The Political Sociology Program

What is Political Sociology?

Political sociology is broadly concerned with struggles for power, resources, status, recognition, legitimacy, and meaning among social groups within and across nation-states. Faculty in this area use quantitative and qualitative data to conduct empirically rigorous, methodologically diverse, and theoretically grounded research on a range of topics at different levels of analysis. 

Specific teaching and research foci include: 

• Politics of class formation
• Globalization in its economic, political, institutional, and cultural manifestations
• Nationalism and citizenship
• Causes and consequences of welfare state retrenchment
• Democracy in the context of economic barriers
  
• Collective action and social movements
• Police and society
• Criminal justice processes and social consequences
• Illiberal challenges to the liberal world order
  
• Cross-national variation in respect for human and women’s rights