Selected Topics In Sociology

Social organization of selected institutions and/or analysis of current issues. See below some of our course topics. Soc 149-3 Skibidi Capitalism: Ideology and Market What does Skibidi Toilet and capitalism have in common? More than you might think. Just like the Skibidi Toilet meme took over the internet in ways that felt random but weren’t, capitalism thrives on shaping culture and ideology in ways we don’t always notice. This course explores how capitalism isn’t just an economic system—it’s a cultural and ideological force. How does capitalism influence the way we see and understand the world around us? How does it shape our sense of what kinds of social change are possible—and which ones seem out of reach? What role does ideology play in this process? Is capitalism only about class or does it also shape gender, race, and other forms of social inequalities? How does capitalism shape our ideas of justice and injustice? From the ways media industries turn creativity into profit to the ways ideology makes economic inequality feel natural, we'll explore how culture sustains and reinforces capitalism. Through thinkers like Karl Marx, Stuart Hall, Louis Althusser, Antonio Gramsci, and Nancy Fraser, we’ll analyze how capitalism operates not just in boardrooms and factories but in memes, movies, and everyday life. No prior background in political economy is needed—just curiosity and a critical eye for the absurdities of the world around us. Soc 149-2 Sociology Research Lab (1 SHU ) Interested in sociological research? The Sociology Research Lab is a new forum designed to facilitate student-led research. Lab members are invited to develop their own empirical research projects individually or collaboratively in groups. Whether collecting new data or analyzing data generated from other courses or projects, the goal is for students to gain hands-on experience with, receive constructive feedback from faculty and peers, and appreciate the collaborative and iterative nature of sociological inquiry. Students will present research in progress to fellow lab members and work toward the goal of disseminating their work to academic and/or public audiences. This 1 SHU course may be taken up to three times for credit. Soc 149-1 Participatory Action Research. (Cross-listed w/ CVS) Research WITH Communities, Not ON Them. What if research could do more than just produce knowledge—what if it could help create meaningful social change? In this interactive course, we'll learn about Participatory Action Research (PAR), an approach that puts communities at the center of the research process. Through engaging discussions, real-world examples, and hands-on workshops, you'll learn how to build equitable community partnerships, rethink whose knowledge counts, and turn research into action. We will engage with different theories about how knowledge is created and legitimized, learn about the principles of PAR and how to apply them in a range of research and internship projects, and workshop the application of PAR in students’ own projects or communities. PAR can be used with many methods, organizations, and fields: all you need is an innovative spirit and a commitment to collaboration and shared learning.