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Spring 2008 Graduate Courses


Graduate Class Discussion

SOC522MEL, Urban Sociology
This course examines various aspects of the contemporary city including urban status systems, race relations, deviant behavior, mass culture, and suburbia.
Tuesday, 1:00-3:40, 474 Park
Professor Christopher Mele

SOC565GOT, Sociology of Culture
Examination of major schools of thought that have connected the cultural realm to social life and practice, including the formative traditions of cultural studies: the Frankfort School and the Birmingham School.  Further study of the impact of various contemporary analytic approaches on cultural studies, i.e. structuralism, poststructuralism, and postmodernism.  Engage theoretical frameworks through socially oriented studies addressing some of the following subjects, possibly including critical race and gender studies, popular culture, semiotics, subcultures, “high” culture, mass media culture, and consumption studies.
Tuesday, 9:00-11:40, 474 Park
Professor Mark Gottdiener

SOC568ARD, Sociological Theory, Contemporary
Covers major developments in social theory since Weber and Marx, including mainstream American theory, German critical theory and new French theory.
Thursday, 1:00-3:40, 474 Park
Professor Jorge Arditi

SOC592STJ, Advanced Topics in Criminology
Advanced topics in Criminology selected by the faculty member for research and discussion.
Thursday, 9:00-11:40, 474 Park
Professor Peter St. Jean

SOC594TRA, Special Topics: Sociology of Gender
Examines central empirical and theoretical work in the sociology of gender.
Wednesday, 1:00-3:40, 474 Park
Professor Mary Nell Trautner

SOC 595FAR, Special Topics: Circles in the Arts
People in the arts often develop their skills and "voices" while embedded in a collaborative circle or community of artists. The French Impressionists, the Arts and Crafts movement founders, the Fugitive Poets, and The Beatles are all examples of people in the arts who mastered their art and developed a common vision while working in a collaborative circle.  Under optimal conditions, interaction in such circles stimulates creativity and facilitates the development of a career in the arts.  To understand the conditions that lead to the development of collaborative circles, how circles develop and change over time, and how they affect the careers of people in the arts, in this course we examine theories and research on social networks, social capital, social support, and collaborative circles in the arts.  In addition we will examine some of the classic work on the social organization of art worlds. Then we will carry out research testing the theories, making use of either ethnographic or survey data.  Students are required either to carry out an ethnographic study at one of the artist networks in Western New York, or to carry out their own ethnographic study of social networks in a setting where musicians, playwrights, poets, or other artists work.
Monday, 9:30-12:10, 474 Park
Professor Michael Farrell

SOC606STR, Social Research Methods I
Advanced general course in social science research methods covering such topics as the logic of social inquiry, research design, sampling, measurement and data collection.
Monday, 1:00-3:40, 474 Park
Professor Debra A. Street

SOC608WAG, Social Statistics II Causal Methods
Advanced topics in multiple regression, time-series analysis, factor analysis, categorical data analysis and exploratory data analysis. (Students need a background in multiple regression techniques.)
Wednesday, 9:00-11:40, 474 Park
Professor Robert Wagmiller