Social Science

The Anthropology track offers students an opportunity to explore humanity in numerous manifestations and intricate complexities. In accounting for the social and cultural variation in the world, it explores alien and seemingly exotic practices in far-away places, and it re-considers our own everyday practices and ideas in the places we call home. Anthropology at UCR offers a well-rounded, generalized and coherent undergraduate curriculum, providing students with a strong foundation in the field’s main sub-disciplines as well as more specialized topics. Students who emphasize Anthropology at UCR will be prepared to pursue specialized anthropological training at graduate level, and they will gain a number of transferable skills that are applicable in other academic and professional settings, and in life.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Introduction to Socio-Cultural Anthropology
• 200-level: Anthropology and the Study of Politics
• 200-level: The Development Encounter: Anthropological Perspectives
• 200-level: Religion and Modernization: An Anthropological Approach
• 300-level: Faces of the State: A View from Anthropology
• 300-level: China & The Dynamics of Globalization

Course Descriptions

100-level: Introduction to Socio-Cultural Anthropology
This course introduces the field of socio-cultural anthropology as a way to consider humanity in its numerous manifestations and in its intricate complexities. In trying to account for the social and cultural variation in the world, it explores alien and seemingly exotic practices in far-away places, and it re-considers our own everyday practices and ideas in the places we call home. In the process, students will gain a general, though comprehensive, introduction to the aims, scope, methods, and history of socio-cultural anthropology.

200-level: Anthropology and the Study of Politics
Anthropology provides a unique understanding of political process at both the global and local levels. This course provides students with a firm grounding in the history and development of political anthropology, as well as in some of the issues central to the contemporary anthropological study of politics. Students will consider the historical and theoretical development of the sub-discipline before focusing on a number of the themes that dominate contemporary anthropological accounts of politics, including colonialism, resistance, violence, war, law, political ritual, and nationalism.

200-level: The Development Encounter: Anthropological Perspectives
During this course we explore international development from two complementary viewpoints. On the one hand, we consider the development process from the perspective of Development Studies, a discipline that tries to address the challenges facing low-income countries.  Simultaneously, we also address this controversial subject from an anthropological perspective.  With its focus on fieldwork and participant observation, anthropology offers unique insights into this global encounter.  In the end, we will balance the practice with theory, and the applications of development with its critiques.

200-level: Religion and Modernization: An Anthropological Approach
This course is an introduction to the anthropology of religion and begins with an overview of anthropological statements about religion, elucidating how religious worlds (symbols, cosmologies, moral inversions and space disorders) are analyzed from the perspective of social science, and discussing personal experiences of religion (personal symbols, therapeutics of possessions, trance, shamanism, and witchcraft). During the second part of the course students acquire knowledge of changes in the religious expressions related to capitalism, colonialism, and conflict.

300-level: Faces of the State: A View from Anthropology
Anthropology retains a long-standing engagement with the state as an object of scholarly study. This course takes its point of departure with its most recent body of work. In doing so, we chart the ways contemporary scholars tackle the complex nature of the state, especially as it relates to social and cultural processes. The course focuses on the ‘faces of the state’ – that is, on its numerous manifestations – with the overriding aim of exploring together what might constitute an ‘ethnography of the state’. In pursing this agenda, we draw on literature from a wide-range of disciplines.

300-level: The Dynamics of Globalization
First, the course gives a holistic and multilevel analysis of globalization, connecting the economic to the political and cultural, and interrelating different local, regional, and global arenas. Mainly non-Western worlds provide materials for the analysis. Second, the course is an introduction to digital anthropology. Globalization goes hand in hand with the rise of digital technology. Digital anthropology reveals how intense scrutiny of ethnography can overturn assumptions about the impact of digital culture and reveal its profound consequences for everyday life.

In the Economics track we investigate the economic behavior of consumers and firms, and we study the economic policies of national governments and international bodies of governance.  We discuss questions such as: why is the demand for salt insensitive to price, whereas housing demand is not? What caused the recent banking crisis and how did the central banks respond? What caused the recent banking crisis, how did central banks respond to this crisis and what were the effects of this response? We look at economic problems from a quantitative understanding, but we also consider an interdisciplinary point of view (e.g. History, Philosophy, Psychology, Law). Graduates from the Economics track are well-prepared to enter prestigious Master programs in Economics.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Introduction to Economics
• 200-level: Money, Banking & Finance
• 200-level: Microeconomics & Behavior
• 200-level: International Macroeconomics
• 300-level: Econometrics
• 300-level: Industrial Organization

Course Descriptions

100-level: Introduction to Economics
The first part of the course focuses on microeconomics, a study of individual choices and of group behavior in individual markets: cost-benefit analysis, model of supply and demand, theory of games, rational choice, individual and market demand, welfare properties of market structures. The second part explores macroeconomics, a study of the performance of national economies and of the policies that governments use to improve economic performance.  We apply the IS/LM model to study short-run fluctuations. The third part of the course discusses history of economic thought and alternative approaches.

200-level: Money, Banking & Finance
We study financial markets (stocks, bonds, derivatives) and financial institutions (commercial banks and central banks). We address such questions as:
Can you outperform the stock market?
Why are banks inherently fragile?
What do central banks do?
What causes financial crises?
Throughout the semester student teams participate in a business simulation – the Stanford Banking Game. Each team manages a virtual bank trying to maximize its share price.

200-level: Microeconomics & Behavior
The course investigates rational consumer choice and demand, choice under uncertainty, altruism, cognitive limitations, production, costs, perfect competition, monopoly, labor, capital, externalities and property rights, government, and general and partial equilibrium theory. We also discuss heterodox approaches, such as Austrian economics, Marxist political economy, institutionalism, and the Chicago School of Economics. The course will also pay attention to academic research and paper writing in economics.

200-level: International Macroeconomics
Macroeconomics studies the performance of national economies and the policies that governments use to improve economic performance. Throughout the semester we develop a model (IS-LM-PC-IP combined with Solow growth model) and use it to interpret real world events: from the recent crisis in the U.S., to the ongoing problems in Europe, to the economic rise of Asia.

300-level: Econometrics
Econometrics supplies tools to analyze data. These tools are used for two purposes: to answer questions of the form “Does X cause Y?”, and to make predictions. The tools come in two varieties: estimators (OLS, GLS, IV) and statistical tests (t, F, LM). The key to the mastery of these tools is understanding the basic rules of econometrics – the sampling distribution concept. To understand this concept we spend much time visualizing it using Monte Carlo simulations in Stata. In addition, we use the developed tools to estimate economic relationships and to make predictions.

300-level: Industrial Organization
Most modern markets are dominated by a few large firms.  These firms have substantial market power, which has severe implications for consumers, the economy and society as a whole.  This course investigates how these firms compete. Topics include: monopoly pricing, price discrimination, bundling and tying, oligopoly behaviour, product differentiation, collusion and cartels, barriers to entry, innovation and patents, vertical and horizontal integration, vertical restraints, advertising,R&D, IPR and networks. The course also includes an elementary introduction to European competition law.

As a diverse and wide field of study, Human Geography examines the social, cultural, economic, political, environmental and demographic dimensions of human existence. The field locates the analysis of these dimensions within geographical space, which is conceptualized across and between scales, from the individual to the global.  In today’s rapidly changing world it has become ever more important to appreciate this interconnectedness between society and space. The Human Geography track thus affords students the opportunity to interrogate the ways these connections are made, as well as the social, cultural, political and economic implications surrounding these various levels of spatial interconnectivity.  In this respect, University College Roosevelt offers four possible avenues into the study of human geography as students may choose to concentrate on the study of urban issues, political geographies, environmental processes and/or focus on development studies topics.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Introduction to Human Geography​
• 200-level: Urban Geography​​
• 200-level: Environment and Society
• 200-level: Political Geographies
• 300-level: Power and Space
• 300-level: Sustainable Development​

Course Descriptions

100-level: Introduction to Human Geography​
What makes Geography different from other disciplines? The concept of space is the answer. This introductory course is intended to inspire students to think spatially – from global phenomenon to local issues. By exploring the multi-faceted relationships between people and the world they inhabit, this course will show students how the planet is increasingly inter-connected and how people and places are differentially positioned. We examine these topics through a combination of lectures, group work and presentations.

200-level: Urban Geography​​
This course provides students with a solid grounding in the history, key concepts and major theories in urban geography, and with an understanding of the changing nature of urban environments across the globe. Starting from the premise that cities are characterized by both a spatial form and a complex web of relations between people, the course is divided into three parts: an introductory part provides the theoretical and historical context for our geographical inquiries; a second part deals with aspects relating to urban form and planning; and a final part examines people’s urban experiences.

200-level: Environment and Society
The main aim of this course is to help students reflect on the relationship between humans and the so-called natural world, our environment.  The course is divided into four parts. First, we focus on the ways humans have historically imagined nature and the environment.  Second, we turn our attention toward the ways environments and people have mutually shaped one another through time. Third, we consider contemporary environmental movements. Finally, we explore attempts at creating a more sustainable future for humans living within and in relation to the environment.

200-level: Political Geographies
Political Geography asks: What are the spatial dimensions of power? And, how do political relations, phenomena, and associations play out on a variety of scales? In asking these questions, Political Geographers aim to help us better understand the relationships between politics and space, so as to enable us to engage with, and critique, the dynamics and consequences of politics.

300-level: Power and Space
In addition to studying the uneven socio-spatial relations between people and their man-made environments across the globe, geographers also seek to identify how man-made environments express and reproduce relations of power.  This course seeks to elucidate some of the ways ‘space’ has been implicated in, and shaped by, political and economic processes.  The course considers the intersection between space and power on a variety of scales: the nation, the region, the city, and the building.  We discuss power and space in theory and through a variety of practical case studies.

300-level: Sustainable Development​

While the planet is facing climate emergency, it comes with no surprise that the term ‘sustainable development’, has gained huge popularity. However, the concept could easily become a cliché, and the risk of greenwash is high. The objective of this course is therefore, to ask students to take a critical and evidence-based approach and to scrutinize the effectiveness of different climate-related technologies and policies. This course will also pay attention to the contexts of developing countries and examine the distribution of costs and benefits of various strategies of adaptation and resilience in local communities.

Legal education has historically been a dogmatic study of substantive and procedural rules. However, the UCR Law track recognizes the importance of incorporating normative considerations into the study of law, while also placing law in a real-world context. These aims are facilitated by viewing legal concepts and principles from ethical and social perspectives, as well as through international, transnational and comparative approaches. You gain core knowledge of various fields of law and acquire skills in reading legal sources, performing legal reasoning, and engaging in legal research and writing.

UCR is currently running a pilot of the Double Degree in Law and Liberal Arts & Sciences in collaboration with Utrecht University, which prepares you for a career in Dutch law.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Law, Society and Justice​
• 200-level: Principles of Private Law
• 200-level: Introduction to European Law
• 200-level: Introduction to Public International Law
• 300-level: International Human Rights
• 300-level: Constitutional and Administrative Law
• 300-level: Criminal Law and Criminal Justice

Course Descriptions

100-level: Law, Society and Justice​
The course offers three perspectives to the law: the legal-descriptive, the socio-scientific and the normative. The course explores the different understandings of law, definitions of the law, legal traditions, and various fields of law: civil law, criminal law, constitutional law, administrative law and human rights. The course will also look into the relationship between law and society and the concept of justice. The course includes discussing principles of law, case law, an excursion to international legal organisations, an interview with legal practitioners and a Moot court session. ​

200-level: Principles of Private Law
Private law can play an important role in daily life. Whether enjoying life at home or stepping out the front door, intended and unintended interactions can have legal consequences for the persons involved. The rights and obligations associated with these situations are largely determined by a collection of legal fields known as private law. In this course, students closely examine general principles of property law, tort law, contract law, and other subjects, illuminated through comparisons of the legal systems in four different countries.

200-level: Introduction to European Law
European law has developed over the past seven decades into a complex system of institutions, instruments, and laws. This course addresses important areas of EU law and equips students with skills to approach and understand this legal system as it continues to evolve. Following an introduction to the bodies and competences of the EU, the various types of EU legal instruments, and the enforcement of EU law, important substantive law regarding the internal market is considered. Problem Based Learning is a key feature used in the course for learning how EU law applies in the real-world context.

200-level: Introduction to Public International Law
This course serves as a general introduction to public international law as a field of study and a professional discipline. Designed to provide students with a foundational knowledge of the creation and the evolution of the subject, it is divided into three parts dealing with a) general principles such as sources, subjects, and organizations of international law; b) specific domains including the regulation of the use of force, humanitarian law, and environmental law; c) questions regarding the politics of international law including compliance, effectiveness and enforcement.

300-level: International Human Rights
The idea that every human being has universal, inalienable and indivisible rights has deep historic roots but developed internationally only in the wake of World War II. Starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human rights have evolved into a complex domain of international law consisting of several treaties, specialized courts and monitoring bodies and a rich case law. Yet, many practical challenges remain . This course introduces students to both the historical and legal foundations of human rights and contemporary issues relating to the politics of their realization.

300-level: Constitutional and Administrative Law
Constitutional and administrative law are two key fields of public law, and concern the relationships between different organs of the state and the rights of citizens. They provide a normative framework that governs key aspects of our daily lives, and of public life in general. Constitutional law covers the attribution of power to public authorities, the division of power between them and the regulation of fundamental relations between public authorities and the individual. Administrative law the activities of the administrative agencies of government, including making and enforcing rules.

300-level: Criminal Law and Criminal Justice
At the heart of criminal law and criminal justice is the discussion and debate of moral and legal justifications for criminalization and punishment. Building on this foundation, students investigate the main guiding principles of criminal law and criminal justice, confronting the concepts of criminal accountability, differentiated types of ‘guilt’, the essentials of justifications and excuse, important limitations such as the legality principle and other fundamental considerations. Students then apply theory to practice to gain mastery of legal reasoning skills in a simulated legal aid clinic.

Politics revolves around the collective choices that we make or do not make in society. Whether it is about China’s claim the South China Sea, the British vote to leave the EU, or the Dutch debate about banning Burqa’s: time and again people will disagree about the right course of action to take and seek ways to advance their interests. At UCR we study the cooperation and conflict that is involved in politics by first offering you a course in Political Philosophy that helps you identify the values and norms that are at stake. We subsequently offer you a range of courses in International Relations and Comparative Politics that familiarize you with the key actors, institutions, processes and issues in international, EU and domestic politics.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Introduction to Political Philosophy​
• 200-level: Foundations of Comparative Politics
• 200-level: Theories of International Relations
• 200-level: U.S. Government and Politics
• 300-level: European Union Politics
• 300-level: Security in the Post-Cold War Era
• 300-level: Public Policy Analysis

Course Descriptions

100-level: Introduction to Political Philosophy​
In this course, you will be introduced to the most influential philosophical approaches with regard to politics. We will look at  political notions such as authority, freedom, equality, democracy, human rights, pluralism, multiculturalism, world poverty, the environment – and much more – both with an eye to contemporary discussions and classical texts. This is the course in which you get to read the great classics from Plato until Hannah Arend and John Rawls. Writing essays and giving presentations will be central in the assignments.

200-level: Foundations of Comparative Politics
Foundations of comparative politics provides you with the key analytical tools to analyze  and compare political systems and the development and functioning of democracies in particular. We examine major phenomena such as democratic backsliding, the decline of political parties, the rise of populism, the shift from a print-based to an internet based media, the rising importance of non-majoritarian institutions such as courts and central banks, and the impact of globalization and internationalization on domestic politics.

200-level: Theories of International Relations
This course aims to provide students with an in-depth introduction to the field of International Relations (IR).
The first part introduces students to the basic theories of IR.
In the second part, students will (learn to) analyse, with the help of the concepts and schools of thought from part 1, current thematical problems in international relations. Some topics; climate change, energy, water & natural resources, humanitarian intervention, North-South & South-South-relations, international economic crisis.
The course ends with a negotiation simulation of the UN Security Council.

200-level: U.S. Government and Politics
US Government & Politics examines the functioning of the political system of the United States of America and introduces you to the institutional approach to studying politics. The main goal of our analysis will be to understand the (dys)functioning of the US political system through an examination of the dynamic interplay between political institutions and the political culture, which currently witnesses a trend of polarization. In doing so students acquire an analytical toolkit that will enable them to analyze the functioning of other political systems as well.

300-level: European Union Politics
European Union Politics introduces students to the unique institutional constellation of the European Union as a political system that was once characterized as an UPO: an Unidentified Political Object. The EU is loved and hated at the same time: whilst populists rather like to see it vanish, time and again every European crisis seems to only boost its role in tackling a wide variety of European problems that are cross border in nature: immigration, banking, security, climate change. How does the EU actually do this and how does it impact politics at the national level?

300-level: Security in the Post-Cold War Era
This course provides an overview of International Security. Part 1 focuses on concepts and theories . Part 2 focuses on the security challenges in the world up to 2030. Part 3 analyses the actors involved in the Syrian war. Part 4 discusses traditional military security, economic security, energy security, environmental security and societal security. Cases; France, energy security in China and India, environmental security: Central Asia, societal security and migration into Europe. Part 5 discusses current topics of international security. Part 6 is a simulation of the UN SECURITY COUNCIL.

300-level: Public Policy Analysis
Processes of globalization and privatization have dramatically changed  the capacity of national governments to make public policy: things governments do and not do in response to collective problems. Which actors would present themselves as alternative policy-makers in today’s globalized world? The EU, WTO, UN, NGOs, companies, even citizens themselves? What are the effects, strengths and weaknesses of involving these in policy-making?

Why do people behave the way they do? Can we predict behavior and mental processes in a particular situation? How important are our childhood experiences for our future? How do nature and nurture interact in the development of psychological disorders? Why do people act differently in a group? How can an employer best motivate his employees? Is stress always a bad thing for humans? To find answers to these and many other questions, the field of psychology will give you insights and answers. At UCR, most major domains of psychological research are addressed, such as clinical, developmental, educational, social, organizational, and health psychology.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Introduction to Psychology​
• 200-level: Social Psychology
• 200-level: Abnormal Psychology​
• 200-level: The Psychology of Learning and Performance
• 200-level: Medical and Health Psychology
• 300-level: Development Psychology
• 300-level: The Psychology of Organizations
• 300-level: Psychodiagnostics and Psychotherapies

Course Descriptions

100-level: Introduction to Psychology​
Why do people behave the way they do? Can we predict behavior and mental processes? And, if necessary, can we change these behaviors and mental processes? Why do some people develop more quickly than others? How important are our childhood experiences for our future? How do nature and nurture interact in the development of psychological disorders? How do we learn and why do we forget many things we have been taught? To find answers to these and many other complex but fascinating questions, we are going to explore the insights that have been acquired from decades of psychological research.

200-level: Social Psychology
Social psychology is the science of social influence, the way how people’s feelings, thoughts and behavior is influenced by the real or imagined presence of others. One of the goals is to identify universal properties of human nature that make everyone susceptible to social influence, regardless of one’s culture, and to apply this knowledge to understand and improve people’s behavior and lives A second goal is to gain a better understanding of a person’s position in the world looking at them as a member of a social group and to consider the context in which this group is situated.

200-level: Abnormal Psychology​
Abnormal Psychology is about people distressed by life, their relationships, and their position in the social world. It is as much about unusual patterns emotions, thoughts, and behavior, as it is about the scientific battle about definitions what may be considered to be ‘abnormal’.
Within the course we are looking into the contemporary standard diagnostic criteria for mental disorders, and we are dealing with the history of and the political debates within the discipline. The aim is to develop an in-depth understanding of the situation of people in distress.

200-level: The Psychology of Learning and Performance
In this course, we will focus on human learning and performance, and we will address many challenging questions such as, why do some people seem to learn almost effortlessly while others seem to struggle extensively, what strategies or techniques can we use to improve our ability to learn and perform at a higher level, how do people with different characteristics change under the influence of instruction and interaction with others? We will investigate these and other questions relying on recent insights from educational, developmental, cognitive and neuropsychology.

200-level: Medical and Health Psychology
How do lifestyle and stress influence our health? What is the impact of medical diagnosis and treatment on patients and their families? What factors may affect the relationship patient–practitioner? How can we help people cope with pain or chronical illness? Medical and Health Psychology is concerned with elements that influence health and illness across the life span, treatment methods and the role of psychological experts in medical settings. The aim is to understand the complex interplay of biological, psychological, social and cultural factors that influence health and illness outcomes.

300-level: Development Psychology
How do we all become unique individuals, with our own personality, different interests, goals, habits, attitudes? Which factors and how do they interplay in each stage of our development during our life? In this course we will explore these and many other questions about human development. The students will acquire knowledge and develop critical thinking and understanding of the main concepts, issues and methods related to the emotional, physical, cognitive and social development throughout the lifespan: from pregnancy to infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older age.

300-level: The Psychology of Organizations
Within Organisational Behavior a multidisciplinary approach is taken toward the study of human behavior in organizations. However, particular emphasis is placed on the role played by (Social) psychology in the analysis of and and recommendations regarding issues within organisations. Interactions between individuals and the system in which they live and work will be explored. Individual, group and organizational levels of analysis and interventions are included: communication, motivation, creativity, individual and team development, intergroup behavior, leadership, and management.

300-level: Psychodiagnostics and Psychotherapies
The course explores the field of Clinical Psychology, focusing on theoretical and practical perspectives in psychodiagnostics and psychotherapies. The student will develop an in-depth understanding of the psychodiagnostic process and treatments of mental health conditions and disorders, by gaining knowledge and skills in psychological assessment (learning to administer and interpret personality tests, clinical interviews, intellectual assessment, etc.), as well as main theories and techniques of psychotherapy (For example, Psychoanalysis, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) in adults and children.

The Research Methodology & Statistics track gives students an opportunity to learn how to conduct research in natural and social sciences. It teaches critical thinking and sharpens one’s analytical thinking as students learn tools and methods developed by sciences to overcome natural human biases and create scientific knowledge. On the practical level, students gain the ability to evaluate existing academic publications, formulate answerable research questions, choose the appropriate research design, conduct research, analyze the results, and communicate the findings. All of these skills are helpful for UCR Senior Projects and indispensable for anyone considering continuing their education in Master programs after UCR or academic career.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Research Methodology & Statistics I (Mandatory course for all students)
• 200-level: Research Methodology & Statistics II
• 200-level: Qualitative Research Methodology
• 300-level: Research Methodology and Statistics III

Course Descriptions

100-level: Research Methodology & Statistics I
Research Methodology and Statistics I is a general introduction in research methodology and statistics. The introduction to methodology includes the logic and design of research (e.g., operationalization, experimental design, sampling), and some specific techniques (e.g., experimental research, surveys). The introduction to statistics includes descriptive and inferential statistics, covering measures of central tendency, spread, association, univariate and bivariate inferential statistics, and analysis of variance.

200-level: Research Methodology & Statistics II
The phenomena investigated by social scientists are rather complex. Usually, many (“multi”) variables have to be used to explain these phenomena. In Research Methodology & Statistics II the theory and application of multivariate statistical models will be discussed in depth. These models can be used to investigate the relations among many variables simultaneously, thus providing an accurate explanation of the subject of interest.

200-level: Qualitative Research Methodology
This course provides students with qualitative research tools that can be applied in a variety of academic and professional situations. Attention is given to the initial design and setup, to different stages in the research process itself including data-analysis and interpretation of data, and to writing up and presenting one’s findings to an audience. By focusing on the description, analysis and understanding, and explanation of other people’s actions and words, we try to come closer to making sense of what other people consider to be ‘real’ about this world.

300-level: Research Methodology and Statistics III
This course will introduce students to methods to perform systematic reviews and meta-analysis: the statistical analyses that are used to synthesize summary data from multiple of studies. Participants will get hands-on experience in performing analyses using R. R is rapidly becoming the leading language in data science and statistics in every industry and field. This demanding course is active learning oriented, with students presenting and performing preforming tasks in the class, students are expected to proactively take the responsibility for their learning.

The topics covered in the courses reflect the needs and intellectual interests of the students. Through a democratic pedagogical perspective, crucial concepts such as gender and race will be grounded in the analysis of concrete social problems in local and global contexts. Sociology enables students to engage in large and more complex topics later in their career. It is also useful for understanding social problems, analyzing policy papers, and developing critical and analytical skills. We critically examine our own role as students and teachers in society at a local and global level and study problems related to environmental justice, historical justice, and migration. Students will engage with local realities in Zeeland, in connection with North America, Europe, and the Global South.

Courses in this Track

• 100-level: Introduction to Sociology
• 200-level: Modern Sociology​
• 200-level: Social Movements & Environmental Justice
• 200-level: Social Stratification and Inequality​
• 300-level: New Issues in Contemporary Social Theory
• 300-level: Social Memory and Historical Justice
• 300-level: Migration and Integration
• 300-level: Social Memory and Historical Justice

Course Descriptions

100-level: Introduction to Sociology
This course focuses on the concepts, theories, and methods of sociology. The course pays particular attention to the socio-historical context in which key authors, such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Du Bois, developed their ideas. Students will be able to identify and formulate sociological problems and questions through different theoretical perspectives. Students will consider the advantages and limitations of a selection of theoretical approaches and methodologies in sociology. The course is not limited to the historical temporality of “classical authors”. Instead, it focuses on social problems related to race, gender, and class across different societies and periods. The problems studied in the course will be chosen in discussion with the students during the first part of the course. We will read original works by key authors and contemporary scholars.

200-level: Modern Sociology​
This course examines the trajectory of the discipline of sociology in its historical context, and particularly in relation to empire and coloniality. This course follows a double stream: a) the analysis of and critique to modernity from a sociological perspective, and b) an examination of the leading social theories and ideas that have shaped the debates in sociology in the 20^th century. The first part discusses some of the main theories of modernity, modernization, and multiple modernities. These include debates on rationalization, secularization, bureaucratization, and the creation of the modern state. At the same time, the course explores how sociological theories that reflect on modernity ignore their broader colonial context. The second part examines some of the most representative authors of 20^th-century sociology. The third part explores how the logic of coloniality persists in contemporary power relations, and how they generate instances of violence such as genocide.

200-level: Social Movements and Environmental Justice
Since the 1980s and 1990s, socio-environmental activists have engaged in multiple interventions in rural and urban spaces at local and global levels. This course engages with social movement theories and focuses on concepts that help us to understand how these movements have contributed to the global environmental justice movement. These concepts include environmental racism, popular epidemiology, the environmentalism of the poor and the indigenous, biopiracy, tree plantations are not forests, ecological debt, climate justice, food sovereignty, land grabbing, and water justice, among others. Using the Environmental Justice Atlas as a point of departure, this course examines socio-environmental conflicts and cases of environmental degradation that directly harm social groups, particularly those who are vulnerable to different types of social exclusion and inequality.

200-level: Social Stratification and Inequality
Whether based on race, gender, class, or nationality (to name only a few examples), conditions of inequality have existed throughout human history. As opposed to earlier times, however, such disparities are no longer regarded as inherent but as socially generated and subject to change. The fight against inequality—often and seemingly paradoxically in the face of their effective rise—is likewise the key driver behind some of the most powerful social movements of our time. This course invites you to explore the complex systems of social stratification that create, reproduce, condition, and shape various forms of inequality within and across societies around the globe.

300-level: New Issues in Contemporary Sociology
This course builds on the subjects studied in Introduction to Sociology and Modern Sociology. The main objective of this course is to introduce students to key debates in sociological theory from a global perspective, including authors from the Global South. We read works on Queer theory, Critical theory of Race and Racism, and analysis of contemporary social problems.

300-level: Social Memory and Historical Justice
Contemporary societies experience different types of violence, often in response to old cycles of violence. This course explores how societies remember past atrocities, massive crimes, and human rights violations. It will examine, through the social science lenses, diverse attempts at dealing with historical injustice and building more just societies. Considering the unique position of UCR in Middelburg, this course will work with the Zeeuws Archive on the transatlantic slave trade and the social movements involved in the struggle for recognition of the legacies of slavery in the Netherlands. It will also examine the institutional responses of museums in dealing with the past. We will have guest speakers from local organiza­tions, a museum visit and debates about contemporary and old problems of historical justice.

300-level: Migration and Integration
This course offers an assessment of the main theories that explain international migration. Basic distinctions are made between economically, culturally, and politically induced migration, and between voluntary and forced (refugee) migration. Actual migration patterns and their determents, including national and European Union policies, are discussed. For this purpose, various positions regarding integration, assimilation, pluralism, segregation as well as concepts of citizenship are discussed and analysed in view of recent research findings.