First-Year Seminar: College, Inequality, and Society

3 units

Universities are experiencing significant change and are the focus of intense debates. Some see college as an important equalizer that helps students reach their full potential and live more rewarding lives. Others see colleges as reinforcing inequalities and favoring students who are already privileged. Meanwhile, significant changes are underway include rising costs, greater competition, growing diversity, new technologies, and calls for greater accountability and oversight. We will read and reflect broadly on college and how higher education is changing, and we will conduct sociological research on three major themes. First, we will consider the sorting process -- what factors shape who goes to college and where they go to college. Second, we will examine the social dimension -- how the college experience shapes learning, identities, and relationships. Third, we will focus on the institutional context -- how college is shaped by politics, the economy, the legal system, and popular culture.