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2012 Courses

Sociology

SOC 2498: Prozac Culture [3]

Joseph Davis, Research Associate Professor

The pharmacological revolution, symbolized in our time by such drugs as Prozac and Ritalin, has been building for decades and has brought a sea change in attitudes toward psychoactive medications and tens of millions of prescriptions for them. The revolution is not merely a matter of new medical treatments; it is a cultural phenomenon that is changing the ways we think about ourselves and experience the world in contexts far removed from the psychiatrist’s office and any conventional questions of mental illness. The course explores the social forces driving the revolution forward, including the definition and expansion of disorder categories and shifts in the ethos of medicine toward a consumerist model, and how these are linked with wider social and cultural changes. These changes, in turn, have generated new forms of distress and disconnections in people’s lives, new ideals/obligations of self and social performance, and redefinitions of “normal,” which help account for the nature and incidence of the problems that psychoactive medications are taken to address. The course will conclude with a discussion of the social and ethical implications and consequences of “Prozac culture” and the “backlash” that has emerged in recent years.

SOC 2499: "Think Globally, Act Locally": Globalization and Social Responsibillity [3]

Josh Yates, Research Assistant Professor

“Think globally, act locally,” is a popular, ethically and politically charged slogan that invites both empirical examination and critical reflection on a host of timely social problems. Issues such as poverty, sustainable urban planning, labor outsourcing, the need for alternative sources of energy, the spread of infectious disease, organized crime, worries about the loss of bio-diversity and climate change, the risks of industrial agriculture and biotechnology, controversies surrounding immigration, and so much more, impact our local communities and everyday lives in countless, but often ambiguous ways.  The purpose of this course is to make the global dimensions of such issues more comprehensible and our responses to them better informed and equipped. Through the research and writing of a case study on a single issue of social concern, each student will consider the scholarly as well as the practical implications this maxim raises for communities like Charlottesville. This course is intended for students interested in global studies, social problems, community development, local democracy, and social movements.  This class is also ideally suited to those students planning on doing an “alternative” spring break.

SOC 2500: Sociology of Work [3]

Teresa Sullivan, UVa President

Broad survey of work, workers, and  workplaces, stressing  measurement and analytic tools.  Topics: satisfaction and alienation; work and family; racial and gender segregation and discrimination; technology and organization; control and authority relationships in workplaces, industries, and occupations; the role of large corporations; 21st century labor force trends and comparative labor force issues.

SOC 2500: Sociology Through Cinema [3]

Jeffrey K. Olick, Professor

This course will explore the relationship between Sociology and cinema. This has at least three aspects. First, cinema can provide dramatic visualizations of themes central to sociological analysis. Carefully selected films richly illustrative of sociological themes can thus help to bring sociological concepts and theories to life in a particularly vivid way. Second, as a form of exposition, film itself can be a form of Sociology, providing nuance and narrative description that is sometimes difficult to capture in analytical texts. Third, film is a powerful social force in its own right, both reflecting social trends as well as framing them.

This course thus aims to appreciate the synergies between Sociology and cinema, to understand the role of cinema in social life, and to use cinema as a way of bringing to life and fleshing out sociological themes.
Each class will have three parts. The first part will be an intensive viewing of a main film, perhaps supplemented by clips from others. We will stop and highlight particularly important moments for later analysis. The second part will consist of an instructor’s lecture on the sociology of the themes raised in the film. For example, after viewing One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the lecture will address the sociology of deviant behavior as well as the way sociologists’ interest in mental institutions contributed to their transformation. Finally, the third part of each class will be devoted to close analysis of both the films and texts through class discussion. Assessment will be based on attentive reading and watching, vigorous participation, and a final presentation from each student summarizing the themes they found particularly important.