This course will introduces students to the discipline of sociology (the systematic study of human groups, institutions and societies). Students will learn the major theoretical approaches within the field as well as the diverse research methods used in sociological investigations. These tools will be applied to a wide variety of special topics studied by sociologists, including family, work, education, religion and social movements, as well as dynamics of class, gender, race and ethnic inequalities within and across countries.

Why do people move across borders, and what happens when they do? Migration has shaped our world for centuries, and today, it is at the center of heated debates in politics, the media, and academic research. In this course, we will explore the forces driving human mobility - like economic opportunity, social networks, conflicts - and what happens when migrants settle in new places. We will take a global view and ask big-picture questions: How do people make decisions about moving? How do policies shape migration flows? How do politics influence these policies?

This seminar focuses on the structural and institutional foundations of racial discrimination in the United States. It emphasizes the contributions of sociologists, some of whom will participate as invited guests. The course gives a historical overview followed by an investigation of key legislative actions and economic factors inhibiting racial equality. Subsequent topics include migration and immigration; urban development; and residential segregation. The end of the course reviews resistance movements and policies aimed at addressing systemic racism, including restorative justice and reparations.

This course will introduce you to the conservative tradition in sociology. The course does not deal with conservative movements. Our focus, instead, is on an intellectual tradition: styles of thought and ways of understanding the social world. We will explore this from the late 19th century through today. Our course is centered around five main themes: (1) Conservatism within the classical sociological tradition; (2) a focus on the case of "The Ghetto" and the experiences of Black Americans in urban America; (3) the conservative embrace of and concerns about capitalism; (4) the sociology of the family; (5) religion in social life.