Introductory Topics in Sociology (276-0-20)

Topic

Sociology of Reputation

Instructors

David Schieber
1810 Chicago Avenue
Office Hours: By Appointment
I received my BA from Northwestern in 2012 with a major in sociology and a minor in psychology, and I received my PhD in sociology from UCLA in 2019. My teaching and research interests lie at the intersection of work and organizations, health, gender, sexuality, culture, and economic sociology.

Meeting Info

University Hall 102: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

A reputation is not something that happens, but is something that is made. This course is about how reputations get made and where our beliefs about others come from.

Throughout the quarter, we will ask questions like:

How do we change our behavior when perceived by others? How do others frame our behaviors for their own purposes. What kind of work do people put into constructing the memories of themselves and others? Are memories political? Where do heroes come from? How about villains?

Fortunately for us, a number of cultural sociologists and social psychologists have spent their careers writing about these topics. We will spend the quarter engaging with these scholars and their texts, while bringing in current and historical examples of reputation management. Throughout the quarter, we will think through sociological concepts like trust, style, drama, jokes, character, coolness, gossip, and fame.

By then end of this course, we will know to think carefully and analytically about how reputations emerge, how they persist, and how they change. In doing so, we will see that our perceptions of others come from somewhere, and it is worthwhile to take a step back and understand where our perception's of others come from.

Learning Objectives

Students will use as variety of assigned texts and essays to evaluate their perception of events and people as contextual, often embedded in different meaning systems. Students will draw from lectures and readings to answer short answer questions by applying current examples of the social processes discussed in readings and lecture (i.e. idiocultures, reputational entrepreneurs, cultural consecration.)

Students will learn to interpret texts and cultural objects as creations of a specific place and time, and students will incorporate these texts and ideas into their own examples and independent arguments through writing. Understanding "things" as creations of a specific place and time is fundamental to building critical thinking skills, and students will work to develop their critical thinking skills in this class through their participation in class and through written work.

Students will recognize the ongoing and interdisciplinary tradition of symbolic interactionism in the field of sociology. Students will read classic texts in the fields of social psychology, anthropology, and folklore studies by a variety of academics. This includes essays by faculty and graduates of Northwestern Sociology, where many of these formative ideas emerged.

Class Materials (Required)

All materials for this course will be made available on Canvas - no purchase necessary.

Class Attributes

Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area