Poverty, Inequality,
& the Welfare State
Masters-level seminar taught in 2019, 2017, and 2016
Course description
Poverty and inequality are major challenges for contemporary society. This seminar examines how the evolving agencies and programs of the welfare state respond to these challenges in the United States and in other wealthy democracies. Drawing on historical, comparative, and interdisciplinary scholarship, the seminar seeks to explain the crucial but contested role of the welfare state not only in redistributing money, but also regulating and providing vital services. Seminar participants will study influential theories of the structure, scope, and functions of welfare states; gain a broader perspective on the possibilities and constraints of contemporary social policy; and develop an analytic framework for evaluating programs and proposals in a variety of contexts. Special attention will be given to concepts of social rights, risk and insurance, interest group formation, and institutional logics. While course readings will focus on national policy in areas of health care, housing, employment, and income assistance, students will choose their own topics and cases to study for the final project.
Quotes from course evaluations:
“The course provided a very coherent, ample and deep understanding of the welfare state, allowing us to employ different approaches to matters of social policy, from perspectives of sociology, economics and political science.”
“The selection of readings was terrific. I found a lot of value in those—they challenged my biases and assumptions about the topics.”
“This was one of my best classes in UChicago, and one of my best experiences here.”
“I like Peter's facilitation style that accommodates diverse views in the class during our discussion. […] Peter really helps students learn from each other while guiding us through the readings. Even though the class is based on the US and Europe, I was still able to connect the concept to my own experience in Asia and share my experience with the rest of the class.”
Self, Culture, Society
Undergraduate general education course in social theory taught in 2015 and 2013
Student quotes:
“Peter was great at facilitating class discussion and challenging me to think about the text from different perspectives.”
“He has a knack for simplifying the concepts (not too much, though) and having us apply them such that the class seems to understand what is going on much more as a whole.”
“[H]e is very good at putting together fun interactive activities that explain the material at an appropriate level.”
The Sociology of Work-Life
Robert Park Lectureship scheduled for Spring 2021
Course description
Time seems scarce in wealthy societies. As possibilities for how to spend our time proliferate, many of us struggle to manage the time demands of multiple roles—whether academic, economic, personal, or civic. This course examines why, how, and for whom work-life conflict is a problem, drawing on various theories and studies in the sociology of time. The course aims to provide students with greater insight into what makes an activity a “productive” use of time, the limits of productivity as the basis for valuing time, and how the culture and politics of work-life in the contemporary United States differ from other times and places. Readings and discussion will be supplemented by observation and critical reflection on expectations and uses of time in students’ own lives.