How does the economy shape culture, and how does culture shape the economy? These are the bigger questions that we wrestle with in this course.

Did you know that you will benefit in the economy if you know a great deal about the challenges of cultivating pinot noir? You will benefit even more from understanding why this matters. Sociology is, as Pierre Bourdieu once said, a “martial art” that gives you the tools to fight for yourself in an unequal capitalist world. We will also talk about markets and how they shape people like you. Do they shape the way you think and act? Is it possible or perhaps even likely that you would have a different self if you participated in a different market? What are alternative markets like? Can we learn from them? In what ways is our capitalist market culture changing? Will the future workplace be a neoliberal nightmare in which you are an independent contractor directed and controlled by algorithms, or will we instead see a post-work world in which the boring stuff is automated and we can focus on creative and social activities that enrich our private and communal lives? These and other questions will be addressed in this math-free course on the complex interactions between cultural and economic forces that shape our worlds.

I will minimize my own talking time in our classes, as research shows you are more likely to learn from engaging with each other and the course material, through exercises and discussions. You are expected to be fully prepared for each class, and you might, at any time, be asked about the readings during class.