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Social Sciences
- SSCI E-100a Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Social Sciences: Anthropology and Psychology (Fall, Spring)
- SSCI E-100b Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Social Sciences: Government and History (Fall, Spring)
- SSCI E-102 World Poverty and Human Rights (Spring)
- SSCI E-107/W Advanced Analytical Reasoning in the Social Sciences (Fall)
- SSCI E-110/W Writing and Research Methods in the Social Sciences (January)
- SSCI E-130 The Madness of Crowds (Fall)
- SSCI E-132 Conspiracy (Spring)
SSCI E-100a Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Social Sciences: Anthropology and Psychology
Fall term, section 1 (13108)
Dante Spetter, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University.
Class times: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 1, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
Fall term, section 2 (13494)
Manuel Sprung, PhD, Visiting Scholar in Psychology, Harvard University.
Class times: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
Spring term (22903)
David M. Penetar, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School.
Class times: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 27, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
This proseminar introduces students to basic behavioral science research methods in anthropology and psychology. It teaches them how to read and evaluate research papers and translate their ideas into viable research projects. Topics include library and archival research, scholarly writing and argument, descriptive research methods, quasi-experimental and experimental design, ethical issues, and analytical methods. Prerequisite: undergraduate statistics course is strongly recommended. At the first class meeting, students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level reading comprehension and ability to write coherent, logical arguments. (4 credits)
SSCI E-100b Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Social Sciences: Government and History
Fall term, section 1 (12775)
Doug Bond, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University.
Joseph Bond, PhD.
Class times: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 1, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
Fall term, section 2 (13010)
Ian Lekus, PhD, Lecturer on History and Literature, Harvard University.
Class times: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
Fall term, section 3 (13502)
John Ondrovcik, PhD, Lecturer on History and Literature, Harvard University.
Class times: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 1, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
Spring term, section 1 (22383)
Katrina Hagen, PhD, Lecturer on History and Literature, Harvard University.
Class times: Thursdays beginning Jan. 28, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
Spring term, section 2 (22116)
John Ondrovcik, PhD, Lecturer on History and Literature, Harvard University.
Class times: Tuesdays beginning Jan. 26, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.
Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.
Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.
This proseminar addresses problems and methods related to the study of government, history, history of science, and allied disciplines. It stresses the critical analysis of sources, constructing explanatory models, standards of logical demonstration, and organizing and presenting research results. Emphasis is on developing both writing and research skills. In the fall, section 1 focuses on the evolution of conflict processes and addresses the scientific study of inter- and intranational relations, and section 2 examines the history of sexuality in America. In the spring, section 1 focuses on European empires from colonialism to decolonialization and section 2 introduces students to the study of history with key texts on the history of early modern and modern England, France, Germany, and colonial and antebellum America. Students study essential categories of analysis used in history, political science, and anthropology. Prerequisites: at the first class meeting, students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level reading comprehension and ability to write coherent, logical arguments. SSCI E-107/W is recommended. (4 credits)
SSCI E-102 World Poverty and Human Rights (23364)
Spring term
Stephen P. Marks, PhD, François-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Health and Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health.
Melanie Adrian, PhD, Lecturer on Social Studies, Harvard University.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,850.
Limited enrollment.
This course familiarizes students with the application of the social sciences (political science, law, economics, anthropology, sociology, and philosophy) to issues of human rights as they arise in the context of economic development and the international political economy. We focus on concepts of development; means and methods of human rights promotion and protection; issues of gender and corruption; access to health, food, and housing; lending, trade, liberalization, foreign direct investment, technical cooperation, and poverty reduction strategies. We examine empirical data and the behavior of individuals and institutions (international organizations, government officials, civil society organizations, financial institutions) in the development process. The recorded lectures are from the 2009 Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences course Social Analysis 80. (4 credits)
SSCI E-107/W Advanced Analytical Reasoning in the Social Sciences (13305)
Fall term
Nadine Weidman, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University.
Class times: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit $600, undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.
Writing-intensive course.
This course develops skills and strategies for critical reading and original research in the social sciences. Students learn how to analyze texts (extract the argument and express it clearly and succinctly); how to present, develop, and support clear, logical, and compelling arguments; distinguish between assertion, opinion, and argument, and understand the relationship between argument and evidence; frame original research questions and develop approaches to answer them; locate, interpret, and assess primary and secondary sources—in archives, in libraries, and on the Web—and learn how to judge the worth of a source. Aspects of quantitative reasoning are also covered. Emphasis is placed on rewriting and revision. Readings are drawn from history, anthropology, sociology, and political science. Prerequisites: successful completion of EXPO E-15 or EXPO E-25, or the equivalent. (4 credits)
SSCI E-110/W Writing and Research Methods in the Social Sciences (23332)
January session
James P. Herron, PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University.
Michael Baran, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University.
Class times: 5:30-8:30 pm, beginning Tuesday, January 5. Week 1: T, W, Th. Week 2: M, T, W, Th. Week 3: T, W, Th.
Course tuition: noncredit $600, undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.
Writing-intensive course.
This course provides a concise overview of the major genres of social scientific writing and their associated research methods, modes of argumentation, standards of evidence, and rhetorical conventions. It is intended as a gateway course for students wishing to pursue further study in the social sciences, and aims to give students an introduction to the basic writing skills involved in social research. The first part of the course sketches the fundamental ways in which social scientific writing tends to differ from writing in the humanities and the natural sciences. The second part of the course surveys the major methodological approaches in the social sciences—ethnography, qualitative research approaches, and quantitative analysis—with particular emphasis on differences in the presentation and analysis of evidence. Students read models of exemplary research drawn from the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and government in order to identify the key analytical moves characteristic of each discipline. Students also complete frequent writing exercises designed to highlight the skills involved in different analytical approaches. (4 credits)
SSCI E-130 The Madness of Crowds (10792)
Fall term
William Henry Anderson, MD, Lecturer on Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
Class times: Mondays beginning Aug. 31, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit $600, undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.
This course examines behavioral phenomena of groups, crowds, and mobs. Witchcraft manias, financial crashes and panics, behavior during plagues, cults and mass movements, prophesies of apocalypse, and similar events are studied. The approach is eclectic, with biological, psychological, historical, and anthropological perspectives considered. Prerequisite: introductory biology, psychology, or anthropology. (4 credits)
SSCI E-132 Conspiracy (22156)
Spring term
William Henry Anderson, MD, Lecturer on Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
Class times: Mondays beginning Jan. 25, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit $600, undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.
This course examines conspiracies, both real and imagined: their origins, development, and consequences. What psychobiologic factors, personality traits, and social institutions predispose individuals to this perspective? What parts have been played by sects, secret societies, and political parties? How are these beliefs formed, and how may they be supported or refuted? Prerequisite: introductory course in biology, psychology, or anthropology. (4 credits)