Social Change Courses @ Northeastern

Course Number: SOC 1230

Department: Sociology – CPS (SOC)

Examines race and ethnicity as constructed differences. Explores the reasons for their existence, the power dynamics behind constructions of difference, the impact of difference on identity, and ways that visual and other presentations influence perceptions of self and others. Because human beings belong to different racial and ethnic groups, the study of these constructs is important to sociology. Explores the history of race and ethnicity and how history has influenced the study of these topics.

Course Number: CRIM 3120

Department: Criminal Justice (CRIM)

Provides students with an overview of the role and treatment of racial/ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system. Covers historical and theoretical frameworks for understanding the relationship between race, crime, and criminal justice. In so doing, students become familiar with trends and patterns in criminal offending by racial/ethnic minorities, as well as system response to such behavior.

Course Number: PHTH 5120

Department: Public Health (PHTH)

Explores the role of economic, social, and individual factors in explaining racial and ethnic health disparities and examines intervention approaches to eliminate them. Topics include genetic and social constructions of race and ethnicity, measuring race and ethnicity, and the differences in prevalence and patterns of disease across groups; cultural and structural factors that affect healthcare delivery, such as discrimination, racism, and health status; and public health approaches to prevention and improving healthcare delivery.

Course Number: AFAM/SOCL 2355

Department: African American Studies (AFAM), Sociology (SOCL)

Examines racism, racial identity, and theories of social change and racial empowerment primarily within the U.S. context. Highlights different ways in which racism and racial privilege have been experienced by different racial communities, more specifically at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. Offers students an opportunity to learn ways to promote racial empowerment and equity. Using theory from primarily psychology and sociology, the course investigates the impact of social systems and institutions on individual-level and group experiences of racism. Investigates students’ own racial identities, a deeper understanding of institutional inequalities and intersectionality, and practical skills in leadership and community building that can promote positive social change and racial equality.

Course Number: POLS 3323

Department: Political Science (POLS)

Examines the relationship between and material impact of race, public policies, and the administration of justice in the United States. Explores the ways the American legal system and political institutions have constructed and reinvented racial categories and their legal and social implications over time. Emphasizes the legacy of this legal history by examining how race and racial inequities intersect with contemporary public policy and social justice issues, including educational equity, employment discrimination, policing, and technology.

Course Number: PHIL 4903

Department: Philosophy (PHIL)

Examines topics including theodicy, cosmogony, contemporary issues in religion, and comparative ethics. Topics vary, and students may register for the course more than once. Requires prior completion of three philosophy or religion courses. May be repeated without limit.