Critical Social Thought
David Hernández, Co-chair
Vanessa Rosa, Co-chair
Overview and Contact Information
The Program in Critical Social Thought is designed for students who want to interrogate cultural and social phenomena outside the confines of traditional disciplinary boundaries with the goal of analyzing relations of power embedded in knowledge production and social life. Students apply critical thought from a wide array of intellectual traditions, including critical ethnic studies, performance studies, disability studies, the history of science, psychoanalysis, Marxism, the Frankfurt School, critical race studies, queer theory, feminist theory, and postcolonial theory. Critical Social Thought puts less emphasis on the social, cultural, or scientific objects under study than on its distinctive, interdisciplinary methodology in which student-driven inquiry and research combines theoretical and social critique with a concern for addressing pressing social issues.
The Critical Social Thought major and minor are available only to students who entered the College before fall 2023. Students entering fall 2023 or later should instead refer to Critical Race and Political Economy (CRPE) for its Critical Social Thought pathway. Students who entered before fall 2023 and who will graduate in May 2024 or later are eligible to choose either the Critical Social Thought major or the Critical Social Thought pathway within the CRPE major, after consulting with the chair of the CRPE department.
See Also
Learning Goals
The learning goals of Critical Social Thought are:
- Interrogate pressing social and cultural issues outside of traditional disciplinary boundaries.
- Analyze the relations of power in knowledge production and social life.
- Apply interdisciplinary methodology informed by an array of critical traditions.
- Conduct independent research on a self-designed course of study.
Faculty
This area of study is administered by the Department of Critical Race and Political Economy:
Kristie Ford, Professor of Sociology and Critical Race and Political Economy
Lucas Wilson, Professor of Economics and Critical Race and Political Economy on the Ford Foundation
David Hernández, Faculty Director of Community Engagement; Associate Professor of Latinx Studies and Critical Race and Political Economy, Teaching Fall Only
Vanessa Rosa, Associate Professor of Latinx Studies and Critical Race and Political Economy
Maria Abello Hurtado, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Critical Race and Political Economy
Ren-yo Hwang, Assistant Professor of Gender Studies and Critical Race and Political Economy
Maria Diaz, Mount Holyoke Fellow and Visiting Lecturer in Latina/o Studies
Requirements for the Major
A minimum of 40 credits:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
CRPE-205 | Foundations in Critical Social Thought | 4 |
Two courses at the 200 level from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 8 | |
Two courses at the 300 level from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 8 | |
One capstone seminar to complete a senior capstone project 1 | 4 | |
Two electives at the 300 level across two departments/programs from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 8 | |
Two additional electives at any level from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 8 | |
Total Credits | 40 |
- 1
Students enroll in CRPE-392/GNDST-392 to fulfill this requirement. In the event that there are insufficient numbers of graduating seniors to fill this class, students will complete their capstone projects through independent study or in another 300 level seminar. The capstone project is a thesis, research paper, performance, or multimedia project that serves as a culminating intellectual experience of a self-designed course of study. Normally this project will be completed in the capstone seminar.
Other Requirements
- Declaring the major. Students who wish to major in critical social thought will meet with the program chair to discuss their major interest and to select two advisors from the program faculty.
- Proposal. Submitted after completion of CRPE-205 and prior to declaring the major. Students must submit a 2-3 page proposal that identifies the focus of their course of study, explains its genesis and significance, and includes an annotated list of the courses they have and intend to take for credit in their major. Students will submit the proposal to their two advisors for approval before submitting it to the chair.
Additional Specifications
- The Critical Social Thought major and minor are available only to students who entered the College before fall 2023. Students entering fall 2023 or later should instead refer to Critical Race and Political Economy (CRPE).
- No more than a total of 8 credits of independent study (CRPE-295 or 395, or before fall 2023 CST-295 or 395) may be counted toward the major in addition to 8 credits of CRPE-395 senior thesis work.
- Students who declare a critical social thought major automatically fulfill the College's "outside the major" requirement.
Requirements for the Minor
A minimum of 20 credits:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
CRPE-205 | Foundations in Critical Social Thought | 4 |
One course at the 200 level from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 4 | |
One course at the 300 level from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 4 | |
One elective at the 200 or 300 level from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 4 | |
One elective at the 300 level from the approved course list for Critical Social Thought | 4 | |
Total Credits | 20 |
Other Requirements
- Declaring the minor. Students who wish to minor in critical social thought shall meet with the program chair to discuss their minor interest and to select an advisor from the program faculty.
- Proposal. Submitted after completion of CRPE-205 and prior to declaring the minor. To declare the minor, students must submit a 2-3 page proposal that identifies the focus of their course of study, explains its genesis and significance, and includes an annotated list of the courses they have and intend to take for credit in their minor. Students will submit the proposal to their advisor for approval before submitting it to the chair.
Additional Specifications
- The Critical Social Thought major and minor are available only to students who entered the College before fall 2023. Students entering fall 2023 or later should instead refer to Critical Race and Political Economy (CRPE).
- No more than a total of 4 credits of independent study (CRPE-295 or 395, or before fall 2023 CST-295 or 395) may be counted toward the minor.
Courses Meeting Requirements for Critical Social Thought
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Anthropology | ||
ANTHR-216WC | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Writing Capitalism's Ruins' | 4 |
Critical Race & Political Econ | ||
CRPE-205 | Foundations in Critical Social Thought | 4 |
CRPE-208 | Introduction to Twentieth-Century Critical Race Theory | 4 |
CRPE-228 | Visualizing Immigrant Narratives: Migration in Film | 4 |
CRPE-239 | Latina/o/x Urbanism | 4 |
CRPE-240FD | Intermediate Topics: 'U.S. Latinx Foodways' | 4 |
CRPE-244 | The Historical-Grammar of Black Feminist Thought Across the Caribbean and the Americas | 4 |
CRPE-254 | Nueva York | 4 |
CRPE-256 | Trap Doors and Glittering Closets: Queer/Trans* of Color Politics of Recognition, Legibility, Visibility and Aesthetics | 4 |
CRPE-257 | Transforming Justice and Practicing Truth to Power: Critical Methodologies and Methods in Community Participatory Action Research and Accountability | 4 |
CRPE-261 | Race, Racism, and Power | 4 |
CRPE-308 | Luminous Darkness: African American Social Thought After DuBois | 4 |
CRPE-323 | Latina Feminism(s) | 4 |
CRPE-339 | Abolitionist Dreams And Everyday Resistance: Freedom Memoirs, Struggles, and Decolonizing Justice | 4 |
CRPE-352 | Latina/o/x Studies in Action | 4 |
CRPE-356 | Latinas/os/x and Housing: Mi Casa Is Not Su Casa | 4 |
CRPE-364 | Critical Refugee Studies | 4 |
CRPE-366 | Disposable People: A History of Deportation | 4 |
CRPE-371 | Free Them All: Abolition Feminism and Anticarceral Action Research | 4 |
CRPE-372 | Transforming Harm and Mutual Aid: A Transformative Justice Lab | 4 |
CRPE-374 | Latina/o Immigration | 4 |
CRPE-392 | Senior Seminar | 4 |
Economics | ||
ECON-306 | Political Economy of Inequality | 4 |
ECON-349EC | Advanced Topics in Economics: 'Analysis of Empire of Cotton' | 4 |
English | ||
ENGL-257 | Survey of African American Literature | 4 |
ENGL-274 | Introduction to Asian American Literature | 4 |
ENGL-280 | Literary and Cultural Theory | 4 |
ENGL-325 | Victorian Literature and Visual Culture | 4 |
ENGL-334BG | Asian American Film and Visual Culture: 'Beyond Geishas and Kung Fu Masters' | 4 |
ENGL-338 | Aesthetics of Racial Capitalism | 4 |
ENGL-350AB | Topics in African American Literature: 'Abolition and Climate Change' | 4 |
ENGL-350AT | Topics in African American Literature: 'Race and the Aesthetics of Taste' | 4 |
ENGL-366 | Love, Sex, and Death in the Anthropocene, or Living Through the Age of Climate Change and Other Disasters | 4 |
ENGL-368 | Shapeshifting Through the Nineteenth Century and Beyond | 4 |
ENGL-382AN | Advanced Topics in English: 'American Animality' | 4 |
ENGL-389 | Revolution and Change in the Age of Necropolitics | 4 |
Environmental Studies | ||
ENVST-150DV | Introductory Topics in Environmental Studies: 'Introduction to the Histories and Theories of Development' | 4 |
ENVST-210 | Political Ecology | 4 |
ENVST-321CP | Conference Courses in Environmental Studies: 'Political Economy of the Environment: Capitalism and Climate Change' | 4 |
Entrepreneurship, Orgs & Soc | ||
EOS-349BC | Topic: 'History of British Capitalism' | 4 |
Film, Media, Theater | ||
FMT-330PA | Advanced Courses in History and Theory: 'Natural's Not in It: Pedro Almodóvar' | 4 |
FMT-330RR | Advanced Courses in History and Theory: 'Anti-Fascism in Film: Reel Revolutions' | 4 |
FMT-330SV | Advanced Courses in History and Theory: 'Media and Surveillance' | 4 |
FMT-333RR | Advanced Courses in History and Theory: 'Anti-Fascism in Film: Reel Revolutions' | 4 |
Geography | ||
GEOG-206 | Political Geography | 4 |
GEOG-331 | Water, People, and Politics in the Anthropocene | 4 |
Gender Studies | ||
GNDST-204TJ | Women and Gender in the Study of Culture: 'Transforming Justice and Practicing Truth to Power: Critical Methodologies and Methods in Community Participatory Action Research and Accountability' | 4 |
GNDST-210SL | Women and Gender in Philosophy and Religion: 'Women and Gender in Islam' | 4 |
GNDST-241PH | Women and Gender in Science: 'Pharmocracy: Empire by Molecular Means' | 4 |
GNDST-333AN | Advanced Seminar: 'Love, Sex, and Death in the Anthropocene, or Living Through the Age of Climate Change and Other Disasters' | 4 |
GNDST-333EC | Advanced Seminar: 'Gender and Economic Development in the Global South' | 4 |
GNDST-333EM | Advanced Seminar: 'Flesh and Blood: Naturecultural Embodiments' | 4 |
GNDST-333MS | Advanced Seminar: 'Multi-Species Justice? Entangled Lives and Human Power' | 4 |
GNDST-333PA | Advanced Seminar: 'Natural's Not in It: Pedro Almodóvar' | 4 |
GNDST-333TH | Advanced Seminar: 'Transforming Harm and Mutual Aid: A Transformative Justice Lab' | 4 |
GNDST-392 | Senior Seminar | 4 |
German Studies | ||
GRMST-231YN | Topics in German and European Studies In A Global Context" 'Yiddish Nation: Language as Homeland' | 4 |
History | ||
HIST-141 | Introduction to Modern African History | 4 |
HIST-276 | U.S. Women's History Since 1890 | 4 |
HIST-277 | History of Energy | 4 |
HIST-279 | Modern Civil Rights Movement | 4 |
HIST-280DD | Topics in North American History: 'Diversity, Inclusion, and Daily Democracy in US History' | 4 |
HIST-357 | History of British Capitalism | 4 |
Jewish Studies | ||
JWST-269 | Citizens and Subjects: Jews in the Modern World | 4 |
Latin American Studies | ||
LATAM-287FM | Topics in Latin American Studies: 'Frames of Mind: Tracking Power/Knowledge' | 4 |
Politics | ||
POLIT-234 | Black Metropolis: From MLK to Obama | 4 |
POLIT-252 | Urban Politics | 4 |
POLIT-355 | Race and Housing | 4 |
POLIT-387PD | Advanced Topics in Politics: 'Other Political Dreams' | 4 |
Psychology | ||
PSYCH-213 | Psychology of Racism | 4 |
Religion | ||
RELIG-172 | Religion and Ecological Movements | 4 |
RELIG-181 | Introduction to African Diaspora Religions | 4 |
RELIG-207 | Women and Gender in Islam | 4 |
RELIG-209 | Disability and Religion | 4 |
RELIG-225AP | Topics in Religion: 'Apocalypse Now? Spiritual Responses to Ecological Catastrophe' | 4 |
RELIG-225CQ | Topics in Religion: 'Colonialism Then and Now: Religion, Law, and Conquest' | 4 |
RELIG-225NR | Topics in Religion: 'Reimagining American Religious History: Race, Gender, and Alterity' | 4 |
RELIG-248 | Islam in America: From Slavery to the "Muslim Ban | 4 |
RELIG-267 | Buddhist Ethics | 4 |
RELIG-269 | Citizens and Subjects: Jews in the Modern World | 4 |
RELIG-331AF | Advanced Topics in Religion: 'African American Spiritualities of Dissent' | 4 |
RELIG-352 | Body and Gender in Religious Traditions | 4 |
Sociology | ||
SOCI-214 | Race in America: Inequality, Immigration, and Other Issues | 4 |
SOCI-316RM | Special Topics in Sociology: 'Consumer Culture: Race in the Marketplace' | 4 |
Spanish | ||
SPAN-230HY | Identities & Intersections: An Introduction: 'Hybrid Identities of the Spanish-Speaking World' | 4 |
SPAN-340PA | Advanced Studies in Visual Cultures: 'Natural's Not in It: Pedro Almodóvar' | 4 |
SPAN-340RR | Advanced Studies in Visual Cultures: 'Anti-Fascism in Film: Reel Revolutions' | 4 |