Social Sciences

This proseminar addresses problems and methods related to the study of government; history; history of science, technology, and medicine; 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 research and writing skills necessary for advanced work in historical, political, and social studies, section 2 examines historical and contemporary relationships among gender, schooling, and development in comparative perspective, and section 3 considers the history and legacy of the 1960s. In the spring, section 1 focuses on the evolution of conflict processes and addresses the scientific study of inter- and intranational relations, section 3 focuses on modern France, and section 4 addresses central themes in political theory such as power, authority, freedom, justice, democracy, equality, and the rule of law. Students study essential categories of analysis used in history, political science, and anthropology. Prerequisites: satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills. In addition, 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)

This course considers the relationship between economic development and related responses to world poverty, on the one hand, and human rights and the problems of achieving human rights in developing societies, on the other. It explores theoretical approaches and the practical challenges of realizing internationally recognized human rights in the context of domestic and international policies of poverty reduction and improvement of the health and well-being of populations around the world. What are the social, economic, cultural, legal, and political processes for realizing human rights in developing societies, specifically relating to gender, governance, health, food, shelter, and migration? Does globalization exacerbate poverty and inequality or provide new opportunities for bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots? This course engages students in finding responses to these questions. The recorded lectures are from the 2011 course. (4 credits)

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 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 and sociology 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. Students who have already taken SSCI E-100a or SSCI E-100b may not enroll in this course for degree credit. (4 credits)