Specialized topics in sociology of culture that are not regularly offered in the curriculum may occasionally be offered under this number. The focus of the course will vary depending on the instructor in charge. Possibilities include investigations of new media for cultural expression or social networking, cultures of care giving, and the meaning of consumption patterns. The survey course in sociology of culture, 160, is recommended before taking this course.

In this course, we will look at critical disability studies and disability justice from a sociological perspective, focusing on systems of inequality as well as strategies for resistance. In order to interrogate these structures, we will focus on how disability is constructed historically, culturally, politically, and socially by centering the voices of disabled scholars, activists, and artists. Throughout the course, we will attend to the ways knowledge about disability is produced, circulated, and contested.

In the first part of the semester (Weeks 1–5), we will address key debates in critical disability studies, including their roots in the disability rights movement and their intersections with sociological concepts such as stigma and socio-economic inequality.

In the second part of the semester (Weeks 6–15), we will turn to a series of case studies: we will focus on advocacy and activism, ablenationalism and migration, labor, political participation and civil society, innovation and technology, and the politics of care and interdependence. While the course places particular emphasis on cases within the US, we will also address perspectives from a range of global contexts.

Finally, throughout the semester, we will consider how disability justice frameworks can be applied beyond the classroom, with attention to questions of access, interdependence, and collective responsibility in everyday life.

Repeat Rules

Requirements class fulfills