2013
SOCIOLOGY
Immigration in an Era of Globalization,Professors Richard Alba and Nancy Foner Tuesdays, 4:15 – 6:15 p.m.
This course will provide an overview of the literature on contemporary immigration. THe focus will be on the U.S. but the larger context of South-North immigration will be brought into view. Attention will be divided between theories and empirical research, as the course considers who immigrants and how and why immigrants insert themselves into the receiving society and its economy. The final part of the course will consider the impact of immigration on future ethno-racial divisions.
International Migration, Soc. 82800, Professor Mehdi Bozorgmehr, Wednesdays, 6:30 -8:30 pm, 3 credits
This course offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the key current topics and issues in the burgeoning field of international migration. The field is unique in its interdisciplinary nature, stretching from history, anthropology, demography and economics, through political science, geography and sociology. Methodologically, it is also very eclectic, ranging from the use of quantitative data to ethnography and oral history of migrants. While the course will aspire to incorporate the experiences of major immigrant receiving countries around the world, the main comparative focus will be on Europe and North America, where the major theories and key concepts are most fully developed. The emphasis is on exploring both the theoretical debates in the field and the empirical data and case studies on which these debates hinge. Attention will be paid to detailed discussions of “classic” issues of immigration, such as assimilation, incorporation/integration, the labor market, race and ethnic relations, gender and the family, transnationalism, and the second generation. Throughout, the course will take into account the way in which global cities, as contexts of reception, affect the immigrant experience, and in turn, are transformed by immigrants.
Race and Ethnicity, Soc. 85800, Professor Philip Kasinitz, Wednesdays, 11:45 – 1:45 pm, Room TBA, 3 credits
Race and ethnicity are constantly changing and evolving, yet they remain among the most persistent forms of structured social inequality. Focusing on the United States, but with reference to other multi-ethnic societies, we will examine the evolution of the concept of “race” and its relationship to racism; the heritage of slavery and segregation and their impacts contemporary life; the origins of modern racism and anti-Semitism, “scientific racism, ” why and how the salience of ethnic identity increases and decreases at particular historical moments, the relationship of race and ethnicity to migration, nationalism, colonialism and class, the growth of the Latino and Asian American populations and what that means for American notions of race, etc. In addition we will take an in depth look at how racial boundaries change, competition and cooperation between ethnic groups in contemporary America and how “racialized” minorities are (or are not) incorporated into different societies. Readings will include works by W.E.B. Dubois; Jean Paul Sartre, George Fredrickson; William Julius Wilson, David Roediger, John Iceland, Richard Alba, Tariq Madood, Alejandro Portes, Stephen Steinberg and Mary Waters.
International Political Economy, Professor Xia, PSC 76300, 3 credits, Thursdays 11:45am-1:45pm
International Political Economy is defined as “a collection of orientations, perspectives, theories, and methods addressed to understanding the relations between diverse political and economic phenomena at the global level”. In this course, to zoom in on the ongoing global financial crises that broke out in 2008, a case study approach will be applied to understand normative theories (e.g., liberalism, mercantilism, Marxism, and constructivism), research approaches (global vs. domestic-level, statist vs. societal explanations), and thematic issues (production, trade, finance and financial crisis, development, and globalization) that involve interactions among states, IOs, markets and social forces in global political economy.
Government & Politics in New York City, Professor Mollenkopf, PSC 82510, 4 credits, Mondays 4:15-6:15pm
Political scientists have described New York City both as an exemplary case of machine politics (from Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall to Vito Lopez – just forced to step down as chairman of the Kings County Democratic Organization) and of urban reform (from Mayor LaGuardia arguably through Mayor Bloomberg). It is a strongly liberal city, with a large municipal welfare state and a unionized public labor force, yet mayors supported by the Republican Party have governed it for the last fifteen years. Despite having experienced tremendous racial and ethnic change, only one minority person, David Dinkins, has served even one term as mayor and no Latino has been elected to city-wide office. This course will use the 2013 city elections as a lens for understanding the construction of electoral majorities and exercising political power in this large, complex, multicultural setting. Students will read and discuss classic readings, conduct primary research, and consider New York in comparative perspective.
Social Policy & Socio-Economic Outcomes in Industrialized Countries: Lessons from the Luxembourg Income Study, Professor Gornick, PSC 83502 (cross-listed with SOC 85902), 4 credits, Wednesdays 4:15-6:15pm
This course will provide an introduction to cross-national comparative research based on microdata (data at the household and person level) available from LIS. LIS is a data archive and research center located in Luxembourg, and with a satellite office at CUNY. LIS houses two databases: the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Database and the Luxembourg Wealth Study (LWS) Database. The LIS Database contains over 200 microdatasets from more than 40 high- and middle-income countries; these datasets include comprehensive measures of income, employment, and household characteristics. The LWS Database – a smaller, companion database – provides microdata on wealth and debt. For the list of countries, see:
http://www.lisdatacenter.org/our-data/lis-database/documentation/list-of-datasets/ and http://www.lisdatacenter.org/our-data/lws-database/documentation/lws-datasets-list/
Since the mid-1980s, the LIS data have been used by more than 4000 researchers – mostly sociologists, economists, and political scientists – to analyze cross-country and over-time variation in diverse outcomes such as poverty, income inequality, employment status, wage patterns, gender inequality, and family structure. Many researchers have combined LIS’ microdata with various macrodatasets to study, for example, the effects of national policies on socioeconomic outcomes, or to link micro-level variation to national-level outcomes such as immigration, child wellbeing, health status, political attitudes, and voting behavior. A newer body of research has used the LWS data to study a multitude of questions related to wealth and debt holdings.
The course has two goals: (1) to review and synthesize 30 years of research results based on the LIS data (and, more recently, the LWS data); and (2) to enable students with programming skills (in SAS, SPSS, or Stata) to carry out and complete an original piece of empirical research. The LIS/LWS data are accessed through an internet-based “remote execution system”. All students are permitted to use the LIS microdata at no cost and without limit. The course will require a semester-long research project. Students with programming skills (which will not be taught in the course) will be encouraged to complete an empirical analysis, reported in a term paper ultimately intended for publication. Students without programming skills will have the option to write a synthetic research paper. A minimum requirement is the capacity to read articles that present quantitative research results.
Politics of Identity, Professor George, PSC 77903 (cross-listed with WSCP 81000), 3 credits, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm
This course focuses on the politics of ethnicity and nationalism, with a comparative focus. We will investigate theoretical arguments regarding the roots and power of ethnic identity and the ways that such identification enters into the political sphere. We will analyze arguments about whether and how ethnic diversity might affect political competition and conflict. The course will examine general theories and then also hone in on identity politics in particular geographic regions including, but not limited to postcommunist Europe and Eurasia, Latin America, and South Asia. Students will also have an opportunity to read further on geographical areas of their own scholarly interest. In addition to being a course on the subject matter of identity, students will hone their analytical skills through close readings of texts and examination of how authors construct and implement their research agenda.
Students will read the equivalent of a book per week as well as prepare written reading analyses and questions. Students will lead the discussions. There will be two exams in the course.