(Graduate students register for SOC 260.) Organizations are ubiquitous: they educate us, manage our finances, and structure our daily routines; they also distribute resources, status, and opportunities among social groups. This course will explore the role of formal organizations in contemporary social life, and their consequences for individuals. Drawing on a range of theoretical perspectives and empirical research in the social sciences, we will examine several topics, including: the origins of organizations, how decisions are made, why some organizations live while others perish, incentives and employment relationships, social networks, and what kinds of organizational policies promote diversity. The course will draw on many substantive examples from the real world to illustrate these theoretical models.
4 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
(Graduate students register for 260.) Organizations are ubiquitous: they educate us, manage our finances, and structure our daily routines; they also distribute resources, status, and opportunities among social groups. This course will explore the role of formal organizations in contemporary social life, and their consequences for individuals. Drawing on a range of theoretical perspectives and empirical research in the social sciences, we will examine several topics, including: the origins of organizations, how decisions are made, why some organizations live while others perish, incentives and employment relationships, social networks, and what kinds of organizational policies promote diversity. The course will draw on many substantive examples from the real world to illustrate these theoretical models.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.