Humanitarian Activism and Civil Society

Undergraduate Lecture

Syllabus

International humanitarian organizations are often first on the scene when armed conflicts erupt or natural disasters strike, but their efficiency and legitimacy are constantly questioned. This course examines humanitarian activism from a sociological perspective by looking at its history and its role in contemporary society. We will examine the origins of organized humanitarian activism and the dilemmas and challenges that NGOs must often face. We will investigate the consequences, justifications, and limitations of humanitarian work, focusing substantively on several case studies including the Kosovo War, the Nigerian Civil War, and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The course will conclude with presentations based on students' independent research and exploration of an applied topic from the course.

Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector

Undergraduate Lecture

Syllabus

When crises strike, nonprofit organizations spring to action, offering their resources, expertise, and innovation to affected communities. Yet COVID-19 brings unprecedented challenges—and unprecedented opportunities—to philanthropic endeavors. Indeed, aside from supporting medical research on COVID-19, nonprofit organizations have been providing medical care, distributing personal protective equipment (PPE), helping address loss of employment and food insecurity, and advocating for global equity in vaccine distribution, among other tasks.

This course partners with the Lemann Program on Creativity and Entrepreneurship (LPCE) in order to provide students with a unique opportunity to experience first-hand how philanthropists and nonprofit organizations are helping address the global effects of this global pandemic. On the theoretical side, the course will examine the workings of philanthropy and of nonprofit organizations, using different sociological perspectives and a series of case studies. Alongside the theoretical content, students will form groups and will develop their own nonprofit ventures to address the social impact of COVID-19. Student ventures will receive startup seed funding and, at the end of the course, will compete over additional seed money. The course will include a series of guest lectures and workshops on entrepreneurship to support student venture development.

Popular Culture and Social Theory: Critiquing Society through Television, Literature, and Comedy

Undergraduate Lecture

Syllabus

Popular culture is one of the strongest tools we have for thinking through social phenomena outside of the conventions of academic writing. Television series such as Black Mirror can provoke our thinking on topics like alienation and racism; popular novels by authors like Stephen King can unpack issues like social isolation and role conflict; and stand-up comedians like Chris Rock can deliver some of the fiercest critiques of economic and social inequality. In this course, we will use the insights that popular culture provides to gain proficiency in key current sociological theories. Each week, we will pair reading items from one contemporary theorist with one piece of popular culture, such as a movie, a sitcom, a short story, or a stand-up comedy routine. Course assignments will move from analyzing popular culture items to applying current sociological theory to real-world phenomena. Through these activities, students will familiarize themselves with theoretical frameworks such as field analysis, critical race theory, economic sociology, feminist sociology, and others.

Religion, Politics, and Society

Undergraduate Lecture

Syllabus

While many countries profess a separation between state and religion, faith and religiosity remain central to political life, both in the United States and in the global scene. In recent years more than ever, religious figures have been deeply involved in electoral processes, in welfare and charity, in social justice movements, in war-making, and in peace-building. Given the changing dynamics between faith and politics, it is doubly important for us to understand the multiple ways religion and politics interact. This course will examine the intersections between religion and politics by exploring questions like why do some religious groups engage in political activism, while others shy away from it? why do some countries try to regulate religious expression in their public spaces, when others celebrate it? why do certain religious groups resort to violence to achieve their aims, and how do some religious groups strive for social justice and peace? The course will begin with a broad overview of the sociology of religion by linking classic sociologists like W. E. Du Bois, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber to contemporary issues of faith and politics. It will continue by examining key meeting sites between politics and religion, such as social movements, welfare systems, terrorist organizations, and peacemaking initiatives. Case studies will include the French headscarf controversy, the U.S. Evangelical involvement in the 2016 elections, the Muslim Brotherhood welfare system in Egypt, and the religious-nationalist Hindutva movement in India. Students will each be assigned a local clergy member to interview about their engagement with politics.

Collective Identity

Tutorial (Seminar)

Syllabus

Working and middle class, Blacks and Latinx, Christians and Muslims, Americans and French–groups have, by their very definition, some criteria to discern those who belong from those who do not, whether they are as large as whole nations, or as small as a group of friends. But what does it mean for a group to have a collective identity? This course will examine what collective identity is and how we can study it sociologically. It will ask questions such as Does a collective identity rely on group members sharing the same past experiences, or does it rely on them facing similar present circumstances? To what extent do group members have to agree on what their collective identity is, and how are disagreement and conflicts managed? How do group members engage in identity politics, and how do they compare their groups to others? The course will begin with a review of sociological literature that addresses some of the key debates on this topic. Moving forward, students will design and complete their own research projects. Each student will choose a group in the Boston area or on campus, formulate a research question, and conduct participant observations and / or interviews. The course will cover the various steps of the research process, from formulating a research question through collecting and analyzing data and reviewing existing literature, to constructing the final paper.

From Gods to Satire: Artistic Engagements with Political Power

Freshman Seminar

Syllabus

In this seminar, we will explore the fascinating ways in which art has been used to express, critique, and reflect upon political power. From depicting rulers as gods to using comedy to criticize leaders, we will delve into the visually striking ways societies have grappled with their political systems through art.

We will meet at the Harvard Art Museums’ Art Study Center, where we will take advantage of the Museums' vast collections. Each week, we will explore different artworks and analyze them in their national and political contexts. We will also read sociological literature that will help us make sense of these works and dive into the Harvard Art Museums' archives to gain a deeper understanding of their social and political contexts. We will see how the engagement between art and politics brings to light core aspects of national identity, belonging, memory, and resistance. We will also visit the Harvard Memorial Church and the Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African & African American Art to gain a broader understanding of the cultural and political context of art.

Through this seminar, students will discover the power of art in civic dynamics and gain a new perspective on the complex relationship between art, society, and politics.

Social Trauma and Collective Identity

Seminar

Syllabus

Even though trauma is often a personal experience, it can also affect groups, regions, and even whole nations. This course explores the notion of social trauma by focusing on its emergence, commemoration, and transmission in different societies. How do ideas of trauma stay constant across generations? And what are the consequences of these processes in a variety of sites such as politics, social activism, art, and domestic life? The main analytic assignment enables students to further explore a site of their choice that represents collective trauma. Upon collection of primary evidence, students will analyze their case using the concepts and readings covered in class.

The Sociology of Religion

Seminar

Syllabus

While many countries profess a separation between state and religion, faith and religiosity remain central to social and political life, both in the United States and in the global scene. In recent years more than ever, religious figures have been deeply involved in electoral processes, in welfare and charity, in social justice movements, in war-making, and in peace-building. Given the changing dynamics between faith and politics, it is doubly important for us to understand the multiple ways religion intersects with civic life. This course will examine questions such as why do some religious groups engage in political activism, while others shy away from it? why do some countries try to regulate religious expression in their public spaces, when others celebrate it? why do certain religious groups resort to violence to achieve their aims, and how do some religious groups strive for social justice and peace? The course will begin with a broad overview of the sociology of religion by linking classic sociologists like W. E. Du Bois, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber to contemporary issues of faith and politics. It will continue by examining key meeting sites between politics and religion, such as social movements, welfare systems, terrorist organizations, and peacemaking initiatives. Case studies will include the French headscarf controversy, the U.S. Evangelical involvement in the 2016 elections, the Muslim Brotherhood welfare system in Egypt, and the Hindutva movement in India. Students will have the opportunity to explore a study case of their choice in the final paper.

Tutorial on Sociological Theory

Tutorial (Seminar)

Syllabus

This course introduces students to the complicated, conflictual, and often contradictory theoretical origins of sociology as a discipline. We begin by reading the standard sociological “canon”—Marx, Weber, and Durkheim—and interrogating why their ideas were canonized over others. We then read scholars who have been historically “written out” of the social sciences to evaluate their important, yet historically underappreciated, contributions. By the end of the course, students should (1) master key concepts in classical sociological thought, (2) understand what it means to theorize, and what makes for good theory, and (3) learn to critically interrogate the relationship between power, standpoint, and the production of knowledge.