Environmental Sociology
The goal of the course is to deepen collective understanding of the dynamics of power and inequality that shape human
societies and the natural environment. The class pursues this goal by contextualizing the early work,
reviewing core theories in environmental sociology, and using these newfound theoretical skills to consider
inequality, justice, social movements, and other topics of relevance to contemporary human-environment
interactions. A notable class activity focuses on drawing the connections between individual consumption and environmental
degradation. Students learn about the "individualization of responsibility" and its connection to the
"environmental imagination," then use these concepts to interpet the lessons offered in the
classic film The Lorax.
Development, Justice, and Social Change
The course aims to provide students with an overview of major approaches and debates central to
understanding societal development from a sociological perspective. The general goal is to deepen collective
understanding of the dynamics of power and inequality that shape individuals, human societies, and
the natural world. A notable
class activity focuses on understanding theories of justice and human rights in the contemporary era. Students
learn about the "banality of evil" - an idea originating with the Nuremburg trials after World War II -
and apply the concept to interpret scenes in the film The Act of Killing, which documents the 1960
Indonesian genocide.
Introduction to Environmental Studies
This course aims to provide students with an overview of major approaches and debates central to understanding
the relationship between nature and society. We identify evidence from social and environmental
sciences that highlights issues of environmental degradation and inequality. A notable class activity
focuses on the way that humans socially construct environmental problems. Students learn about
"naturework" and apply the concept to investigate the Anne Frank Chestnut Tree, which has become a global symbol of
hope and peace in memorials around the world.
Statistics and Probability
The primary goal of this course is to introduce students to some basic statistical concepts and techniques.
The material we cover prepares students for more advanced statistical courses. We explore a variety of topics,
including graphical and numerical univariate statistics, graphical and numerical bivariate statistics,
probability, sampling distributions, and statistical inference.
Research Methods
This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of research methods.
We emphasize issues such as the logic of research design, issues of conceptualization and measurement,
the range of data collection methods available to scientists, and social scientists in particular, and
what scientists do with the data once they have collected it.