Sociology

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu/.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Sociology is an exciting degree that allows its students to pursue a multiplicity of careers and interests. With access to world-renowned faculty and one of the best graduate programs in sociology, undergraduates have a unique opportunity to engage in a lively academic environment.

Students intending to major in sociology are advised to prepare themselves by taking background work in such other areas as history, philosophy, cultural anthropology, psychology, economics, and political science.

Declaring the Major

Students are eligible to declare if they have a 2.0 cumulative and major grade point average (GPA) with at least one course completed in the major, and they have completed (or are in progress to complete) the prerequisites. For information regarding the prerequisites, please see the Major Requirements tab on this page.

It is recommended that students officially declare as soon as they are ready to do so. They may declare any time during the year except for the first two weeks of Tele-BEARS in the Spring and Fall semester.

Once the prerequisites are completed or are in progress, complete the necessary paperwork, and bring it to the Sociology Advising Offices during drop-in advising hours. The process to declare takes 10-15 minutes. Students must submit the following when they declare:

  1. The completed "Data Sheet for Sociology Majors," both sides completed before the appointment. This form is here , and it is also available outside 424/426 Barrows Hall. 
  2. A copy of their transcript (unofficial is okay) if they took any of the prerequisites at another college or university.

Honors Program

Majors who enter their senior year with a 3.3 grade point average (GPA) overall and a 3.5 GPA in the major may apply to the honors program, after conferring with a major adviser. Students will be required to submit an acceptable thesis proposal as part of their application and are encouraged to take advanced methods courses, such as SOCIOL 105, SOCIOL 106, and SOCIOL 107A-SOCIOL 107B during their junior year in preparation for conducting research for their honors thesis. Students earn honors by maintaining the minimum GPA for honors and by successfully completing SOCIOL H190A-SOCIOL H190B, Senior Honors Thesis and Seminar.

Minor Program

There is no minor program in Sociology.

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters and Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper- and lower-division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower-division Prerequisites

SOCIOL 1Introduction to Sociology 14
SOCIOL 5Evaluation of Evidence4
Select one course in Introductory Statistics (recommended) or Logic 2, 3
1

If a student has taken two or more upper division sociology courses without completing SOCIOL 1 Introduction to Sociology first, or has already taken SOCIOL 3 Course Not Available or SOCIOL 3AC Principles of Sociology: American Cultures, they should not take SOCIOL 1 Introduction to Sociology. Instead they are required to take an additional (third) Survey course as a substitute for this prerequisite, to be completed sometime before graduation (see list of Survey courses below).  The 3 surveys must be taken from 3 different substantive areas, distinguished by distinct second digits (e.g., SOCIOL 110 Organizations and Social Institutions, SOCIOL 180E Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Education, and SOCIOL 120 Economy and Society, but not SOCIOL 110 Organizations and Social Institutions, SOCIOL 180C Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Culture, and SOCIOL 180E Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Education). 

2

 This course may be taken Pass/No Pass or for a letter grade.

3

A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics Exam will also satisfy this requirement. Please bring a copy of your score report with you when you declare.

Upper-division Requirements

Sciology Theory:
SOCIOL 101Sociological Theory I5
SOCIOL 102Sociological Theory II5
Sociology Survey:
Select two courses from the following, in two different substantive areas (distinguished by different second digits in the course number)
Organizations and Social Institutions
Economy and Society
Social Inequalities
Politics and Social Change
Social Psychology
SOCIOL 150A
Course Not Available
SOCIOL 150B
Course Not Available
Sociology of Culture
Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Culture
Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Inequality
Sociology Electives:
Select four upper-division or graduate courses in Sociology, not already used to fulfill other major requirements 1
Capstone Experience/Seminar 2
Select one of the following:
SOCIOL 107B
Course Not Available
Seminar and Research in Sociology 3
Senior Honors Thesis and Seminar
1

 Additional survey courses and SOCIOL 190 seminars beyond those required can count as Sociology electives. Independent study courses, SOCIOL 191, or courses outside of the department do not fulfill this requirement.

2

Students should not necessarily wait until their last semester to take a seminar. It is recommended that students take it whenever they find a topic that interests them.

3

Students cannot enroll in SOCIOL 190 using Tele-BEARS during Phase I; there are special enrollment procedures for these courses. To enroll, students must complete the Sociology 190 Enrollment Form online, and add themselves to the waitlist on Tele-BEARS, during Phase II. For instructions, please click here. Graduating sociology majors who have not completed their seminar requirement are given priority for enrollment.

College Requirements

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Letters and Sciences  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship.  Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the College.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Understand and apply key sociological concepts and social theories
  2. Understand and be able to employ key research methods and data used by social scientists
  3. Be prepared to use a sociological lens and skills in future endeavors, in the workplace or community
  4. Formulate a well-organized argument supported by evidence
  5. Develop effective written communication skills
  6. Develop the ability to use critical thinking and research skills to evaluate and understand complex situations
  7. Achieve an understanding of professional, civic, and ethical responsibility

Courses

Sociology

SOCIOL 1 Introduction to Sociology 4 Units

Introduces students who are considering majoring in sociology to the basic topics, concepts, and principles of the study of society. This course is required for the major; 1 or any version of 3 is prerequisite for other sociology classes; students not considering a sociology major are directed to any version of 3 or 3AC.

SOCIOL 3AC Principles of Sociology: American Cultures 4 Units

Comparing the experience of three out of five ethnic groups (e.g. African Americans, Asian Americans, Chicano/Latino, European Americans, and Native Americans) we shall examine historically how each people entered American society and built communities and transformed their cultures in the process. Students will be introduced to the sociological perspective, characteristic methods of research, and such key concepts as culture, community, class, race, social change, and social movements.

SOCIOL 5 Evaluation of Evidence 4 Units

A review of methodological problems in assessing data relating to social life. Topics to be covered include: posing a sociological problem, gaining access to data, measuring, establishing correlation and causal connection among data, and relating data to theoretical context.

SOCIOL 7 The Power of Numbers: Quantitative Data in Social Sciences 4 Units

This course will provide students with a set of skills to understand, evaluate, use, and produce quantitative data about the social world. It is intended specifically for social science majors, and focuses on social science questions. Students will learn to: produce basic graphs, find good-quality and relevant data on the web, manipulate data in a spreadsheet, including producing pivot tables, understand and calculate basic statistical measures of central tendency, variation, and correlation, understand and apply basic concepts of sampling and selection, and recognize an impossible statistic.

SOCIOL 98 Directed Group Study 1 - 4 Units

Group studies of selected topics which vary over time.

SOCIOL 98BC Directed Group Study Berkeley Connect 1 Unit

Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate.

SOCIOL 101 Sociological Theory I 5 Units

First half of a year-long course on the history of social thought as a source of present-day problems and hypotheses.

SOCIOL 102 Sociological Theory II 5 Units

Second half of a year-long course on the history of social thought as a source of present-day problems and hypotheses.

SOCIOL 103 Advanced Study in Social Theory 4 Units

Course involves pursuing study in subfields of sociological theory. The course presumes a general background in social theory.

SOCIOL 105 Research Design and Sociological Methods 5 Units

Problems of research design, measurement, and data collection, processing, and analysis will be considered. Attention will be given to both qualitative and quantitative studies.

SOCIOL 106 Quantitative Sociological Methods 4 Units

This course will cover more technical issues in quantitative research methods, and will include, according to discretion of instructor, a practicum in data collection and/or analysis. Recommended for students interested in graduate work in sociology or research careers.

SOCIOL 108 Advanced Methods: In-depth Interviewing 4 Units

Scientists regularly gather data through observation. Sociologists can go a step further and ask the objects of their studies about their lives and thoughts. This upper-level course teaches students how to engage in scientific research using question-based data. It involves a mix of classroom and hands-on learning, culminating in an independent research paper.

SOCIOL 110 Organizations and Social Institutions 4 Units

This survey course studies administrative organizations and voluntary associations; major social institutions in industry, government, religion, and education.

SOCIOL 111 Sociology of the Family 4 Units

In this course, we trace the history of the American family from the 19th-century farm--in which work, medical care, and entertainment went on--to the smaller, more diverse, and subjectively defined family of the 21st century. We also explore ways in which the family acts as a "shock absorber" of many trends including immigration, the increasing social class divide, and especially the growing domination of the marketplace. Finally, we also explore the diversity of family forms associated with social class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

SOCIOL 111AC Sociology of the Family 4 Units

In this course, we trace the history of the American family from the 19th-century farm--in which work, medical care, and entertainment went on--to the smaller, more diverse, and subjectively defined family of the 21st century. We also explore ways in which the family acts as a "shock absorber" of many trends including immigration, the increasing social class divide, and especially the growing domination of the marketplace. Finally, we also explore the diversity of family forms associated with social class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

SOCIOL 111C Sociology of Childhood 4 Units

This course focuses on children and on varied contexts and experiences of growing up; it also highlights the social organization and meanings of age. It explores the idea of childhood as a social construction, including cross-cultural and historical variation in assumptions. Then it highlights the changing political economy and history of childhoods, including children's roles in consumption and production in the world. Lastly, it examines the intersecting dynamics of age, social class, racial ethnicity, gender and sexuality in growing up.

SOCIOL 111P Families, Inequality and Social Policy 4 Units

This course explores the relationships between changes in how Americans are experiencing family life, growing inequality in the U.S., and the social policy "solutions" aimed at families and children. While discussing these trends and changes and their social consequences, we will discuss government responses to these changes, how debates are framed, who debates, and how other industrialized countries consider these questions.

SOCIOL C112 Sociology of Religion 4 Units

The course will locate the place of religious consciousness in human action and then survey comparatively and historically the role that religion has played in human society. Will include a general theory of the nature of religious experience, religious symbolism, and the basis of religious community.

SOCIOL 113 Sociology of Education 4 Units

The role of formal education in modern societies. Educational systems in relation to the religious, cultural, economic, and political forces shaping their character.

SOCIOL 113AC Sociology of Education 4 Units

The role of formal education in modern societies. Educational systems in relation to the religious, cultural, economic, and political forces shaping their character.

SOCIOL 114 Sociology of Law 4 Units

Selected legal rules, principles, and institutions treated from a sociological perspective. Influence of culture and social organization on law; role of law in social change; social aspects of the administration of justice; social knowledge and the law.

SOCIOL 115B Biology, Genetics and Society 4 Units

The course will provide an overview of the intersections of biology, genetics and society in an examination of the past, present, and possible future effects of such intersections. In particular, the course addresses contemporary controversies, such as the search for the gay gene and the biology of human behavior, the biology of superiority, and the nature-nurture debate, in order to provide students a critical insight into biology’s profound role in shaping our modern way of life.

SOCIOL 115G Global Health and Social Justice 4 Units

This course examines the social forces that promote and sustain illness throughout the globe and contribute to illness outbreaks becoming epidemics and pandemics. Emphasizing the central roles of poverty and politics in shaping health risks, disparities within and across nations are explored. With the understanding that health is, at core, a social justice issue, this course reviews policies and programs that attempt to address health problems, some of which have helped to alleviate suffering and some of which have caused additional harm.

SOCIOL C115 Sociology of Health and Medicine 4 Units

This course covers several topics, including distributive justice in health care, the organization and politics of the health system, the correlates of health (by race, sex, class, income), pandemics (e.g., AIDS, Avian Flu and other influenzas, etc.), and the experience of illness and interactions with doctors and the medical system.

SOCIOL 116 Sociology of Work 4 Units

The labor force; social control within and of occupations and professions (professionalization, professional associations vs. labor unions, codes of ethics, legal controls); social structure of the workplace, work experience of the participants, relation of both to community and society.

SOCIOL 117 Sport As a Social Institution 4 Units

Analysis of sport as social institution, its structure and functions; male-female role contrasts, race and sport; economics of sport; the roles of coach, athlete, fan--their interrelationships and complexities; current turmoil in sport and the ideological struggle which has emerged.

SOCIOL 119S Organizational Strategy and Design: A Sociological Perspective 4 Units

This course addresses organizational design strategy formulation and institutional analysis for a variety of organizational entities. The course features a focus on international issues, key debates in organizational design and their implications. By the end of the course, students will be expected to detect, diagnose, and recommend globally savvy solutions for many types of organizational design related issues.

SOCIOL 120 Economy and Society 4 Units

This survey course focus on three major themes of the contemporary United States: government, resources, and cities. Stress on the importance of transition from the 1960's. Examination of how each sector is influenced by policy currents, economic trends, and social conflicts.

SOCIOL 121 Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Social and Cultural Context 4 Units

This course will examine the social and cultural environment that enables or hinders the innovation process in business. The course starts by reviewing how companies can create and foster innovative cultures and organize for innovation, and reviews differences between countries in innovativeness. It continues by examining the factors which influence whether innovations are or are not adopted. It addresses some social and ethical issues of innovation, examines the social role and context of entrepreneurs, and closes with some case studies.

SOCIOL 124 Sociology of Poverty 4 Units

This course will explore the sociology of poverty. It will examine a number of theories on the causes of poverty, then turn to an examination of empirical studies concerning the trends and determinants of poverty, followed by an examination of the everyday life of those who live in the condition of poverty. This course will conclude with a look at social policy toward poverty. The course will focus primarily, although not exclusively, on poverty in the U.S. While there will be some readings concerning rural poverty, the course will have a decidedly urban focus.

SOCIOL C126 Social Consequences of Population Dynamics 4 Units

Introduction to population issues and the field of demography, with emphasis on historical patterns of population growth and change during the industrial era. Topics covered include the demographic transition, resource issues, economic development, the environment, population control, family planning, birth control, family and gender, aging, intergenerational transfers, and international migration.

SOCIOL 127 Development and Globalization 4 Units

A comparative analysis of socio-economic and political change, focusing on the poor countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Offers both a basic descriptive understanding of processes of change in these countries and an introduction to major theoretical perspectives on development and globalization.

SOCIOL 130 Social Inequalities 4 Units

This survey course studies recent trends in occupational stratification; social classes in local communities and the nation as related to interest organizations.

SOCIOL 130AC Social Inequalities: American Cultures 4 Units

This course explores the causes and consequences of inequality in the U.S. First, we will discuss theories and concepts scholars use to understand inequality. We then consider several institutions that sustain, reproduce and/or mitigate inequality in the U.S., such as education, labor markets, family structure, and the criminal justice system. Within each topic, we pay attention to the significance of race and ethnicity, social class, and gender.

SOCIOL 131 Race and Ethnic Relations: The United States Experience 4 Units

Course focuses on race and ethnic relations in the United States. Examination of historical experiences, contemporary circumstances and future prospects of racial and ethnic populations with particular attention to trends in relations between the dominant society and the Afro-American, Native-American, Asian-American and Latino sub-cultures. Political and social consequences of racial and ethnic stratification are explored.

SOCIOL 131AC Race and Ethnic Relations: U.S. American Cultures 4 Units

Course focuses on race and ethnic relations in the United States. Examination of historical experiences, contemporary circumstances, and future prospects of racial and ethnic populations with particular attention to trends in relations between the dominant society and the African American, Native American, Asian American, and Latino subcultures. Political and social consequences of racial and ethnic stratification are explored.

SOCIOL 131F Four Centuries of Racial Vision and Division in the U.S. 4 Units

This course mixes sociological theory and social history to trace the workings of race as a principle of social vision and division. It proceeds through a focused inquiry into the making, functioning, and contradictions of four "peculiar institutions" that have operated to define, confine, and control African Americans in the history of the United States: slavery; the Jim Crow system of legal discrimination and segregation; the ghetto of the Northern metropolis; and the novel institutional mesh formed by the hyperghetto and the prison.

SOCIOL 133 Sociology of Gender 4 Units

Historical and comparative theories of gender and gender relations. Exploration of key institutions such as family, state, and workplace through which students can understand the social, economic, and cultural factors that create gender and shape what it means to be a man or a woman. Consideration of feminist movements, in a global context, and of relationships of gender to social class, sexuality, age, race/ethnicity, and nationality.

SOCIOL 135 Sexual Cultures 4 Units

This course examines how sexual identities, communities, desires, and practices are socially, historically, and culturally constructed. We will look at how people reproduce dominant models of sexuality, as well as how a wide range of people--including lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, transgenderists, and self-described queers--contest the power that operates through dominant models of sexuality. Looking at empirical studies and theoretical texts, we will trace the paradigm shift from late 19th century sexology to early 20th century psychoanalysis, through a variety of approaches in the 1960's and 1970's to the feminist and queer theory of recent decades.

SOCIOL 136 Urban Sociology 4 Units

The nature, causes, consequences of world urbanization; metropolitan areas; location and types of cities, social and demographic characteristics of urban populations.

SOCIOL 137AC Environmental Justice: Race, Class, Equity, and the Environment 4 Units

Overview of the field of environmental justice, analyzing the implications of race, class, labor, and equity on environmental degradation and regulation. Environmental justice movements and struggles within poor and people of color communities in the U.S., including: African Americans, Latino Americans, and Native American Indians. Frameworks and methods for analyzing race, class, and labor. Cases of environmental injustice, community and government responses, and future strategies for achieving environmental and labor justice.

SOCIOL 139 Selected Topics in Social Inequality 4 Units

Specialized topics in Social Inequalities that are not regularly offered in the curriculum may occasionally be offered under this number. The focus of the course will vary depending on the instructor in charge. The survey course in Social Inequalities, 130, is recommended before taking this course.

SOCIOL 140 Politics and Social Change 4 Units

This survey course studies the relationship between society and politics through an analysis of the intersection of economic development, social relations, and the political sphere. Examines how class, race, ethnicity, and gender interact with political culture, ideology, and the state. The course also looks at diverse forms of political behavior, a key aspect of politics.

SOCIOL 142 Sociology of War and Conflict 4 Units

Violent and peaceful procedures in the pursuit of national objectives; analysis of attempts to specify the causes of war.

SOCIOL 144 Ethnic Politics 4 Units

Examination of the role that ethnicity plays in influencing the political behavior of individuals as well as analysis of how the state in multi-ethnic countries interacts with ethnic groups.

SOCIOL 145 Social Change 4 Units

Study of major changes in modern societies: the sources of these changes; the processes through which they spread; their meaning for individuals and institutions.

SOCIOL 145AC Social Change: American Cultures 4 Units

This course will seek to explain the formation of modern United States society by inquiring into the processes of social change that have brought us to the present as well as created possibilities for the future. Race, nationalism, and ethnicity--and movements against racism and nationalism and for multiculturalism--are central dimensions of social change in the United States. The course will explore the processes of social change as they affect and are affected by different racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

SOCIOL 145L Social Change in Latin America 4 Units

This course will introduce students to the origins and nature of social change in contemporary Latin America. A socio-historical approach will be used to describe the region's development, which will lay the groundwork for understanding the emergence in recent decades of movements promoting social change there. While focusing particularly on Latin America, the course will also provide the theoretical and analytical tools required to comprehend social change elsewhere in the Third World.

SOCIOL 146 Contemporary Immigration in Global Perspective 4 Units

The goal of this course is to introduce students to important academic and political debates around immigration, to discuss processes of immigration, integration and exclusion in different national and cultural contexts, and to look at how the question of immigration plays out in different social and political areas.

SOCIOL 146AC Contemporary Immigration in Global Perspective 4 Units

The goal of this course is to introduce students to important academic and political debates around immigration, to discuss processes of immigration, integration and exclusion in different national and cultural contexts, and to look at how the question of immigration plays out in different social and political areas.

SOCIOL 148 Social Policy 4 Units

In this course, we will examine American policy responses to poverty and inequality and evaluate various theories. We will pay particular attention to the role of pulic opinion, interest groups, race and class relations, social movements, and the state in explaining the American social welfare provision.

SOCIOL 150 Social Psychology 4 Units

This survey course examines many theoretical approaches to social psychology. The approaches may include: symbolic interactionism, neo-behaviorism, psychodynamic analyses, cognitive theories, interpersonal processes and theories of exchange.

SOCIOL 151 Personality and Social Structure 4 Units

This course addresses how individual psyches are shaped by the wider society: how a person's locations in a culture, an historical era, and within a society affect how they think, what they feel, and how they express their personalities.

SOCIOL 152 Deviance and Social Control 4 Units

A consideration of forms, causes, and controls of deviant behavior.

SOCIOL 160 Sociology of Culture 4 Units

This survey course studies human meaning systems, particularly as manifested in art, literature, music, and other media. It includes study of the production, reception, and aesthetic experience of cultural forms.

SOCIOL 163 Popular Culture 3 Units

This course examines various forms of popular culture including media, subcultures, art, and consumer culture. We will begin the course with an examination of the definition of popular culture and how cultural texts, artifacts, and behavior come to be seen as popular. Then we will focus on sociological theories that will guide our understanding of popular culture.

SOCIOL 165 Social Networks 4 Units

A "social network" can be an association of people or of groups of people. It is usually for some kind of exchange, with the network serving as a forum or medium. It can be personal or impersonal. This course will study the relations linking persons, organizations, interest groups, states, etc., analyze the structure of these relations, and review how such structures constrain behavior, and channel social change.

SOCIOL 166 Society and Technology 4 Units

This course studies the interaction between society and technologies in a comparative and multicultural perspective. Some topics covered include the relationship between technology and human society; technology, culture and values; technology in the new global economy; development and inequality; electronic democracy; how technology has transformed work and employment; and the challenges of technological progress and the role that society plays in addressing these challenges.

SOCIOL 167 Virtual Communities/Social Media 4 Units

With the advent of virtual communities and online social networks, old questions about the meaning of human social behavior have taken on renewed significance. Using a variety of online social media simultaneously, and drawing upon theoretical literature in a variety of disciplines, this course delves into discourse about community across disciplines. This course will enable students to establish both theoretical and experiential foundations for making decisions and judgments regarding the relations between mediated communication and human community.

SOCIOL 169 Selected Topics in Sociology of Culture 4 Units

Specialized topics in sociology of culture that are not regularly offered in the curriculum may occasionally be offered under this number. The focus of the course will vary depending on the instructor in charge. Possibilities include investigations of new media for cultural expression or social networking, cultures of care giving, and the meaning of consumption patterns. The survey course in sociology of culture, 160, is recommended before taking this course.

SOCIOL 169F Cultural Perspectives of Food 3 Units

The course will provide a broad overview of food as culture. The course begins with foundational writings on the cultural implications of food as consumption and social distinction, and the culture of a global food world. The course also examines how food is imbued with gender, race, class, ethnic and sexual meanings and the constitution and creation of identity.

SOCIOL 173 Contemporary Chinese Society 4 Units

An introduction to institutions, social groups, and values in contemporary Chinese society. Dynamics of social change in a revolutionary and post-revolutionary setting. Trends in the future development of Chinese society.

SOCIOL 179 Selected Topics in Area Studies 4 Units

Specialized topics in area studies in sociology that are not regularly offered in the curriculum may occasionally be offered under this number. The focus of the course will vary depending on the instructor in charge.

SOCIOL 180C Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Culture 4 Units

This survey course explores difference between the US and European countries in the cultural domain. It starts by discussing American Exceptionalism, focusing on 1) individualism versus collectivism, 2) liberal market ideology versus social democracy, and 3) religiously versus secularism. Subsequent topics are: differences in the mind and psyche, focusing on substance use and abuse, the role of self-fulfillment, and of therapy, as well as moral judgment and the visions of the good life, systems of classification and evaluation, family, abortion and sex, and the cultural integration of immigrants.

SOCIOL 180E Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Education 4 Units

In this course we will focus first on relevant sociological theories of comparative education, and then apply these theories in their practical context by looking at social issues in education in the United States and selected European countries. Next we will discuss the impact of race, ethnicity, language, social class, and gender. Finally, we will consider sociological perspectives on comtemporary education reform, school change, and alternative education.

SOCIOL 180I Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Inequality 4 Units

This survey course explores differences between modern societies through systematic comparisons of inequality in the U.S. and European countries. It analyzes central social changes, social problems and institutions in the societies, addressing gender inequality, immigration, and rising inequality.

SOCIOL 180P Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Political Economy 4 Units

This course introduces comparative political economy with focus on the US, European countries, and the international economic arena. We will compare and conrast different theories of comparative political economy. Then we will focus on the varied economic, political, and social impacts of the EU in comparision to the NAFTA. Lastly, we will focus on challenges of and possible solutions to economic developments.

SOCIOL 182 Elementary Forms of Racial Domination: International Perspectives 4 Units

A broad survey of race and ethnic relations in a wide variety of nations and periods, with special attention to comparisons with the present and past patterns in the United States. Emphasis on: social, economic, political, institutional, social psychological, and demographic processes.

SOCIOL C184 Family and Household in Comparative Perspective 3 Units

How are families and households organized around the world? Which aspects of household and family vary, and which are constant? What are the relationships between household and family on the one hand and the political, economic, or broad social patterns on the other? This course examines all of these questions, taking historical and contemporary examples from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

SOCIOL 185 Global Sociology 3 Units

Global sociology seeks to transcend national boundaries, studying the world as a unit unto itself, populated by organizations, networks, and movements. Global sociology cannot be constructed by sociologists from a single country, but it must be a collaborative effort from different parts of the planet. We will study globalization through a sociological lens by asking distinguished sociologists from around the world to discuss such contemporary issues as immigration, terrorism, disasters, etc.

SOCIOL 186 American Society 4 Units

This course explores the ways that contemporary American society is different than other societies and different than American society in earlier periods.

SOCIOL 189 Selected Topics in Comparative Perspectives 4 Units

Specialized topics in comparative perspectives in sociology that are not regularly offered in the curriculum may occasionally be offered under this number. The focus of the course will vary depending on the instructor in charge. One of the survey courses in comparative perspectives in sociology, 180C, 180E, 180I, or 180P, is recommended before taking this course.

SOCIOL 189G Comparative Perspectives in Sociology: The Global Elite 3 Units

The course will cover both traditional and new elite theories, examine contemporary empirical evidence on the rise of the new global plutocracy, and think about the long-term implications of this phenomenon for inequality, culture, and society.

SOCIOL C189 Dutch Culture and Society: Amsterdam and Berkeley in the Sixties 4 Units

This course will focus on the cultural aspects of protest- and youth cultures in two cities that were influential in the sixties: Amsterdam and Berkeley. Particular attention will be paid to how American popular culture was perceived in a European context. All readings and discussions in English.

SOCIOL 190 Seminar and Research in Sociology 4 Units

Advanced study in sociology, with specific topics to be announced at the beginning of each semester.

SOCIOL 190AC Seminar and Research in Sociology: American Cultures 4 Units

Advanced study in sociology, with specific topics that satisfy the American Cultures requirement, e.g., immigration, to be announced at the beginning of each semester.

SOCIOL H190A Senior Honors Thesis and Seminar 4 Units

Intensive study of individual topic to provide background for honors thesis which is completed during the second semester of the sequence. Group and individual conferences.

SOCIOL H190B Senior Honors Thesis and Seminar 5 Units

Intensive study of individual topic to provide background for honors thesis which is completed during the second semester of the sequence. Group and individual conferences.

SOCIOL 193 Reading and Writing Seminar for Sociology 3 Units

This course aims to introduce the structure, rules, and mechanics of formal academic writing in the discipline of sociology. The focus of the course will be on developing the abilities of reading, analyzing, comprehending, and then practicing the ways in which this type of formal, academic, sociological writing operates.

SOCIOL 194 Writing Research 1 - 4 Units

This seminar is for students who are interested in writing a longer research-based paper. It is designed to improve writing skills, with a focus on empirical sociological research. Students will be required to conduct, write, and present an original research project. The seminar will also have a set of substantive readings, which will help students with specific substantive interests focus their work. The readings will vary by year and instructor, and may cover topics such as immigration, ethnicity, and poverty.

SOCIOL C196A UCDC Core Seminar 4 Units

This course is the UCDC letter-graded core seminar for 4 units that complements the P/NP credited internship course UGIS C196B. Core seminars are designed to enhance the experience of and provide an intellectual framework for the student's internship. UCDC core seminars are taught in sections that cover various tracks such as the Congress, media, bureaucratic organizations and the Executive Branch, international relations, public policy and general un-themed original research.

SOCIOL C196B UCDC Internship 6.5 Units

This course provides a credited internship for all students enrolled in the UCDC and Cal in the Capital Programs. It must be taken in conjunction with the required academic core course C196A. C196B requires that students work 3-4 days per week as interns in settings selected to provide them with exposure to and experienc in government, public policy, international affairs, media, the arts or other areas or relevance to their major fields of study.

SOCIOL C196W Special Field Research 10.5 Units

Students work in selected internship programs approved in advance by the faculty coordinator and for which written contracts have been established between the sponsoring organization and the student. Students will be expected to produce two progress reports for their faculty coordinator during the course of the internship, as well as a final paper for the course consisting of at least 35 pages. Other restrictions apply; see faculty adviser.

SOCIOL 197 Field Study in Sociology 1 - 4 Units

Supervised experience relevant to specific aspects of sociology in off-campus organizations. Regular individual meetings with faculty sponsor and written reports required.

SOCIOL 198 Directed Group Study for Undergraduates 1 - 4 Units

Group studies of selected topics which vary over time.

SOCIOL 198BC Directed Group Study for Undergraduates--Berkeley Connect 1 Unit

Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate.

SOCIOL 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.

Faculty

Professors

Victoria Bonnell, Professor. Labor history, sociology, Russia, comparative development, Soviet Union.
Research Profile

Michael Burawoy, Professor. Sociology, Russia, capitalism, industrial workplaces, postcolonialism, socialism, global ethnography, Hungary.
Research Profile

Laura J. Enriquez, Professor. Social movements, political sociology, sociology, development in Latin America, rural sociology.
Research Profile

Claude S Fischer, Professor. Technology, urban sociology, sociology, social history, social networks.
Research Profile

Neil D Fligstein, Professor. Sociology.
Research Profile

Marion Fourcade, Professor. Culture, social theory, political sociology, economic sociology, comparative methods, knowledge and science.
Research Profile

Thomas B. Gold, PhD, Professor. Post-socialism, China, sociology, East Asian studies, comparative institutions, Pacific Rim societies, Taiwan, globalization and development.
Research Profile

Leo A. Goodman, PhD, Professor. Sociology, statistics, log-linear models, correspondence analysis models, mathematical demography, categorical data analysis, survey data analysis, logit models, log-bilinear models, association models.
Research Profile

Heather A. Haveman, Professor. Gender, historical sociology, economic sociology, organizational theory (ecology and institutionalism), entrepreneurship, organizational demography, careers and social mobility.
Research Profile

Jerome B. Karabel, Professor. Stratification, political sociology, sociology, sociology of education, media.
Research Profile

John Lie, Professor. Social theory, political economy, sociology, East Asian studies, and Korean diaspora.
Research Profile

Samuel R. Lucas, Professor. Research methods, demography, sociology, social stratification, sociology of education, and research statistics.
Research Profile

Trond Petersen, Professor. Inequality, comparative gender inequality, hiring, promotions, wages, quantitative methods, social stratification, economic sociology, comparative studies, and quantitative methods.
Research Profile

Raka Ray, Professor. Feminist theory, gender, social movements, South and Southeast Asian studies, relations between dominant subaltern groups in India, women¹s movements in India.
Research Profile

Martin Sanchez-Jankowski, Professor. Sociology of poverty, gangs and crime, sociology of violence, race and ethnic relations.
Research Profile

Ann Swidler, Professor. Religion, culture, Africa, AIDS, political sociology, sociology, theory, NGO.
Research Profile

Kim Voss, Professor. Sociology.
Research Profile

Loic Wacquant, Professor. Sociology.
Research Profile

Margaret M Weir, Professor. Political science, political sociology, sociology, American political development, urban politics and policy, comparative studies of the welfare state, metropolitan inequalities, city-suburban politics in the United States.
Research Profile

Associate Professors

Irene Bloemraad, PhD, Associate Professor. Research methods, immigration, social movements, political sociology, multiculturalism, race & ethnicity, Canada, non-profit organizations.
Research Profile

David James Harding, PhD, Associate Professor.

Mara Loveman, Associate Professor.

Dylan John Riley, Associate Professor.

Sandra Susan Smith, PhD, Associate Professor. Trust, urban poverty, joblessness, race and ethnic inequality, social capital and social networks.
Research Profile

Cihan Ziya Tugal, Associate Professor. Political sociology, social movements, religion, Islam and the Middle East, culture, poverty and class, social theory, ethnography.
Research Profile

Assistant Professors

Cybelle Fox, Assistant Professor. Historical sociology, American welfare state, race and ethnic relations, immigration policy.
Research Profile

G. Cristina Mora, PhD, Assistant Professor. Classification, organizations, race and ethnicity, Latino Migration.
Research Profile

Lecturers

Andrew Barlow, Lecturer.

Mary E Kelsey, Lecturer.

Brian A Powers, Lecturer.

Contact Information

Department of Sociology

410 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-642-4766

Fax: 510-642-0659

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Raka Ray, PhD

rakaray@berkeley.edu

Director of Student Services

Carolyn A. Clark

428 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-643-4630

Fax: 510-642-0659

carolync@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Adviser

Cristina Rojas

424 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-642-3330

cmrojas@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Staff Adviser

Seng Saelee

426 Barrows Hall

Phone: 510-643-5815

ssaelee@berkeley.edu

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