comaroff, Autumn; A. Apter, Winter; R. Austen, Spring.
230-231-232. Introduction to the Civilization of South Asia I, II, III (=Anthro 308-1,-2,-3; SoAsia 200-201-202; SoAsia 202=PolSci 260). PQ: Must be taken in sequence. Students who register for the third quarter of the sequence as PolSci 260 do not have to meet the prerequisites. Using a variety of disciplinary approaches, this sequence seeks to familiarize students with some of the important ideas, texts, institutions, and historical experiences that have constituted South Asian civilization. Topics covered in the autumn quarter include a discussion of what is involved in the study of premodern history, and in the idea of a "civilization"; the world views of early Vedic brahmanism, Buddhism, and a reformulated "Hinduism"; the problem of "kingship and its discontents"; and the spread of South Asian culture across Southeast Asia. The winter quarter examines elements of Hindu mythology, the role of the temple as ritual center and focus of political and economic exchange, Hindu devotionalism, South Asian Muslim identity, Muslim social and cultural institutions in South Asia, and Muslim-Hindu interactions in South Asia. The spring quarter focuses on Mughal state, society, and culture; British constructions of Indian "tradition"; the culture and politics of religious and caste identities; and issues affecting the lives of women and environment in South Asia. R. Inden, Autumn; Staff, Winter; C. Breckenridge, Spring.
235-236-237. Introduction to the Civilizations of East Asia I, II, III (=EALC 108-109-110, Hist 151-152-153). PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. This is a three-quarter sequence on the civilizations of China, Japan, and Korea, with emphasis on major transformation in these cultures and societies from the Middle Ages to the present. This year's sequence focuses on Japan from 1600 to the present, China from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, and Korea from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. G. Alitto, Autumn; Staff, Winter; A. Schmid, Spring.
240-241-242. Introduction to Russian Civilization I, II, III. PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. Russian Civilization is a three-quarter, interdisciplinary course in which geography, history, literature, economics, law, fine arts, religion, sociology, and agriculture, among other fields, are studied to see how the civilization of Russia has developed and functioned since the ninth century. The first quarter covers the period up to 1700; the second, to 1917; and the third, the Soviet period. The course has a common lecture by a specialist in the field, usually on a topic about which little is written in English. Two weekly seminar meetings are devoted to discussions of the readings, which integrate the materials from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. The course attempts to inculcate an understanding of the separate elements of Russian civilization. Emphasis is placed on discovering indigenous elements of Russian civilization and how they have reacted to the pressures and impact of other civilizations, particularly Byzantine, Mongol-Tataric, and Western. The course also considers problems of the social sciences, such as the way in which the state has dominated society, stratification, patterns of legitimization of the social order, symbols of collective social and cultural identity, the degrees of pluralism in society, and the autonomy an individual has vis-à-vis the social order. Also examined are such problems as the role of the center in directing the periphery and its cultural, political, and economic order; the mechanisms of control over the flow of resources and the social surplus; and processes of innovation and modernization. Staff. Not offered 1996-97; will be offered 1997-98.
251. Urban Structure and Process (=Geog 227/327, Sociol 227/361). This course reviews competing theories of urban development, especially their ability to explain the changing nature of cities under the impact of advanced industrialism. Analysis includes a consideration of emerging metropolitan regions, the microstructure of local neighborhoods, and the limitations of the past American experience as a way of developing urban policy both in this country and elsewhere. G. Suttles. Autumn.
253. Social Welfare in the United States (=PubPol 253). This course examines the evolution of social welfare provisions in American society. Special emphasis is placed on who is helped and who is not, in what forms, under what auspices, and with what goals. The changing nature of helping is analyzed with particular attention to the changing role of the state. Readings and discussion focus on provisions for the poor, for children and families, and for the mentally ill. Some comparisons are made with other industrialized countries. H. Richman. Spring.
256. Intensive Study of a Culture: Hindu (=Anthro 212/321). PQ: Third-year standing. May be taken for either 100 or 200 units of credit. India's peasants and natural philosophers (astrologers, physicians, and moralists) commonly assume that people are made of ether, air, fire, water, and earth; that they therefore seek esoteric knowledge, advantage, attachment, coherence, release, and the contraries of these. Students experiment with these assumptions through a simulation-game, testing its results against ethnographies of actual Indian institutions and behavior, aiming to design a Hindu social science capable of constructing such a world. M. Marriott. Autumn.
257. Modern Readings in Anthropology: Ethnopsychology of Two Cultures (=Anthro 213/323). PQ: SocSci 121-122-123 or consent of instructor. Class limited to ten students. From modern ethnographies of two cultures where Western concepts are inappropriate, the course develops alternative theories of psychological categories and relationships. M. Marriott. Not offered 1996-97; will be offered 1997-98.
260. Intensive Study of a Culture/Ethnopsychology: Japan (=Anthro 212/323). PQ: Second-year standing. Class limited to twenty students. A Japanese social psychology contrasting with the Western is developed from Japanese perceptions of human affairs as defined by containers and energies. This science is then applied to specimens of Japanese behavior presented in ethnography, literature, and film. M. Marriott. Not offered 1996-97; will be offered 1997-98.
261-262-263. Introduction to Latin American Civilization I, II, III (=Anthro 307-1,-2,-3; Hist 161-162-163; LatAm 345-346-347). This sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. May be taken in sequence or individually. This three-quarter course sequence introduces students to the history and cultures of Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. The autumn quarter examines the origins of civilizations in Latin America with a focus on the political, social, and cultural features of the major pre-Columbian civilizations of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec. The quarter concludes with consideration of the Spanish and Portuguese conquest and the construction of colonial societies in Latin America. The winter quarter addresses the evolution of colonial societies, the wars of independence, and the emergence of Latin American nation-states in the changing international context of the nineteenth century. The spring quarter focuses on the twentieth century, with emphasis on the challenges of economic, political, and social development in the region. A. Kolata, Autumn; C. Lomnitz, Winter; F. Katz, Spring.
264. The Russian Law Code (Ulozhenie) of 1649 (=Fndmtl 254, Hist 240, LL/Soc 254). Consisting of 967 articles grouped into twenty-five chapters, the Ulozhenie of 1649 is probably the most important single text to survive from Russia prior to 1800. Its laws are of Byzantine, Lithuanian, and Muscovite origin. The codification reflected Russian political, economic, social, and legal realities of the time and served as the basis of Russian law for the next 180 years. This course entails a close reading of the text (in the Hellie English translation) and examination of its context. R. Hellie. Spring.
269. Medicine and the Law (=LL/Soc 269, PubPol 269). This course is designed as an introductory investigation of the interrelations between two essential human institutions: law and medicine. Students read and discuss a series of instances where law and medicine come into conflict. The first part of the course concentrates on conflicts between individual needs, wants, and desires, on the one hand; and professional responsibility and authority or established community standards of conduct, on the other. The second focuses on legislative, administrative, and executive powers and policies involving medicine. A. Goldblatt. Spring.
273. Contemporary Japanese Society (=Japan 355, Sociol 269/369). PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing. The purpose of this course is to consider whether or not Japan is unique among industrial societies by analyzing the social structure of contemporary Japanese society. We focus on continuity and change from prewar to postwar Japan in its major social and economic institutions and in patterns of human relationships. M. Brinton. Spring.
274. Fantasy and Frame in a Mass Society. PQ: Common Core social sciences sequence. This is a course on the psychology of popular or mass culture, but instead of the usual applied psychology approach, it builds upon the interplay between cultural and psychological factors. The particular focus is fantasy processes, taken as the locus of personal uniqueness and identity in one's emotional life, and their relation to the frames and screens within and upon which culture represents and mediates typical and shared forms of social reality to the individual. We use psychology of fantasy and sociology of art and culture in analyses of selected examples of mass culture, taking theory and interpretation together. P. Homans. Spring
282-283. Problems in Gender Studies (=Eng 102-103, GS Hum 228-229, Hist 180-181, Hum 228-229, Philos 217; Eng 103=ArtH 171). PQ: Second- or third-year standing and completion of a Common Core social science or humanities course or the equivalent. This two-quarter interdisciplinary sequence is an introduction to theories and critical practices in the study of feminism, gender, and sexuality. Both classic texts and recent reconceptualizations of these contested fields are examined. Problems and cases from a variety of cultures and historical periods are considered, and the course pursues their implications for local, national, and global politics. Topics might include the politics of reproduction; gender and postcolonialism; women, sexual scandal, and the law; race and sexual paranoia; and sexual subcultures. E. Alexander, L. Berlant, Staff, Autumn; P. Rogers, C. Vogler, Staff, Winter.
285. Classical Readings in Anthropology: Marx, a Critical Overview of His Thought (=Anthro 211/447). A reading and interpretation of Marx's principal writings, emphasizing both the continuities and the changes from his earlier to his later works, with attention given to contemporary developments and controversies in Marxian scholarship. T. Turner. Spring
290. History and the Russian Novel (=Hist 236). Monday lectures present the historical, intellectual, and literary setting of each work. On Fridays the class discusses the novel of the week in the context of the Monday lectures. Depending upon availability, ten novels are chosen from Radishchev, Journey; Gogol, Dead Souls; Turgenev, Fathers and Sons; Dostoevskii, Crime and Punishment; Tolstoi, Anna Karenina; Belyi, Petersburg; Gladkov, Cement; Fadeev, The Rout; Sholokhov, Virgin Soil Upturned; Erenburg, The Thaw; Solzhenitsyn, The First Circle; and Rybakov, Children of the Arbat. R. Hellie. Spring.
291. Individual Study in the Social Sciences. PQ: Consent of instructor and senior adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
295. Readings in Social Sciences in a Foreign Language. PQ: At least one year of language. Students must individually make arrangements with appropriate instructors. Consent of instructor and senior adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
299. Readings in the Social Sciences. PQ: Consent of instructor and senior adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
304. Maimonides's Code (=SocTh 346). A close examination of the book of Knowledge and the book of Judges. R. Lerner, H. Fradkin. Winter.