SOCI 450 - Beyond Us vs. Them: How We Manage Contradictory Categories

This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
GSFS
Semester Offered: First Semester
Credits (Range): 3 hours
Attribute: 3SS, CD

We frame people as divided into competing groups (e.g. poor vs. rich, immigrant vs. American). But this is too simplistic, for we frequently inhabit contradictory categories (e.g. mothers in high-status careers, mixed races, gay Christians). This course advances current theories of group hierarchies and individual agency by examining how people manage conflicting statuses. We incorporate multiple disciplines, not only sociology. Students will research whichever groups interest them for a final project. Consent of the instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Instructor: P. Dhingra