Urban Sociology

Last Updated: Wed, 12/17/2025
Course prefix:
HTS
Course number:
3012
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This course explores the city, urbanization and urbanism, urban change and community development by focusing on evolving social and economic conditions which proved critical in shaping cities across the United States and beyond.   The formation of urban centers has been historically the outcome of globalized circuits of finance, transportation, migration, and related forces.  Furthermore, cultural factors are increasingly playing an important role in influencing the social relations and political economy of cities.  Competition has forced extensive infrastructural investments which in turn have created social stresses, often exemplified in areas like housing, school reform, crime and transportation.  Scholars have reached a consensus that the most recent period of urban change is qualitatively different - different enough that it can be distinguished by the term, globalization.  In this course, we will examine the contours of these transformations and consider decentralization, economic development, regionalism and the broader transition from production to consumption.  In the end, we are not only concerned about the physical realm and the way that cities grow but also about the influences of city life on the human experience. 

Course learning outcomes:
  • Students will describe major social science concepts in the study of cities.
  • Students will compare the major theoretical perspectives and methodological issues in studying cities.
  • Students will identify how macro forces, like decentralization, globalization, and economic restructuring shape cities and suburbs.
  • Students will analyze the American and international trends in cities and urban life and how geographic, social, and temporal context shapes these processes.
  • Students will understand the relationship between structure and agency, the processes of social and cultural change, and how these forms assist our understanding of the urban environment. 
Required course materials:

The Urban Sociology Reader, 2nd edition. Edited by Jan Lin and Christopher Mele. 2013. Routledge.

Other readings are also required; they will be posted to Canvas as PDFs or hyperlinks to web readings. 

Grading policy:

Grading Scale:

A           90-100
B          89-80

C          79-70

D          69-60

F          Under 60 points

 

Attendance policy:

Attendance will be taken in every class period, and this, along with your engagement in discussions, will determine the classroom participation. Your full attendance is expected, and it is critical that you attend all scheduled class sessions.  Students should not come to class late, and/or leave early as this will impact the participation grade.  Students that miss classes on numerous occasions will receive “0” points on participation.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):
  • This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area.
  • Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
  • This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: How do I understand human experiences and connections?
  • Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcomes: Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social or geographic relationships develop, persist or change.
  • Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: Intercultural Competence, Perspective-Taking, Persuasion.
Instructor First Name:
Costas
Instructor Last Name:
Spirou
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
34976
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Department (you may add up to three):
History and Sociology

Environmental Sociology

Last Updated: Wed, 12/31/2025
Course prefix:
HTS
Course number:
2017
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This course examines theories about how human society impacts the natural world through economic, political, and social systems.

Course learning outcomes:
  • Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change.  
Required course materials:

The Battle for Yellowstone, by Justin Farrell

Up to Heaven and Down to Hell, by Colin Jerolmack

Merchants of Doubt, by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway

The Silicon Valley of Dreams, by David Pellow and Lisa Park

Parks for Profit, by Kevin Loughran

Grading policy:

20%     Participation and Performance

20%     Current Event Assignment

30%     Mid-Course Paper

30%     Final Exam

Attendance policy:

Students are expected to attend all classes. Because of the difficulties we all face in life, I am allowing students to miss three classes without excuse and without penalty. After three absences, students will lose participation points exponentially for further absences, unless I receive a request from the Dean of Students for lenience. 

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area. 

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.  

  

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: 

  • How do I understand human experiences and connections?  

  

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: 

  • Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change.  

  

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: 

  • Intercultural Competence
  • Perspective-Taking
  • Persuasion  
Instructor First Name:
Kate Pride
Instructor Last Name:
Brown
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
34955
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Department (you may add up to three):
History and Sociology

Social Theory & Structure

Last Updated: Tue, 12/16/2025
Course prefix:
HTS
Course number:
3102
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This class introduces students to both classical and contemporary sociological theories. It focuses on several theorists who have had a profound impact on contemporary sociological research – their lives, times, and ideas. The course thus introduces many enduring themes of sociology: alienation and anomie; social structure and disorganization; group conflict and solidarity; secularization and individualism; bureaucracy and institutions, the division of labor, capitalism, and the nature of authority. Students will learn the key concepts of major theoretical approaches in sociology and will consider questions such as the relationship between theory and research, and the relationship of social conditions to the production of knowledge.

Course learning outcomes:

By the end of the course, students should be able to… 

…demonstrate a basic understanding of the main concepts of the major classical sociological theorists and some from the contemporary era.

 … demonstrate the ability to describe the social, political, and economic forces that influence social behavior. 

…interpret and develop an understanding of theoretical texts and arguments, and to articulate and communicate these ideas in simple and effective ways. 

… think critically and creatively about sociological theories. For instance, students should be able to use, apply, assess, and evaluate the concepts of sociological theorists from both the classical and contemporary era to think about and inquire into contemporary social life.

Required course materials:

Edles, Laura Desfor and Scott Appelrouth. 2021. Sociological Theory in the Classical Era: Text and Readings. Edition 4. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Grading policy:

1. Class Preparation and Participation (20%) 

2. Exams (Exam1-25%; Exam2-25%) 

3. Tour Guide for Theorists Project (30%) Total: 100%

Attendance policy:

Regular attendance is essential for your success in this course. Much of our learning will take place through in-class discussion, group activities, case analyses, and applied exercises that cannot be replicated outside of class.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area. Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals. This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: How do I understand human experiences and connections? Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: • Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change. Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: • Intercultural Competence • Perspective-Taking • Persuasion

Instructor First Name:
Yaqi
Instructor Last Name:
Yuan
Section:
a
CRN (you may add up to five):
35005
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Department (you may add up to three):
History and Sociology

Sociology of Medicine & Health

Last Updated: Tue, 12/16/2025
Course prefix:
HTS
Course number:
3086
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This course explores notions of illness, health, and health care from a sociological perspective. Students learn about conceptions of health and wellness, the U.S. health insurance system and other health policies in comparative perspective, and health disparities within the U.S. (such as by gender, race/ethnicity, and social class). We will analyze how illness is socially constructed, how health systems operate, and how power, inequality, and culture shape the practice of medicine and access to care.

Course learning outcomes:

Explain major sociological theories of health and illness—including social determinants of health, medicalization, and structural inequality—and apply them to contemporary health issues in the United States and globally.

Analyze how social factors such as race, class, gender, age, and geography shape health behaviors, access to care, healthcare experiences, and population-level health disparities.

Critically evaluate healthcare institutions and policies by examining how power, professional authority, and political-economic structures influence the organization and delivery of medical care.

Interpret and communicate empirical evidence on health and healthcare using sociological methods, demonstrating the ability to connect data (qualitative or quantitative) to broader theoretical and policy debates.

Required course materials:

Cockerham, William C. Medical Sociology. 15th Edition. Routledge.

Grading policy:

1. Class Preparation and Participation (10%) 

2. Exams (Exam1-20%; Exam2-20%) 

3. Flip Classroom Activities (Activity1-5%; Activity2-5%) 

4. Final Project (20%) 

5. Quizzes (Quiz1-10%; Quiz2-10%) 

Total: 100% 

Attendance policy:

Regular attendance is essential for your success in this course. Much of our learning will take place through in-class discussion, group activities, case analyses, and applied exercises that cannot be replicated outside of class.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area. Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals. This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: How do I understand human experiences and connections? Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: • Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change. Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: • Intercultural Competence • Perspective-Taking • Persuasion

Instructor First Name:
Yaqi
Instructor Last Name:
Yuan
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
33132
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
History and Sociology

Science and Technology in the Modern World

Last Updated: Thu, 12/04/2025
Course prefix:
HTS
Course number:
2100
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This class provides students with an introduction to how science and technology have influenced politics, culture, and society worldwide from 1500 to the present. Classes will be a mix of lecture and class discussion.  

Course learning outcomes:

Throughout the course, you will develop a good grasp of the main patterns and changes in the history of the relationship between human societies, science, and technology. 

The other objective of the course is to develop your skills for engaging critically with reading material, both secondary and primary sources. Reading critically means to actively analyze a text (instead of merely accepting what it says at face value) and to ask questions about the author’s purpose, assumptions, argument, and evidence. With primary sources, reading critically also means to learn as much as possible about the historical context in which the primary source was created. 

Required course materials:

James Poskett, Horizons: The Global Origins of Modern Science, Mariner Books, Boston, 2022. 

 

Grading policy:

Your course grade will be based on a 100-point scale.

Written responses (3 points each; 45 points total). Each week, students will turn in a written response on Canvas. The objective for these assignments will be to summarize the readings’ main argument(s), their content, and analyze their empirical evidence. 

Final essay (40 points). You will write a final essay of approximately 2,200 words in which you will tell in your own words the global history of science from roughly 1500 to the present day. You will use the readings, the primary sources that we analyze in class, my lectures, and your own weekly responses as your building blocks. 

Attendance policy:

Your course grade will be based on a 100-point scale. Class participation and attendance (15 points). Students are expected to participate actively, thoughtfully, and respectfully in class. You should come to every class having done all the reading assignments. Attendance: Students may have two unjustified absences. Every additional unjustified absence after the two "free" absences will lower your final grade 5 points. If you miss 4 classes (or a total of 6), you will fail the course.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area. 

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals. 

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: 

• How do I understand human experiences and connections? 

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: 

• Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change. 

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: 

  • Intercultural Competence
  • Perspective-Taking
  • Persuasion 
Instructor First Name:
German
Instructor Last Name:
Vergara
Section:
1
CRN (you may add up to five):
31624
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
History and Sociology

Sociology of Science

Last Updated: Wed, 11/19/2025
Course prefix:
HTS
Course number:
3082
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

How do scientists establish scientific facts? What is the nature of scientific authority? And just who are these scientists in the first place? If scientists are just like you and me, how do their positions in society, their politics, and their culture shape their scientific work — and how does their work shape society, politics, and culture in return?

This course introduces you to the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), a methodologically diverse and interdisciplinary approach to understanding connections between the production of knowledge, the innovation of technology, and the conflicting values and demands of social life. Through case studies drawn from historical and contemporary science, you will learn key STS concepts and theories, apply novel methods, and develop skills for ethically navigating your own scientific career.

Course learning outcomes:

The central aims of this course are to develop:

  1. Course specific knowledge, i.e. to:
    1. Identify accounts of scientific change and the growth of scientific knowledge and to explain how different accounts understand the activity of science and scientists.
    2. Illustrate key theories, concepts, case studies in the science and technology studies literature and to examine how these apply to ongoing issues in scientific work.
  2. Research skills and techniques, i.e. to:
    1. Summarize social scientific methods (e.g. ethnography and interviewing), diagnose when and where such methods are appropriate, and evaluate efforts at applying them.
    2. Assess secondary source material; notably, to critically appraise key arguments and ideas in support of general literature reviews
    3. Design, plan, and construct research papers, lab books, and reports that incorporate STS concepts, cases, and real-world evidence.
  3. Critical reasoning skills as they are applied to the sociology of science, i.e. to:
    1. Appraise and assess accounts of how power, identity, and politics shape the development of scientific knowledge, technical artefacts, and infrastructure.
    2. Survey and critique claims of scientific progress and to assess the authority of scientific and technical experts
  4. Ethical skills for navigating the production of scientific work, i.e. to:
    1. Describe everyday writing practices of scientists (record-keeping, publishing, citing, grant-seeking), identify areas of ethical concern, and devise solutions and policies to address these areas of concern.
Required course materials:

All course materials will be available through Canvas. Optional texts that complement this course include:

  1. Sismondo, Sergio. 2010. An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies. 2nd ed. Blackwell.
  2. Latour, Bruno. 1987. Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers through Society. Harvard University Press.
Grading policy:

A: 90–100

B: 80–89.5

C: 70–79.5

D: 60–69.5

F: 0–59.5

Attendance policy:

Showing up on time is required and expected. If you are more than 15 minutes late for a class, you will be marked absent. While there is no penalty for missing a single session, there are repercussions for missing multiple classes. If you miss 5 or more classes, the highest grade you can achieve is a "B", 7 or more a "C", and 9 or more a "D". 

You can think of this another way. You have 4 "freebies" — 4 absences to use to go to career fairs, music concerts, or if you're just not feeling the reading for that week. 

There are legitimate reasons for missing a class: situations necessary for career advancement (graduate school visits, job interviews, professional conferences where you are presenting), related to your health (serious illness, mental health), or related to your family and legal status (bereavement, court appearances, religious holidays, visa appointments). If you have something you believe counts as a legitimate reason for your absence that is not on this list, get in touch with me to discuss.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Honesty and transparency are important features of good scholarship. On the flip side, plagiarism and cheating are serious academic offenses with serious consequences. If you are discovered engaging in either behavior in this course, you will earn a failing grade on the assignment in question, and further disciplinary action may be taken. 

Your work should be crafted and written on your own. You may talk with others about your ideas— you may even use the ideas discussed in class seminars—but these ideas must be made your own. That means working by yourself to develop your own ideas, providing your own reasons, and explaining things in your own words. 

You are required to cite all sources you use in your submitted coursework. This includes both direct quotations and cases where you use someone else’s ideas. “Sources” include papers, journals, conversations, anything found on the internet, and so on. Basically, if the thought did not originate with you, you should provide an in-text citation and a reference list. For a clear description of what counts as plagiarism, cheating, and/or the use of unauthorized sources, please see the Student Code of Conduct: http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/19.

If you have questions about my integration of the university’s honor code into this course, please do not hesitate to ask: my aim is to foster an environment where you can learn and grow, while ensuring that the work we all do is honest and fair. For more information about Georgia Tech’s standards with respect to academic integrity, you can also check out the following link: http://honor.gatech.edu/

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I understand human experiences and connections?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcomes:

  • Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social or geographic relationships develop, persist or change.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Intercultural Competence
  • Perspective-Taking
  • Persuasion
Instructor First Name:
Andrew
Instructor Last Name:
Buskell
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
34993
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
History and Sociology

North American Borderlands

Last Updated: Tue, 11/18/2025
Course prefix:
HTS
Course number:
2052
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

Introduction to the history of early Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California in the Spanish Colonial period. This course also introduces the history of the Northern borderlands, especially the Great Lakes during the French and British colonial period.

 

Course learning outcomes:

Over the course of the semester, successful students will:

  • Build historical knowledge of the history of the colonial era borderlands. Students will be able to recall key events and define relevant terms.
  • Students will be able to describe changes over time, summarize historical movements, and discuss source material.
  • Students will be able to analyze, compare, and contrast historical sources and moments in borderlands history.
  • Students will be able to formulate historical arguments and present their findings.

 

Students will demonstrate these learning objectives through their class participation, discussion posts, the midterm, the final, reading quizzes, a writing assignment, and one final presentation.

 

 

Required course materials:

All required readings will be available on Canvas or through the GT library.

 

 

Grading policy:

1000 total points possible

 

300 points: Participation

The participation grade includes attendance/in-class participation, reading notes, and discussion posts. 

  1. First, students will be graded on their level of participation in discussion. Because not all students are equally comfortable with sharing their insights, visits to office hours and participation in small group discussions in class will also factor into the spoken half of the grade. Good participation is not simply talking a lot but rather adding to the discussion productively which always requires strong preparation. This will amount to half the participation grade.
  2. Secondly, students are expected to do each class meeting’s assigned readings before that class meets. They will access the readings through Perusall, adding 5 comments throughout the text. Students may respond to one another’s comments toward their total of 5 comments.
  3. Finally, the written responses are meant to be an exercise in critically engaging the reading. Though brief (500 words), they ought to go beyond the level of summary to analyze the readings, connect them to each other and the broader course, and ask a few questions that are not merely factual or clarifying. These responses will be due every week by 24 hours before the week’s second meeting submitted via Canvas. Each student may skip any three weeks without giving the instructor notice.

 

150 points: In-Class Midterm

            This test will ask students to remember and define terms highlighted through the first half of the semester, identify events and explain their significance in short answer questions, and analyze events and sources in context in two long answer questions and will be administered halfway through the term.

 

150 points: Discussion Leading

            Students will lead discussion in groups once per semester, walking the class through sources and leading the source analysis and discussion through questions that invite exploration.

 

200 points: Reading Quizzes

Four brief readings quizzes throughout the semester will assess students’ completion of the assigned reading. Each quiz will ask students to identify the author and date of a primary source and answer questions about sources assigned for the homework.

 

200 points: Primary Source Project & Presentation  

            Students will choose a single source or body of closely related primary sources (e.g. multiple issues of the same newspaper or entries of the same diary) pertaining to Borderlands history. Over the course of the semester, students will draft an 6-8pp paper with the following components:

  1. Introduction
    1. Historical question
      1. Statement of historical argument
        1. Context
        2. Argumentation based on the sources
        3. Conclusion

Each student will give a 15 minute presentation on their findings during the last two weeks of class. Students are required to meet with the instructor at least once over the course of the semester in office hours to discuss the topic and argument. Topics and historical questions must be approved by the instructor two weeks before the semester’s end.

 

Attendance policy:

Each unexcused absence will result in a loss of 10 participation points. Arriving late will result in a loss of participation points proportionate to the amount of class time missed. Excused absences are any absences cleared with the instructor at least 24 hours in advance and with the appropriate documentation.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Intellectual exchange is a critical element of a vibrant scholarly community. To protect the integrity of that community, students are required to cite every instance in which they borrow from or refer to another’s idea, language, or other element of another’s work. Students are welcome to study with one another, share study guides, visit the Writing Center, and seek additional feedback from the instructor. Students are also encouraged to draw from the whole body of readings, lectures, discussion posts, and sources assigned as part of this class so long as all references, quotations, allusions, summaries, or paraphrases are properly cited giving credit to the original author or speaker. Students found to be using AI in graded assignments will be considered in violation of the academic integrity policy. Students suspected of AI use who are unable to provide prior drafts or proper references may be subject to failing the assignment in question. All cases of academic dishonesty will be immediately referred to Student Judicial Affairs. Students with questions are welcome to contact me or to consult the Georgia Tech Honor Code, found here: https://policylibrary.gatech.edu/student-life/academic-honor-code.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I understand human experiences and connections?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcomes:

  • Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social or geographic relationships develop, persist or change.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:

  • Intercultural Competence
  • Perspective-Taking
  • Persuasion
Instructor First Name:
Elena
Instructor Last Name:
Ryan
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
34959
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
History and Sociology
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