Social Science (SOCS-SHU)

Prerequisite: None.

Imagine participating in an experiment in which you are asked to shock a fellow participant who answers questions incorrectly[1]. You are to shock the participant at increasing rates for every answer they get wrong. Eventually, you are required to shock them at a level capable of killing them. How far would you go? What factors are important in understanding how far you would go? Can evidence from such an experiment provide enough insight into why you may, or may not, be capable of committing acts of genocide? This is a course in critical social psychology using the case study of human nature and genocide. The goal is to critically analyze experimental social psychology by applying it to the study of human nature and genocide. We will do this by studying classical social psychology paradigms and experiments. We will also engage with theories such as evolutionary psychology, cultural anthropology, Marxist psychology, and critical theory—allowing us to compare and contrast various ways of studying human behavior. In order to aid us in this journey, we will ask questions such as: · What role does human nature play in genocide? · Can human nature be discovered by the scientific method? · Is human nature today the same as it was 15,000 years ago? Or, could genocide have happened 15,000 years ago? Prerequisites: PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology or AP Psychology: Score of 5 or IB Psychology HL (Higher Level): Score of 7 or A Level Psychology: Score of A. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Psychology 200 level.

The sociological perspective helps us to understand connections between self and society, order and conflict, and continuity and change. It reveals how social forces shape our own life and the lives of those around us, in ways that are often hidden or overlooked. This course will help you to develop your “sociological imagination” – understanding individual experiences in the broader context of social structures. The course will also provide an overview of and introduction to the field of sociology. You will learn what sociology is, how sociologists do their research, and the key theories and concepts that guide the discipline. We will explore a variety of different topics of interest to sociologists and lay persons, including inequality and social class, cities and communities, gender, family and marriage, education, migration and immigration, health, and social networks. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Foundational course.

This course is an in-depth introduction to the study of taboo, dirt, and cleanliness. We'll examine a range of actual examples from around the world, including taboos around sexuality, hair, and blood; food taboos, and other taboos governing religious practices; disgust, fear, and avoidance; modern and contemporary conceptions of hygiene, filth, and waste treatment; as well as the ideas underlying racism and social purity, built on the logic of taboo. We'll survey and discuss a wealth of writings, including the latest attempts to re-think and understand the classic topic of taboo. This is mainly through anthropology (Valeri, Douglas, Steiner, and other authors) but also through crucial contributions from psychology and literary studies (Freud, Kristeva, and others). Students will engage in research and writing, including on their own personal experiences of taboo and pollution. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Humanities 18-19 Survey.

In a world where interests and values often conflict, how should societies be governed? Which form of government is best? Have we reached what Francis Fukuyama famously termed ‘The End of History’—the notion that there are no serious contenders to liberal democracy? Our search will range broadly—we will examine ancient and modern theorists such as Aristotle, Machiavelli, Montesquieu, and Mill as well as Chinese critics of liberal democracy. Prerequisite: None. The course should be considered equivalent to POLSC-AD 120 and POL-UA 100 Political Theory Fulfillment: Humanities Introductory course; Social Science Foundational course.

China’s emergence as a ubiquitous player in world politics brings it into sustained contact with the existing world order, held together—sometimes tightly, sometimes loosely—by international law on a number of issue areas. This course considers international law and Chinese politics in a few key areas in an effort to appreciate that fact. The course has two main objectives: to deliver an interdisciplinary approach to international law marked by a discussion of China’s domestic politics and foreign relations, and to help you to develop the ability to do original, analytical research that’s relevant to the topics at hand. We will first introduce public international law and ground it in theories of international relations and Chinese politics. We will then explore how China and other countries create and navigate law regarding state rights and duties, human rights, environmental protection, the global economy, war and war-fighting, and territorial disputes. Prerequisite: None.

Shanghai continues to encounter the challenges and opportunities of a precipitously urbanizing geography, as urban planning has changed from being a socialist provider of goods and welfare to a supporter of China’s expansion through the new “reform and opening up” market economy. In this course, we will delve into the economic, political, and cultural roles of cities, with a special focus on Shanghai – probably the best living laboratory to study urban planning in the world. In order to understand Shanghai in a theoretical context, two sets of readings will be introduced for each topic: classic writings in the field of urban studies/planning/sociology, architecture, history, and writings specific to Shanghai. This theoretical context will be heavily supplemented by a series of hand-on field trips, taking full advantage of Shanghai as our planning laboratory. The goal of this course is to introduce students to urban design, urban studies and city planning, as well as to help students develop their critical observation, analysis, and thinking skills regarding urban environment. Prerequisite: None.

This course introduces urbanization in China in the context of the East Asian region and globalization. By examination of the development of selected cities and discussion of experimental urban themes, this course aims to depict prevalent patterns of urbanization at appropriate levels, such as neighborhood types, metropolitan areas, and regional urban agglomeration. We examine traditional forms of settlement and place more recent urban phenomena in a broader historical perspective. We explore relevant political traditions and forms of planning administration to reveal underlying social, economic, cultural and environmental circumstances at work, while learning tools and methods of spatial analysis that can be applied to the study of cities all over the world. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC; Social Science Foundational course or Urban Studies 200 level; Humanities 18-19 Critical Concepts; GCS The Politics, Economy, and Environment of China.

Topics examined include environmental history and concepts of nature and the environment; the rise of environmentalism; environmental skepticism; anthropogenic global change; population and consumption, ecological footprint analysis, and other environmental indicators; environmental justice; public goods and collective action problems; regulatory regimes; environmental politics; environmental values; environmental movements, protest, and disobedience; and the future of environmentalism. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Foundation course.

In this course we examine contemporary cultural, social, and political issues through the lens of socio-cultural anthropology, the study of human society and culture. We approach the discipline through a historical examination of how anthropologists have studied rituals and beliefs, family and kinship, sex and gender, systems of exchange, bodies and selves, race, nationalism, globalization, power and human agency. Students become familiar with ethnography, the study of cultural and social systems through long-term fieldwork and observation. In addition to introducing students to the history of anthropological thought, we study contemporary ethnographies that explore border-crossing and migration, media and digital social lives, infrastructure and state-making, and faith and development. Pre-requisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Foundational course.

This course serves as an introduction to the broad range of methodologies used to produce knowledge in the social sciences, including political science, economics, anthropology, psychology, and sociology. Students will learn how to effectively pose questions about social phenomena, how to design a research project, and how to identify and work with data. Readings also expose students to prominent examples of how both quantitative and qualitative methods are chosen and applied in the social sciences, to serve as a basis for students to choose methods in which they want to train further in their subsequent study. The focus of the lectures and discussions is thus on understanding the various methods and how they affect the design of a research project rather than actually applying them; the final project will require students to design a proposal for an independent research project of their choosing. Pre-requisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods; Data Science concentration in Social Science.

Public policy affects our lives in profound ways even when we are not aware of them. This course is designed to introduce students to the profession of public policy and policy analysis. It provides an introduction to public policy and policy analysis, why it is important, and how it involves a systematic approach for examining a variety of actors contribute to public policy choices. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Foundational Course.

Why do some nations succeed while others fail? What is the relationship between regime type and prosperity? Can "struggling" countries learn from more "successful" ones? How do we define the success and failure of nations in the first place? This course will address these and other questions about the relationship between the domestic politics of a country and the outcomes in the country that most humans care about -- wealth, happiness, stability, opportunity, and more. Students will learn tools for analyzing complicated issues like politics and prosperity through a social scientific lens. Students will master the fundamentals of the area of Comparative Politics through assignments, readings, exams, and hands-on analysis opportunities. Students will be challenged to leave their expectations and presumptions about "good" or "bad" regimes at the door, and come in, sleeves rolled up, ready to rigorously engage in the disciplined practice of Comparative Politics -- including questioning whether it even makes sense to "compare" "politics" at all. The course will prepare students for upper level coursework in Political Science as well as general life success. Prerequisites: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Foundational course; Data Science concentration in Political Science.

Life course is characterized by the embeddedness of human development featuring age-differentiated transitions in familial, institutional, societal, and historical contexts. This course introduces the modern literature on adolescent development and its contexts, as represented in journal articles, research reports, media coverage, public talks, etc. As explicitly a reading course, it focuses on ideas, facts, and findings derived from a wide range of disciplines, including biology, psychology, public health, sociology and anthropology. The course considers major theories and debates about adolescence, key aspects of adolescent life (physical development and cognition, personality and social cognition, psychological wellbeing, behavioral problems, and sexuality), and critical social contexts for adolescent development (family, schools, peer networks, social media, historical and societal settings). The course concludes with a discussion on the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Core course.

What are the causes of war? Why are some countries able to cooperate over issues like trade or the environment, while others are not? What is the role of international organizations and alliances, such as the UN, NATO, and the EU in the international state system? This course will give students an introduction to thinking analytically and systematically about outcomes in the international system, will teach them the prevailing major theories about these issues, and will equip students to begin to formulate their own answers to these questions. Students will learn a set of formal tools to analyze complex world events, which will prepare them for upper level international relations and other social science courses, as well as to become comfortable applying social science methodologies and theories to better understanding the world around us. The class will use some basic math, including introductory game theory, and some background in inferring statistical results will be helpful, but is not required. Over the course of the semester students will be challenged to apply the models and theories from class to real world situations. Fulfillment: Social Science Foundation; GCS Politics, Economy and Environment of China; Data Science concentration in Social Science/Political Science. Pre-requisite: NONE.

This course provides an introduction to current challenges in global public health. The central concepts and tools will be introduced, and health policies and health systems will be analyzed in different environments. We will discuss the role of demographics, geography, and socio-economic factors like income, resources and infrastructures disparities. We will discuss in depth a few important case studies, such as the rise of life expectancy and the epidemiological transition, and aging and global health, underline the role of environmental factors in global health, and discuss the new trends of global health for the immediate future. Pre-requisite: None. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Foundational course.

This course serves as an introduction to qualitative research methods in social sciences. By the end of the semester students should be able to (1) digest and understand a broad range of research in social sciences, and (2) have a firm grasp of how to design their own qualitative research project in one of the assigned social scientific areas. The students will learn how to effectively pose research questions; how to choose research methods in relation to potential inquiries and materials; how to select and compare cases; how to analyze contents and discourses; how to appraise the methodological strengths and weaknesses in other researches; and finally, how to design their own research projects. Prerequiste: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course.

This course examines the relationship between government and religion. To this end, the course concentrates on the interpretation, meaning, application, and wisdom of 16 words from the American Constitution: “Government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” These 16 words serve as a starting point for the course because they broadly prohibit government entanglement with religion while simultaneously bestowing government with the responsibility to protect religious freedom. The primary texts of the course are the opinions of the United States Supreme Court, the highest Court in the United States, and final authority on interpretations of the Constitution. Prior knowledge of the subject matter or the United States is not a prerequisite for this class. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science 300 level.

This course invites students from diverse backgrounds and provides an accessible introduction to the burgeoning field of Computational Social Science (CSS). We aim to explore research design and data skills at the intersection of social sciences and digital innovations. This course emphasizes using big and rich social digital data to understand and explain societies and human behaviors. We introduce fundamental topics in CSS, including digital trace data collection, social network analysis, and text-as-data, using the R programming language. Besides discussing the new opportunities of CSS, this course also highlights critical topics, such as data ethics and data-driven bias. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Foundational Course; Social Science Methods Course.

How do different forms of transportation influence society and urban development? How and why do these impacts differ across regions? How can we make the global movement of people easier and better? This course introduces students to themes, concepts, and methods of analysis in urban studies through the lens of transportation. Through interactive discussions of case studies drawn from a wide variety of places and modes of transit, we will explore how variation in transportation characteristics relates to issues of urban studies, politics, the economy, public health, the environment, business, and society. Students will learn about technological advancements in transportation and develop data interpretation and analysis skills. They will critically discuss relationships and engage in comparative analysis across the cases to better understand national and regional differences. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Urban Studies Focus 200 level course.

Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: GCS China and the World; Social Science Focus Anthropology 300 level.

This course takes an interpretative look at the spatial conditions of our rapidly urbanizing world. It focuses on comparisons and contrasts between urban development patterns of global cities, such as New York City, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, and Mumbai. By introducing multiple scales (neighborhood, city, and regional) of urban growth, the course seeks to foster an understanding of the socio-economic processes, physical planning and design practices, cultural influences, and policy interventions that influence urban design and planning. While introducing the basic analytic skills necessary for spatial interpretation, the course addresses the challenges and opportunities of future smart cities in the era of urban big data. Pre-requisite: None. SOCS-SHU 133 Urbanization in China is recommended but not required Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Self-Designed/Urban Studies 200 level.

Today, more than half of the earth’s human population lives in urban areas. Why did urban areas initially develop, how have humans aimed to shape them, and what are today’s most pressing urban challenges? In this course, we survey key historical moments that shaped urbanism, the core tools used by urban planners throughout history, and the issues that animate urban areas and occupy planners in the modern world. While the course is grounded in the profession of urban planning as a key contributor to the development of cities, it also emphasizes a global understanding of the political, socio-economic, environmental, and technological forces that both motivate and challenge planners and impact cities independent of the formal planning process. Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing. SOCS-SHU 133 Urbanization in China is recommended but not required. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Self-Designed/Urban Studies 200 level.

When considering predictions by many scholars of apocalyptic scenarios, we are left asking: Has humanity escaped the pending environmental disasters? Numerous environmental problems—like global climate change, massive extinctions, increasing pollution—are still threatening the sustainability and prosperity of global societies. Will the new apocalyptic predictions become realities? Can we sustain the current pace of economic growth indefinitely? What can we do to survive and thrive? To equip students with the knowledge needed in answering those questions, this course offers a comprehensive survey of the key topics in environmental science, using a system science perspective. The system science perspective provides insights into why some environmental issues are nonlinear, surprising, and difficult to solve. Moreover, the system science perspective also unravels the hidden connections between various environmental topics including human population; global chemical cycles; ecosystems and biodiversity; energy flows in nature; agriculture and food systems; energy systems from fossil fuels to renewable forms; water resources; atmosphere and climate change; urban environments. Prerequisite: None. Environment and Society is (SOCS-SHU 135) recommended but not required Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 200 level.

Recent advances in spatial data science have changed how we do almost everything, from calling a cab, ordering food delivery, to managing complex networks of supply chains. These new applications generate vast amounts of spatial data. To make sense of spatial data, we need spatial analytics, a framework and a toolbox to analyze the locations of, distances and interactions between spatial objects. This course introduces different types of spatial data and reviews a range of geospatial methods to explore spatial data. Important concepts in spatial thinking, cartography, geographic information science, and remote sensing will be introduced and discussed with real-world examples and lab exercises. This course also provides tools to generate spatial insights in other disciplines, such as economics, public policy studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, environmental and urban studies. Prerequisite: None. Sophomore status is recommended but not required. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods.

Maps have the power to shape how we see and understand the world. This course asks students to think critically about maps, spatial data, and the cartographic process. Students will engage in hands-on exercises to gain experience with map design and a variety of spatial analysis tools. Mapping is used in research across a wide range of social science disciplines, from political science to urban studies to environmental science. This course draws on interdisciplinary readings and examples to introduce students to the fundamentals of spatial analysis methods. Students will leave the course with an understanding of how spatial data can contribute to social science research in a variety of disciplines, how cartographic decisions impact outcomes, and how to produce maps and use other tools for spatial analysis. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods Course.

This course introduces students to the field of urban design and architecture in three steps. In the first step, we develop students’ understanding and appreciation of architectural design through the introduction of design principles, precedent studies, walking tours and architectural exhibitions. In the second step, we extend the knowledge to a city scale, in which students learn how the decision making processes of urban and architectural design can affect the outcomes of a city. In the third step, we apply the concepts and skills leant to design a pocket space , in which students work in groups to produce innovative schemes for a selected site (i.e. an urban block) in Shanghai. The goal of the course is to raise student’s awareness of urban issues, environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic viability into the creation of place identity. We also encourage students’ consciousness and take responsibility for the place (Shanghai) they live in by focusing on three aspects: understanding what you see, what to do, and what to communicate. These aspects will provide students with the basic ideas of the power of architectural design and urban planning. Prerequisite: None. SOCS-SHU 133 Urbanization in China is recommended but not required Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Urban Studies 200 level.

In the next three decades, urban populations will grow by more than 70 million in the United States, more than 210 million in China, and more than 2 billion in the world. This rapid pace of urbanization continues to create various environmental challenges in cities. Urban residents tend to consume more energy, animal products, and material goods. Urban land expansion leads to losses of valuable agricultural lands, natural habitats and results in more intensive heat waves and flooding. However, almost every urban environmental challenge also presents an opportunity. For example, to achieve the same living standard, urban residents may consume less energy, water, and land per capita compared to their high-income rural or suburban counterparts. The first half of this course will survey six aspects of environmental challenges in cities, including energy, heat, water, food, waste, and land. Through lectures, readings, writings, and discussions, students will understand the past, present, and future of these six challenges, and how they are interconnected with each other. In the second half of this course, students will revisit the six aspects with a more optimistic lens, to understand the possibilities in turning these environmental challenges into opportunities. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Environmental Studies/Urban Studies 200 level.

Students gain familiarity with data description, variance and variability, significance tests, confidence bounds, and linear regression, among other topics. Students work on social science data sets, learn approaches to statistical prediction, and learn to interpret results from randomized experiments. Prerequisite: None Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course.

The United States and China have vastly different systems of property yet similar problems in controlling the use and possession of land. This course explores the constitutional and regulatory frameworks for dealing with land in the United States, China, and beyond. Starting with some foundational readings in the law, politics, and economics of property, the course explores selected topics in property law and land-use regulation in China and the United States, organized under four foundational categories of possession, use, finance, and compensation. The basic approach of the course is to match judicial decisions and other resolutions of actual property disputes with theoretical literature in economics and politics discussing the normative and positive aspects of the general issue at stake in the case. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science 200 level.

Our society is interconnected, spanning physical and digital spaces, making network science a substantive approach to comprehending social relationships. This course introduces social network analysis (SNA) as a method and its real-world applications. This course is designed with four main modules: we start with an overview of SNA history and related social theory, followed by an introduction to SNA data collection, key measures, and visualization, using the R programming language. Finally, we explore network formation and effects by learning the selection and influence (and diffusion) empirical models. The course materials are designed to engage students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in social science. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 190 Introduction to Computational Social Science OR CSCI-SHU 101 Introduction to Computer and Data Science OR MATH-SHU 235 Probability and Statistics OR BUSF-SHU 101 Statistics for Business and Economics Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course.

Remote sensing measures objects without direct contact. Data about the earth’s surface has been collected for decades and currently there are more than 4,500 active satellites in orbit. From tropical cyclones to pavement markings, satellite remote sensing can provide unprecedented details via a continuous stream of images. This course introduces fundamental concepts and principles of remote sensing, and its various applications in social science. Specifically, the course will cover basic physics of electromagnetic radiation, techniques of image interpretation, characteristics of different sensing systems (such as multispectral, thermal, microwave and lidar). We will use powerful web-based interactive tools from Google Earth Engine to access a multi-petabyte catalog of satellite imagery, and discuss real world applications. Upon completion, Students will understand how remote sensing technologies enable unparalleled awareness and decision making for the society. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course.

This is an entry-level course for beginners to quantitative data analysis. With a deliberate “hands-on” orientation, this course focuses on practices of managing, presenting, analyzing, and interpreting data for social scientific research, many of which are not covered in regular statistics courses. A signature feature of the course lies in its close integration with two of the most widely used social surveys in China, namely CGSS and CFPS. This course also takes a comparative perspective on data analysis. Whereas nearly all lecture demonstrations will draw on data from the two Chinese surveys throughout the course, survey data from other parts of the world, in particular the United States, will be used for some of the in-class exercises. Prerequisite: Statistic for Business and Economics (BUSF-SHU 101) OR Statistics for Behavioral and Social Sciences (SOCS-SHU 210) OR Probability and Statistics (MATH-SHU 235) Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course.

What is the family? How does society and individuals affect family and vice versa? Are people born to become who they are? To what extent does your family determine your future? This course provides an introduction to the study of family. We will explore the meaning and social basis of family life, with particular attention to social stratification and inequality. Specific topics include education, gender, population, history, and culture. By making vivid the meaning of family, we will develop critical thinking and build a holistic understanding of its relationship with and influence on everyday life. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Sociology 200 level.

This course is an introduction to law and its role in society in the US from a practical and a critical standpoint. In the first part of the course we engage in legal analysis and writing about cases in contracts, torts, criminal and constitutional law. This part of the course is an introduction to "how lawyers think" and how lawyers and judges write about legal issues. Students learn to "brief" and debate several cases each week. In the second part of the course we take a wider and more critical view of the civil litigation and criminal justice systems in practice. We look at instances where law has changed society and where society has changed the law, especially in the area of economic class and race and women's rights. We consider classic questions in the philosophy of law as well as contemporary radical critiques of the American legal system. We conclude the course with a moot court on a case currently before the US Supreme Court. Pre-requisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science 200 level.

This course introduces the concepts, frameworks, and tools used by political economists to study the relations, structures, and processes that constitute the international political-economic system. Course readings will reflect the interdisciplinarity that characterizes the field of IPE, which draws on theoretical and empirical resources from political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and history to better understand and evaluate policies, institutions, opportunities, and challenges in the global political economy. Prerequisit: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science/Political Economy/International Relations 200 level course.

This course is a theory and skills-based course designed to introduce students to the tools of measuring and detecting discrimination in the market and non-market contexts. It is designed for all students in social sciences, humanities, economics, and allied fields. The focus is on the application of modern tools and race and ethnicity relations research to specific problems of market and non-market discrimination. Students will read, summarize and synthesize classic journal and recent articles on discrimination. They will work through several exercises designed to sharpen empirical skills related to analyzing discrimination. Grading is based on class participation, four problem sets, one individual analysis of assigned reading(s), and a Research Note. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above Fulfillment: Social Science Core (multidisciplinary) and Sociology 200 level focus course.

Often, climate change is viewed as a subject primarily concerning the physical sciences. However, an under-acknowledged yet crucial perspective lies within the realm of the social sciences. Social scientists significantly contribute to two of the three working groups in the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), underscoring their importance in the climate change dialogue. This course aims to unravel the intricate web of social, political, economic, and behavioral forces that drive–and shape our response to–global climate change. Rooted in an interdisciplinary approach, we delve into the relationship between climate change and societal structures, harnessing insights from various disciplines within the social sciences. Prerequisite: Passing grade D or above in Global Perspectives on Society (GPS). Environment and Society (SOCS-SHU 135) or Environmental System Science (SOCS-SHU 204) are recommended but not required. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Environmental Studies track 200 level focus course and Social Science Sociology track 200 level focus course.

Making words and images public used to be difficult, complex, and expensive. Now it's not. That change, simple but fundamental, is transforming the media landscape. A publisher used to be required if you wanted to put material out into the public sphere; now anyone with a keyboard or a camera can circulate their material globally. New, cheap forms of communication have opened the floodgates to a massive increase in the number and variety of participants creating and circulating media. This change, enormous and permanent, is driving several effects in the media landscape today. This course covers the transition from a world populated by professional media makers and a silent public to one where anyone who has a phone or a computer can be both producer and consumer. This change, brought about by the technological and economic characteristics of digital data and networks, is upending old industries -- newspapers, music publishing, moviemaking -- faster than new systems can be put in place. The result is chaos and experimentation as new ways of participating in the previously sparse media landscape are appearing everywhere. This course will provide a brief history and economics of the previous media landscape, the design of digital networks that upend those historical systems, and new modes of participation for sharing words, images, audio and video. We will look at the dynamics of both English-language services, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and, in translation, Chinese-language services such as Sina Weibo, Weixin and QQ. The class will consist of class discussion around readings and lectures, in-class presentations and analysis of new uses of media that you observe (or participate in) outside class. There will be two written analyses of the media landscape, one at mid-term and one final paper. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA/IMB elective; Social Science Focus Sociology/Self-Designed-Media Studies 300 level.

Inequality has reemerged as a central concern in social science research and also in the contemporary world. Studies of social stratification and mobility seek to understand how patterns of inequality emerge and persist over time, and what the implications of inequality are for society, families and individuals. This course will introduce the basic concepts and theories in analyzing social and economic inequalities in the contemporary era. Readings on selected topics will be drawn from the studies on the US, China, and other countries as available. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Sociology/Political Economy 200 level.

Brokers and intermediaries bring people together for material or symbolic rewards, often overcoming a lack of trust or information between strangers. Brokers have been viewed, over time, with endearment as well as with suspicion, more recently viewed as superfluous middle-men in a supposedly “friction-free” world. Despite several predictions about the end of brokers, they are still present and thriving in different forms and scales. How do we think of brokers in an increasingly (inter)networked, digitized, and automated world? We explore the role of brokers and intermediaries across a range of social, cultural, and political relations and institutions, including gender, media, political rule, public health, infrastructure, and religion. Course readings are drawn from various disciplines and fields, including anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, and history, and we consider how inter-disciplinary discussions and debates have approached the concept of mediation over time. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science New Challenges core course; Humanities Advanced (18-19: Topic) course.

The ideological clash between capitalist and communist regimes shaped much of the politics of the 20th century, and continues to frame the discourse of world politics with the rise of China as a global power. In this course, we study the varieties of capitalism, socialism, and communism envisioned by theorists and put into practice by nations. We examine the economic and political aspects of these regime types in their imagined and existing forms to develop a taxonomy with which to classify and evaluate contemporary regimes. Course case studies include the U.S., Sweden, and China, and students complete a case study of another regime as a final project. PREREQ FOR SOCS-SHU 229 is Sophomore standing or above required. Fulfillment: Humanities Interdisciplinary course (18-19: Topic); Social Science Core Classic Problems in Social Science/Focus Political Economy/Political Science 200 level.

Science plays a fundamental role in environmental policy. It can put an issue on the political agenda, it often guides and underpins rationales for policy, while enabling us to monitor implementation. In short, science can provide a reason for humankind to act on environmental problems, while policy enables us to do so. Therefore, understanding how science translates into policy – from a theoretical, historical and practical perspective – and the role scientists play in doing so, is critical to understanding environmental governance. This course explores how the scientific process, as well as scientists themselves, influence environmental policy – from agenda setting, to legislation and implementation. In order to ground the discussion, the course will focus on specific issues (i.e., stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, wilderness protection, etc.) as well as cover broad principles that are applicable to a wide range of issues (i.e., quantitative risk assessment, cost-benefit analysis, environmental impacts assessments, etc.). Assignments, readings, and in-class discussions will allow students to better understand the dynamics and challenges of the science-policy relationship. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 200 level course.

How does the application of international law by international institutions, and through treaties among states, contribute to the peace and well being of the peoples of the world? What are the sources of international law? Who says what international law is, and who may compel obedience? What areas of human life does international law address? What are the legal, political and moral foundations of international institutions such as the United Nations and the UN Security Council, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court? In this course we examine core concepts in international law and crucial players in its formation and enforcement, and consider compelling critiques of its moral force and efficacy, focusing throughout the course on several international crises in recent history, to better understand these questions. Prereq: None Fulfillment: Social Science Focus International Relations/Political Science 200 level.

Images surround us; we think through images, they shape our words and our worlds. Images entertain us, define us, haunt us. For all these reasons, images present a persistent problem for the social sciences––namely how to tame the force of images to provide evidence about the various worlds in which we as humans live, and in doing so, to push our methods and analyses beyond solely discursive modes of working and thinking. Through key readings and films, Image as Evidence explores the ways social scientists and others have wrestled with the image as a form of evidence in order to make otherwise hidden and invisible phenomena visible, to grasp nature, the senses, cognition, human suffering, and the movement of time. The course explores how images can be manipulated, meanings twisted, and truth (despite much aversion to the word) unmade. The effort of scholars to constantly renew their relationships to images challenges us to “look” differently, and in looking, helps us to consider our ethical and critical relation to the world. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Core New Challenges in Social Science.

Migration, both internationally and internally, has continually shaped notions of ethnicity in nearly every context in the world. Focusing on contemporary migration in China and immigration post-1960s in the US, as well as education as a facet of social mobility, this course serves as an introduction to different theoretical and empirical scholarship on migration and ethnicity. Topics include migrant adaptation/assimilation, social mobility, and the shifting construction of racial and ethnic categories. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Sociology 200 level.

The family, one of the key social units, has changed significantly over time around the globe. While traditional Chinese families were governed by Confucian ethics, Chinese families in the 20th century have also been shaped by state policies, modernization, and globalization. This course introduces students to family values and practices around marriage, reproduction, parenting, and intergenerational care in Chinese societies, especially in their modern history. It also contextualizes family values and practices and their transitions within broader demographic, social, and cultural changes in the Chinese and international settings. In this course, students engage with historical and modern cultural artifacts as well as scholarly work on Chinese families, and reflect on their own experiences with, observations of, and beliefs about Chinese families. In this way, students develop a nuanced way of understanding and analyzing family-related issues in the Chinese and global contexts. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC or IPC; Social Science Classic Problems core; GCS Chinese History, Society and Culture.

This is an entry-level course that introduces key principles and practices of population-based probability sampling survey. Preferably, students should have already taken an introductory course in Social Science and/or a methods course before taking this one. The topics can be organized into four sections. The first section elaborates the logic of survey by explaining key concepts and practices of survey design. The second section deals with practical issues involved in the operation of survey, including questionnaire design, measurement, field administration, and modes of interviewing. The third section discusses how to manage survey data. Lastly, the course concludes with a brief overview of statistical analysis of survey data. This course will bring relevant concepts, principles, and practices “to life” by demonstrating a variety of widely-used social surveys as examples. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course.

Anthropologists often study the unfamiliar cultural practices of marginalized people in faraway corners of the world. But what happens if we turn an analytical eye to powerful corporations, small businesses, and the workaday world of middle-income people as well? In this course we examine cultures of business – the norms, values, and unwritten rules of workplaces. We explore why factory floors in China are laid out how they are, why Japanese businessmen have to sing karaoke after work to get promoted, and why Silicon Valley success stories follow familiar narratives. In order to understand these diverse business settings, we examine major analytical approaches to business and work that focus on political economy, race, ethnicity, and gender. Throughout the class, we discuss what “corporate culture” and “office culture” mean, and consider the implications of this for anthropology’s longstanding investigation into “culture” more broadly. Through seminar discussions, current event presentations, and a final case study paper, students develop their own analytical perspectives on business and work. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Anthropology 200 level; Business Non-finance/Non-marketing elective; IMB Business elective.

In this course we will travel around the world, meeting people who have very different ideas about who is mentally ill, what is wrong with them, and how to help them. We will also examine one particular, Euro-American psychological culture that is being spread worldwide by pharmaceutical companies, humanitarian interventions, and mass media. We will begin by observing how contemporary psychologists diagnose and treat mental illness. Then we will read memoirs and ethnographic studies, seeing how people interpret psychological distress. Examining clinical trials, we will investigate how scientific knowledge is shaped by social and cultural forces including capitalism, inequality, and individualistic values. Finally, we will encounter new ideas about mental health emerging from social justice movements that integrate diverse perspectives on the mind. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above Fulfillment: Social Science Anthropology and Global Health tracks 200 level focus course.

While ethnography––literally “to write” (grapho) “people” (ethnos)––has become synonymous with anthropology, it signifies a range of research methodologies widely used within the social sciences. The course considers discussions and debates about ethnographic research, ethics, and representation within the social sciences and beyond. The readings survey ethnographic theory and practice through a number of conceptual and methodological domains, including the problems they raise. Course topics are: objectivity, critiques of representation, participant-observation, cultural relativism, ethno-history, archives, conflict, interpretation and discourse analysis, verifiability, and life histories. Pre-requisites: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Core Classic Problems in Social Science; Humanities Introductory course (18-19: Topic).

The concept of ‘digital smart city’ has been actively discussed in existing literature of computational urban science for its impacts around the globe. The essential research questions include: (1) what are key metrics to be included in promoting digital transformation of future cities? and (2) what role do the digital algorithms play in the construction of urban digitalization platforms that diagnose the sustainable operation of cities? This course first reviews the theoretical framework of smart city development and current trend on urban digitalization. Then the course introduces computational methods of urban science (focusing on urban computation and city digital algorithm) in the following three aspects: fundamental, urban scene, and city index. By investigating the relevant supporting algorithms, analyzing application scenarios in various societal backgrounds, selecting appropriate computational methods, this course brings forth the city vital sign system for diagnosing future urban transformation and new challenges for urban policy making. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods Course and 200 level Focus course for the Urban Studies Track.

Scientific misconduct is valuable because it tells us something about the norms and values of scientific inquiry over time. When scientists make things up or act badly, it says as much about our collective expectations of and sensibilities about scientific practice as it does the personal shortcomings of a small set of actors. The course allows students to examine instances of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism through a diverse set of case studies. The aim is to unravel the motivations and impacts of fraud, to better appreciate methodological and evidentiary practices even or especially when they go awry, and to consider how wrongdoing shapes perceptions of science in popular culture. The course uses a broad approach to the social study of science to interrogate primary and secondary sources in each case of scientific misconduct. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: COER STS; Social Science Methods course.

Why is it so difficult to eliminate some of the greatest causes of human suffering—war, state-failure, poverty, and tyranny? This course examines moral and practical controversies over how we ought to respond to these problems. We will focus in particular on whether, and if so how, the international community is justified in intervening in poor and violent parts of the world. By the end of the course students will be better at analyzing and discerning the plausibility of policy proposals and ideas. Prerequisite: None. Equivalent to CORES-AD-78 Fulfillment: Social Science Core New Challenges in Social Science

Why is it so difficult to eliminate some of the greatest causes of human suffering—war, state-failure, poverty, and tyranny? This course examines moral and practical controversies over how we ought to respond to these problems. We will focus in particular on whether, and if so how, the international community is justified in intervening in poor and violent parts of the world. By the end of the course students will be better at analyzing and discerning the plausibility of policy proposals and ideas. Along the way we will learn much about China’s growing role in leading and shaping global governance. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science or International Relations 200 level; Humanities Interdisciplinary course.

What’s nature? What’s our relationship to it? In this course, we examine various answers to these questions from past generations of social thinkers. We survey a range of texts from different parts of the world, written under different historical circumstances. We consider the ideas on these pages in their respective social and political contexts. Whereas some of the ideas are long gone with time, others become sediments of time – continuing to shape, and be shaped by, our thoughts and deeds. In fact, many of these ideas still inform and inspire empirical research and theoretical debates in the social sciences. As an introduction to environmental social theory, this course provides a selective overview of (1) the intellectual lineage of “nature” in different social scientific traditions, and (2) the ongoing empirical investigations into our relationship with nature in the Anthropocene. Prerequisites: Successful completion of GPS. Fulfillment: Social Science Core Classic Problems in Social Science; Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 200 level.

People have looked to a variety of “authorities” for verifiable, believable information around which they could build a worldview. In the 21st century those old sources of authority are in crisis, as the public simply refuses to believe what individuals and institutions assert to be true. Growing skepticism has eroded institutional authority, culminating in what’s been widely called “Post-Truth politics.” This course will examine the development of an intensely suspicious polity at the very time when more information, from more sources, than ever available in human history has changed the very act of “knowing.” This has created a perilous landscape for journalists, policy-makers, and citizens. We will examine what the public believes, why it believes, the increasingly tribal nature of “knowing” in the 21st century, and what this means going forward. Prerequisite: None. Sophomore standing is recommended but not required. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science and International Relations 300 level (only for Fall 2022).

This course is centered on current and future challenges pertaining to global public health in the areas of environmental and planetary health, girls' and women’s health, and aging. Some topics covered during Introduction to Global Health will be revisited more in depth. This course encourages students to develop their critical and original thinking, their curiosity, creativity, collaboration, rigor, communication, and empathy. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 170 Introduction to Global Health. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Global Health 200 level.

This course provides a landscape introduction to the burgeoning field of digital health and relevant interventions. From mobile applications and telehealth to virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and social media data, the course presents a bird's eye-view to the emerging technologies poised to reshape public health and healthcare systems globally. Students will be presented with case studies from the leading researchers and entrepreneurs in the field and be guided to assess digital health technologies in terms of their opportunities and challenges to address real-world public health and healthcare challenges. The aim of this course is to get students prepared for the new era of digitalisation in public health and health care globally, shaping the basis to design and evaluate a digital health intervention/strategy in future. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Global Public Health 200 level.

This course offers an introduction to population study from a sociological perspective. It covers classic topics of fertility, mortality, and migration, and more contemporary extensions into the fields of population aging, gender inequality, marriage and families, and sustainable development. It also provides an overview of the data sources and basic methods commonly used in demographic research, including life tables and the calculation of life expectancy, fertility, and mortality rates. This course explores population issues in Chinese society and examines Chinese demographics in a global perspective. It aims to help students to understand the roots of population structures, processes, and consequences for individuals, families, and societies at the local, national, and global levels. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: GCS elective Chinese History, Society, and Culture; Social Science Focus Sociology 200 level.

This course surveys post-1949 Chinese society, focusing on socioeconomic changes since 1978. It draws from scholarly work on China in sociology, economics, and political science. It explores the basic institutional make-up of Chinese society, the structural changes brought forth in the economic reform era, and how these institutions configure social life in contemporary China. Attention is paid to both changes from and continuities with the pre-reform past. After taking this course, students will be equipped with background information necessary to understand China’s complex economic, political, and social phenomena, and the impact of reform on social structures/institutions, individuals’ life chances, and social relations in contemporary China. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above required. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC or IPC; Social Science Core New Challenges in Social Science.

This course covers some basic political concepts and legal doctrines lying at the foundation the United States’ Constitution, with the goal of assessing whether and to what extent these concepts and doctrines are relevant to China. The basic American concepts include the ideas of popular sovereignty and inalienable individual rights (in particular, freedom of speech), federalism, and separation of powers. The basic doctrines include judicial review to enforce the Constitution against “political” actors; Executive powers to act in the absence of, and interpret, legislation; Limits on the legislature’s power to enforce legislation; and the duty of subnational officials to extend the equal protection of the laws to all citizens, regardless of race or geographic origin. In addition to examining these ideas using American sources, we will also apply them to present-day controversies in China, examining whether these American ideas might improve governance by Chinese officials or inform the interpretation of the Chinese Constitution. Students will be divided into two teams, one team supporting and the other team opposing the use in Chinese law and politics of some version of an American constitutional concept or doctrine. The teams will hold oral arguments, and each team member will submit four briefs of roughly 1,250 words each, attacking or defending four American positions arguing their team's positions on topics ranging from the powers of the Supreme People’s Court to engage in judicial review to the powers of the Chinese executive to detain citizens without judicial process. Underlying both the discussion of American law and its application to Chinese controversies is a broader question: How is it possible for any law -- mere words on a piece of paper -- practically to control the actions of very powerful political actors like members of Congress, state legislatures, governors, Presidents, and judges? Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC (before Fall 20); Humanities Interdisciplinary course (18-19: Topic); Social Science Focus Political Science 200 level.

This course examines the complexities of the bilateral relationship between the People’s Republic of China (China) and the United States (US), focusing on their historical rapport, major debates, and current relations. Topics include Sino-US economic relations, media reporting, variation in political systems, global politics, climate/energy issues, military affairs, and contested territories. Prerequisite: None. SOCS-SHU 160 is recommended, but not required. Fulfillment: Core SSPC or IPC; GCS China and the World/The Politics, Economy, and Environment of China; SS Focus International Relations/Political Science 200 level; HUMN 18-19 Topic.

This course combines historical narratives/documents, on-site observations, and statistical analyses to bring a specific set of Chinese cities (Shanghai and Hong Kong) to the fore of sociological analyses. Students are guided to read literatures in social science disciplines (primarily from sociology) on globalization, population and migration/immigration, inequalities/poverty, class, gender and family, neighborhood and housing, and urban social life and culture, to develop comparative and analytical frameworks to account for the similarities and differences between the two Chinese cities and beyond, and to gain contextual and deep understanding of social changes in China from the perspective of cities. After taking this course, students will be equipped with the historical background, comparative perspectives, and analytical skills to analyze complex issues in urban transformation and its impact on human life in the two cities. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: Core SSPC/IPC; Social Science focus Sociology or Urban Studies 200 level.

This course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of major population issues in contemporary Asia, including changing trends in family formation, gender inequality, and population aging. Students will learn about the socioeconomic and cultural factors that have shaped population dynamics in Asia and the implications of these changes. The course introduces major theoretical concepts and empirical research on population issues, with an emphasis on their relationship to social inequalities. Although the course also covers other Asian countries, it primarily focuses on East Asian countries. Students are expected to learn about core population issues in Asia and become familiar with social science research methods. Additionally, the course aims to help students develop critical thinking skills to evaluate and assess empirical research and evidence. Students are expected to complete all assigned readings before each class. Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing or above Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Sociology 200 level.

This course provides an examination of the interrelationships between society and the environment, framed through the lens of geographers. It offers students a deep dive into the multifaceted dimensions of the Anthropocene—the current geological epoch distinguished by significant human impacts on Earth's geology and ecosystems. Students will critically assess the methodologies employed in environmental science, challenging traditional disciplinary boundaries through an integrative approach that combines social and natural sciences. Prerequisite: None.

This course introduces you to various topics in the study of language and politics. We will explore three major themes: identity formation, communication, and development. First, we will examine the identity-defining roles of languages in the process of nation building, drawing on experiences from the modern Europe, post-colonial countries, former Soviet Union countries, and contemporary China. Second, we will examine how language rationalization contributes to state building by facilitating state-society communication. Finally, we will explore how language regimes affect economic outcomes from both macro and micro perspectives. This is a seminar-style course. You must complete all readings in advance of class meetings and participate actively in class discussions. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 150 Introduction to Comparative Politics OR SOCS-SHU 160 Introduction to International Politics

In an increasingly globalized world, the prevention and control of infectious diseases is becoming exceptionally complex. Emerging social, political and demographic changes in our population as well as dynamic changes in animal and vector populations and the environment have developed the prevention and control of infectious diseases into a multifaceted issue leading to new global challenges. Particularly concerning are new and re-emerging infectious diseases of pandemic potential (e.g., COVID-19) or of regional critical importance (e.g., Ebola). In this course, we will discuss and analyze the impact of infectious diseases from a geopolitical, economic, social, and environmental perspective, including governance preparedness, pandemic response, and policies in a post-COVID 19 world. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 170 – Introduction to Global Health Fulfillment: Social Science Global Public Health Focus 200 level course.

Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science 300 level.

Complex Systems is an exciting field of research that unites the social sciences, the natural sciences, and creative scholars around the world. Complex systems refers to any group of diverse and purposive agents who interact with one another, usually over a network. These agents can be anything from neurons to humans to ants to countries, and their interactions give rise to often unexpected and important -- emergent -- outcomes, like peace, cognition, war, or colonies. In this class students will gain an introduction to what a complex system is, how scholars grapple with these -- complex -- questions, and will be challenged to see and analyze the many complex systems in their world around them. Pre-requisites: SOCS-SHU 160 Introduction to International Politics, OR SOCS-SHU 150 Introduction to Comparative Politics, OR ECON-SHU 150 Microeconomics OR ECON-SHU 2 Principles of Microeconomics. Fulfillment: Social Science Core New Challenges in Social Science.

The invention of airplanes revolutionized the way the world is connected. In less than a century, an entirely new system of infrastructure and new patterns of movement emerged. What impacts does this have on society? On city development? On the environment? On health? On politics? On economics and business? What are the challenges we're facing today in each of these areas, and how can we address them? We'll learn about topics such as the rise of aviation, the industry's economic and business structure, its relationship to urban development, infrastructure and transportation planning, political debates, spatial relationships in cities, technological advancements in aviation, climate impacts and sustainability challenges. The course is interdisciplinary and appropriate for students from a range of backgrounds. Prerequisite: Sophomore status. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Urban Studies 300 level.

The course introduces students to problems of epidemic disease and disorder worldwide, and considers various efforts to define and address these problems. The course is designed to offer students a robust survey of literature (both classic and contemporary) concerned with threats to human health––and in doing so, engages an array of social science research perspectives and practices. The course considers the actors, institutions, and forms of knowledge at work in addressing epidemic disease and making “global health” today. By exploring the cultural, environmental, social, political, and epidemiological factors that shape patterns of disease and disorder across and between societies, the course allows students to analyze the systems and values that reinforce specific paradigms of global health policy and science, historically as well as in our present moment. Pre-requisites: None Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Global Health 300 level.

Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: General Elective.

This course provides an overview of the models, concepts, and skills used for the identification of population-based needs for public health intervention, development of programs to meet those needs, and evaluation of the effectiveness of these public health interventions. The course will follow the program planning framework for evidence-based public health programs in a global setting. Students will learn how to conduct needs assessments, develop logic models for planning programs based on community needs, identify goals and objectives that can serve as a foundation for program evaluation, and recognize models and procedures for evaluating community health programs. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 160 Intro to International Politics OR SOCS-SHU 150 Intro to Comparative Politics OR SOCS-SHU 170 Intro to Global Health OR SOCS-SHU 110 Intro to Sociology OR SOCS-SHU 130 Intro to Political Theory OR SOCS-SHU 135 Environment and Society OR SOCS-SHU 133 Urbanization in China OR PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology OR SOCS-SHU 136 Human Society and Culture. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Global Health 300 level.

This course is a practicum-based seminar in methods of ethnographic fieldwork and anthropological inquiry and writing. The course explores the conceptual and critical basis of ethnography through fieldwork assignments and readings. The approach of the course is both experiential and experimental––how do we build theories about the world and our place in it? How does anthropology secure evidence and meaning in ways that are empirical, comparative, and deeply theoretical? The course offers students the opportunity for creative and rigorous training in ethnographic methods as well as a chance to produce a piece of ethnographic work. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods; Humanities 18-19 Topics; Data Science concentration in Social Science.

This seminar examines the causes and consequences of poverty and rising inequality around the globe. Students will study the ways in which poverty and inequality are shaped by multifaceted contexts; understand the theories underlying strategies and programs which address key poverty and inequality issues faced by many developed, developing and least developed countries; and learn about different countries' experiences addressing their own poverty and inequality issues. We consider philosophies of global justice and the ethics of global citizenship, and students are expected to critically reflect upon their own engagements with poverty relief activities and aspirations for social changes. Students should be prepared to tackle advanced social science readings, analysis, and writing. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Economy/Sociology 300 level.

This course examines how digital technologies shape, and are shaped by, sexuality in global contexts. We will begin with foundational texts in sexuality studies and seek understanding of the construction and mutability of sexuality to foreground our discussions. In this seminar, we will focus on investigating and analyzing how emerging digital technologies, such as social media, dating apps, and VR, mediate and transform sexual practices and identities during the past two decades. We will cover a wide range of topics, including self, body and embodiment, mediated intimacy, spatiality, networking and dating, sexual labor, queer/trans identities, and video games. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Anthropology 300 level.

As environmental crises intensify across the planet, and with more than half of humanity living in cities – perhaps two out of three by 2050 – the city is perhaps the key site where future ecological understanding and intervention is needed. However, as there is no such thing as an “apolitical” ecology, the task of considering the city ecologically presents a challenge. Knowledge about the nonhuman, biophysical world must be integrated with human social relations and the political processes that generate uneven and unjust urban landscapes. Our goal in the course is to take up this challenge, to develop a theoretically-informed understanding about cities, ecology, and power, and to apply this thinking in the development of a research project. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 135 Environment and Society or SOCS-SHU 133 Urbanization in China Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Environmental Studies or Self-designed Urban Studies 300 level.

This course examines the complexities of politics within China, focusing on the decline of dynastic China and the contemporary challenges of re-creating political order. Topics include rise of the Communist Party, political organization and policy in the People’s Republic, role of ideology, foreign relations, the politics of modernization, and China’s increasing integration into the world economy. This course is designed to introduce students to the political institutions and processes as well as major events in Chinese politics. In addition, students will be asked to develop a significant, writing-intensive research paper over the semester. Based on previous analytical frameworks from the study of political science, the course considers historical and current dynamics such as the changing roles of political institutions (government, bureaucracy, parliament and legal systems), party dynamics, politics of economic reforms, democratization and Chinese foreign affairs. Prerequisites: SOCS-SHU 150 OR 160 Fulfillment: CORE SSPC or IPC; Social Science Focus Political Science 300 level.

Utilizing research from multiple fields including psychology, anthropology, sociology, medicine, public health and epidemiology, students will explore 1) approaches to the treatment and prevention of mental ill health and behavioral disorders, 2) the role of culture in mental illness, 3) epidemiological approaches to study and measure the prevalence and incidence of mental ill health, 4) trends in the field (e.g., implementation science), and 5) mental health among key populations (migrants). Readings in the course will focus on peer-reviewed research literature. A particular emphasis will be placed on research and case examples from Asian country contexts, so the course will have particular local and regional relevance. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing AND SOCS-SHU 170 Introduction to Global Health or PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Global Health or Psychology 300 level.

This course examines the ethics, law, politics, and policy of global environmental issues. It provides a broad overview of the key concepts, debates, actors, and issues in global environmental politics. The course reviews the development of global environmental regimes in areas ranging from climate change to waste management. It equips students with conceptual depth and empirical breadth to critically examine the state of the global environment. Prerequisites: None. It is recommended, but not required, that students take SOCS-SHU 135 Environment and Society prior to enrolling in this course. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 300 level.

The course provides an overview of research in legal psychology and how it can be used to improve criminal investigations, legal processes, and judicial decision-making. For example, we consider factors that negatively affect the reliability of witness statements and what can be done to improve them, issues related to child witnesses and criminal investigations involving children, and criminal profiling and dangerousness assessment of offenders. The course adopts an interdisciplinary approach, examining the influence of organizational, societal and cultural factors on legal practices and procedures. The course ends with a mock trial, based on materials created from real criminal cases, in which students adopt the role of either a psychological expert or a lawyer. Pre-requisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology OR SOCS-SHU 220 Law and Society in the US. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Social Science Core New Challenges in Social Science or Focus Psychology 300 level; Data Science Concentration in Psychology.

Why do some countries experience revolution? What differentiates a revolution from a civil war, military coup, or foreign invasion? Importantly, how do various factors or variables come together to create revolution and can these constitute a generalizable theory of the emergence of revolution? This course is based on the study of revolutions in the modern context. Also, the course will hone your skills in social science writing, in qualitative comparative methods, and in theory building. We will define revolution and examine competing theories about its causes, outcomes, and processes. While examining the cases of France, Russia, and China, we will be particularly concerned about explaining why revolution occurs. We will then consider how more contemporary cases challenge or support those theories, focusing on the case of Iran and expanding the study to other cases while considering examples that might not fit our definition of revolution. As states face tumultuous change, the study of social movements and revolutions becomes particularly salient for both comparative politics and international affairs. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 160 or SOCS-SHU 150. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science 300 level.

How have the peoples of Germany, Iran and South Africa constituted their governments? What were the historical, political, and social constitutional moments (of revolution and war) that gave birth in these countries to written constitutions? We examine key provisions of these constitutions to understand what values they claim to impose on future generations. We ask why present generations should be constrained by the constitutional choices of a prior society. We look at constitutional practice, especially as it relates to: social-economic rights to education, housing or income; political association and speech; minority groups; the rights of women; and super-dominant political or religious or ethnic parties. Throughout, we ask how an “ideal constitutional citizen” of each country could decide whether an act of state power or a claim of right by a citizen is consistent with constitutional justice. We examine key constitutional language and important court decisions, particularly about human rights. And we look beyond the law--especially to film, but also to journalism and scholarly writing on politics and history--to seek the constitutional spirit of each country. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing required. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Science 300 level.

The relationship across the Taiwan Strait has been a source of tension in East Asia for decades, not only between Taiwan and mainland China, but also as a potential flashpoint in the relationship between China and the United States. Furthermore, Taiwan’s geostrategic position and territorial claims make it of interest to other states in the region. This course aims to introduce students to the complex sources of these tensions and the dynamics of these relationships, all of which are rooted in the two sides' closely linked histories. Students in this course develop a strong grasp of the dynamics of the cross-Strait relationship, including the role of the U.S., while honing their critical thinking and analytical skills through focused discussions of the readings and an independent final paper project. Pre-requisites: SOCS-SHU 150 Introduction to Comparative Politics or SOCS-SHU 160 Introduction to International Politics or GCHN-SHU 110 The Concept of China. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC or IPC; GCS China and the World; Social Science Focus Courses International Relations/Political Science - 300 level; Humanities 18-19 Topic Courses.

Examples of complex organizations include hospitals, schools, places of employment, the government, the military, churches, and prisons. Where do those organizations come from? What accounts for organizational success and failure? How can we make organizations better for individuals and society? This course examines different types of organizations, organizational goals and outcomes, institutional authority and structure, organizational change, and organizational fields. Most importantly, the goal of this course is to expand your knowledge and understanding of the relationships between organizations and society. You will learn to develop a critical lens and an analytical framework that can apply to understand specific complex organizations. This course will help you to think about how you might better survive and thrive in our organizational world! Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing. Fulfillment: Social Science core or Sociology focus 300 level.

This is a hands-on course in conducting empirical research in behavioral and social sciences with a focus on quantitative methods. The course consists of two major components: First, students work in teams to address a research question provided by the instructor. The teams then plan a small-scale research project, collect empirical data, analyse the data and present the results in a Poster Session. Research projects can involve an experiment, a survey, an observational study or content analysis of empirical materials. The use of the internet as a data collection venue and source of raw materials to analyse is especially encouraged. Second, students write an individual research plan on a topic of their choosing. In some cases, the research plan can be further developed into a Capstone project. The teams are encouraged to make frequent use of instructor office hours for individual consultations. Pre-requisites: Sophomore standing or above required. PSYC-SHU 101 recommended but not required. Fulfillment: Social Science Methods course; Data Science concentration in Psychology.

The course uses primary materials including trial transcripts, secondary scholarship in sociology, psychology and politics, and imaginative literature and film, to engage with ten notable legal trials. These include the trials of Socrates, Jesus, Joan of Arc, Galileo, the Salem Witches, Alfred Dreyfus and Oscar Wilde, and the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, the Moscow “Show” Trials, the Nuremberg Trials and the Central Park Five. Students will consider questions raised in these cases of truth and evidence, fair process and prejudice, authority and power, and justice and injustice, and the implications for contemporary society. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above.

The course teaches students how to participate in an urban design project in three steps. First is the introduction of design principles and precedent study phase. Students are expected to learn the basic concept of urban design and study existing urban design projects. Second is the design exercise phase. Students are required to sketch out design concepts and or use innovative ways to communicate their design concepts mapping geometry and urban space. They will present their design projects to design critics during the mid-term review. Third is the pocket space design phase. Students are required to further develop their design project at an architectural scale, for example, choose a pocket space or an urban block. The aim is to train students with the basic skill sets to participate in design competition, find design related summer internship, and apply for design and planning programs for graduate schools. Students are encouraged to learn the basic software such as Rhino or Sketch up but not required. Students are required to perform due diligent and spatial analysis of the site, in person or virtual. Pre-requisite/Co-requisite: SOCS-SHU 133 Urbanization in China. SOCS-SHU 201 Planning Global Cities is recommended but not required. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Self-Designed/Urban Studies 300 level; IMA/IMB elective.

Are cities sites of individual opportunity and rich communal life, or sources of individual pathology and community decline? What social, economic, and political factors promote one outcome or the other? How do different groups fare in the urban context, and why? This course approaches the city from a social scientific perspective. It offers an introduction to sociological theories on the city and empirical strategies for studying the city. Students will participate in a group research project on Shanghai as part of the course requirement. A previous course in Social Science methodology or equivalent preparation is required. Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing or above. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Sociology/Self-Designed-Urban Studies 300 level.

This course aims to challenge and expand what you believe and know about the relationships between education and society. First, we will explore different theoretical approaches to understanding the educational system. We will examine the macro-level relationship between educational systems and aggregate social and economic development across different national contexts. Second, we will discuss the micro-level dynamics of student outcomes in relation to social background factors with a particular focus on the issues of social class, gender, and race/ethnicity. Finally, our investigation will touch upon recent heated debates over other related topics, including school choice, intensive parenting, and school reforms. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sociology or any other intro courses from Social Science ((Intro to Psych, Intro to Comparative Politics, Intro International Politics, Intro to Global Health, Intro to Political Theory, Urbanization in China, Human Society and Culture, Environment & Society). Fulfillment: Social Science focus course in the Sociology track (300 level).

This seminar examines China’s foreign policy from the end of the imperial era in the late 19th century, through the Republican period, and into the contemporary People’s Republic. It aims to introduce students to broad theoretical perspectives on foreign policy from international relations scholarship, while also interrogating how well China's historical foreign policy behavior fits those general theories. Students in this course will engage with a number of questions about China in international affairs. For example, how important are local officials in China's foreign policy decision-making processes? Is China really a uniquely peaceful nation as its leaders often claim, or do existing theories sufficiently explain China's historical use of military force? What is different about the rise of China to great power status compared to the rise of other great powers? Should there be a "Chinese theory of international relations" Students in this course will examine these and other questions about China's place in the world while developing an independent final paper project focused on analyzing the course readings. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 160 Introduction to International Politics or GCHN-SHU 252 20th-Century East Asia-U.S. Relations. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC or IPC; Social Science Focus International Relations/Political Science 300 level; GCS China and the World/The Politics, Economy, and Environment of China.

How are health and illness shaped by society? What does it mean to be sick or cured? Who enjoys better health, and how does this reflect and reinforce social inequality? When do new technologies become part of treatment? This course provides an introduction to health from a sociological perspective. Students will learn how to use their sociological imagination to understand how health—a seemingly individual issue—is actually a social issue that reflects a larger social context. Course topics include medicalization, social construction of disease, health disparities, physician authority, health care, and medical ethics. This course draws a critical relationship between sociological theories and the empirical world. We will unpack health inequalities along the lines of class, race, gender, age, and geography. We will also discuss how agents can combat these inequalities through the medical and social systems. Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing or above. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Sociology 300 level.

“Women hold up half the sky,” as Mao famously said, but in almost every known society women have been subordinate to men and continue to suffer inequalities of power, resources, and recognition. In this course we survey feminist methods of social inquiry and analysis that offer explanations of why and suggest pathways to a more gender egalitarian future. Readings include classic and contemporary works of feminist theory and research in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, sociology, law, philosophy, and urban studies. Students complete a literature review related to the course themes on a topic of their choosing. Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing. Fulfillment: Social Science Core Course Classic Problems and Political Science Focus 300 level course.

This course provides a survey of some key issues in the international relations of the Asia- Pacific. The course is designed to provide an introduction to relevant theories, adequate historical background to operate in the region, as well as an understanding of current policy issues, such as the balance of power in the region, trade and economic integration, strategies of key states, alliance relationships, venues for regional cooperation, territorial disputes, and power competition between China and the United States. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 160 Introduction to International Politics Fulfillment: Social Science Focus International Relations or Political Science 300 level.

Children, as a special and vulnerable population, can become victims, witnesses, and/or perpetrators of alleged crimes. Integrating child development research with psychology and law, this course concentrates on the scientific study of children’s interaction with the legal system. The main goal is to provide students with an understanding of relevant theories, empirical findings, research methodology, and legal implications. Students will learn about developmental psychology research and how it can be used to understand and improve children’s experiences when they come into contact with the legal system. Prerequisite: PSYC-SHU 101 Introduction to Psychology

This research seminar combines a brief introduction to the modern research literature on social stratification and social mobility and discussion of scholarly work on inequality and stratification in contemporary China, with a focus on changes in the post-Mao era. Students will be led to read a set of the English-language publications, as represented by journal articles and book chapters in the field. After taking this course, students will be well-versed both in the long-term trajectory of research in this area and in the most recent themes and findings. The discussion of the general materials is expected to stimulate ideas and finally lead to a research paper on inequality, stratification and social mobility in China. Prerequisite: Junior/senior standing or ONE related course (SOCS-SHU 110 “Introduction to Sociology” or SOCS-SHU 227 “Inequality and Society”. Fulfillment: CORE IPC; Social Science Focus Sociology 300 level.

We explore issues frequently encountered by international legal counsel and business executives and government officials in cross-border investment transactions involving developing countries. We look particularly at issues in China and Africa. Topics include: multilateral development institutions and development banks, state-owned companies and "state capitalism," government ministries and the approval process, national security review and antitrust review, land and environmental issues, labor relations and unions, management compensation, due diligence and corruption, intellectual property protection, corporate governance and ownership structures, disclosure in public offerings, foreign exchange controls, private equity structures, cross border financing, political risk and political risk insurance, bilateral investment treaties, dispute resolution and choice of law, and (throughout) the role and ethical obligations of local and international legal counsel and business advisors. The course has three parts. First we study the highly developed and evolving Chinese inbound foreign direct investment regime. Second we look at risk issues in cross border project financing. Finally we reverse our perspective and consider issues from the standpoint of African countries considering Chinese outbound investments. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above Fulfillment: CORE SSPC; IMB Business Elective; Social Science Focus International Relations/Political Economy/Political Science 300 level; Business and Finance Non-Finance Elective; Business and Marketing Non-Marketing Electives.

Why do slums exist next to luxury towers? How can housing help fight climate change? What can local and national governments do to ensure their citizens have access to affordable housing? Why do cities with thousands of vacant homes also struggle with high rates of homelessness? In this course, students grapple with these questions and many others, developing a broad understanding of housing through a comparative, global lens. Students develop an understanding of the factors impacting housing’s physical quality, design, location, and cost, and study how housing relates to the health of individuals, neighborhoods, and the wider economy. An emphasis is placed on identifying policy interventions that can improve housing outcomes. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Fulfillment: Social Science Urban Studies Focus 300 level.

Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Sociology 300 level/Political Economy 400 level.

In the Social Science Senior Seminar, students work with a faculty facilitator to identify a capstone topic and to prepare a research proposal. In the SSS Seminar, students develop a research question, select a methodological approach, assemble a working bibliography, and identify a track. This Seminar prepares candidates to enroll in the Spring Capstone Seminar in a focused track. Prerequisite: Open only to Social Science majors in the senior year. Fulfillment: Social Science Capstone Course.

Students design and conduct an independent research project in their area of focus using the theories, methods, and data with which they have become familiar over the course of completing the major. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 401 Social Science Capstone Seminar. Open only to Social Science majors in the senior year. Fulfillment: Social Science Capstone Course.

Candidates for major honors conduct independent research under the supervision of a faculty member in the Social Sciences. Open only to seniors who have been admitted to honors candidacy in Social Science. Prerequisite: SOCS-SHU 410, Social Science Capstone Honors Seminar. Fulfillment: Social Science Capstone course.

Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 300 level.

This independent study course provides students with an opportunity to work with Dr. Kevin Cromar on applied air quality research projects. Potential projects cover a wide range of disciplines including economics, computer science, electrical engineering systems, epidemiology, public health, policy analysis, graphic design, marketing, and environmental studies. Students are able to work in teams or individually based on interests and assigned project. No previous research experience is needed and successful students will have the opportunity for continued research opportunities with the Marron Institute at NYU. All projects will be part of ongoing research efforts at the Air Quality Program directed by Dr. Cromar. Interested students should contact the professor for more information Instructor consent is required. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 400 level.

Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 400 level.

This seminar supports students in pursuing substantial, independent research projects focusing on China and its politics, broadly defined. Over the course of the semester, students formulate research questions, review relevant literature, gather data, and write and revise research papers, all in intensive individual consultation with the instructor. Seminar discussions in the first half of the semester, while students are formulating their projects and gathering data, focus on short readings and examples exploring different ways to approach the study of China. In the second half of the semester, students present preliminary findings and drafts for feedback from their peers and the instructor. Department Consent Required. Fulfillment: Social Science Capstone course.

In this seminar students design and conduct independent research projects with a focus on international political economy, international relations, and the intersection of global, regional, and domestic politics. Each project, tailored by individual students with the input from the instructor, will include a well-formulated research question, literature review, theoretical framing, methodological design, and analysis of information relevant to the research question. Topics generally will fall within the scope of international and comparative politics and political economy in the context of cross-disciplinary studies in Social Science. Department Consent Required. Fulfillment: Social Science Capstone course.

Students design and conduct an independent research project in psychology or global health using the theories and methods with which they have become familiar over the course of completing the major. Department Consent Required. Fulfillment: Social Science Capstone course.

Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Anthropology 400 level.

Topics in Society, Health, and Medicine is a series of seminars designed to explore current scholarship in the social study of medicine drawn from history, anthropology, and public health science. One seminar a year is organized around a theme (e.g. aging, medical ethics, therapeutics, access to care) that determines the readings and guides the discussions. The series emphasizes contemporary problems in medicine viewed from a humanistic perspective. Spring 2021Topic: Global Mental Health. Utilizing research from multiple fields including psychology, anthropology, sociology, medicine, public health and epidemiology, students will explore 1) approaches to the treatment and prevention of mental ill health and behavioral disorders, 2) the role of culture in mental illness, 3) epidemiological approaches to study and measure the prevalence and incidence of mental ill health, 4) trends in the field (e.g., implementation science), and 5) mental health among key populations (migrants). Readings in the course will focus on peer-reviewed research literature. A particular emphasis will be placed on research and case examples from Asian country contexts, so the course will have particular local and regional relevance. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Fulfillment: Trauma & Memory: Social Science Focus Anthropology 400 level. Global Mental Health: Social Science Focus Global Health 400 level.

Prerequisite: None.

1 to 4 credits. Students are permitted to work on an individual basis under the supervision of a full-time faculty member in the Social Science discipline if they have maintained an overall GPA of 3.0 and have a study proposal that is approved by a Social Science professor. Students are expected to spend about ten to twelve hours a week on their project for 4 credits. The results of the study are embodied in a report of a type required by the instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the department. Fulfillment: General Elective.