Berkeley’s Sociology Department is known around the world for its excellence in research and teaching. Our faculty advance cutting edge research and teach in most sociological specialities. Our PhDs are leaders in universities and research centers across the US and in many other countries. And our BAs populate the ranks of innumerable professions, bringing with them the skills and special perspective of Berkeley sociology.
We are proud to make these contributions from the world’s leading public university. At Berkeley, we combine intellectual rigor with a commitment to public service through our research, teaching, and service on campus and beyond.
For the past six decades, Berkeley’s Sociology Department has consistently been ranked among the world’s top sociology departments. Our graduate program is ranked #1 in the latest U.S. News and World Report, and our undergrad degree is currently the best in the US according to College Factual and features on Grad Reports’ Best College List 2020.
Prof. Einstein served graduate students as a model of prudence in remaining unfashionably true to the grand…
Rebuilding Labor: Organizing and Organizers in the New Union Movement
"In order to recruit new members on a scale that would be required to significantly rebuild union power, unions must fundamentally alter their internal organizational practices. This means creating more organizer positions on the staff; developing programs to teach current members how to handle the tasks involved in resolving shop-floor grievances; and building programs that train members to participate fully in the work of external organizing. Such a reorientation entails redefining the very meaning of union membership from a relatively passive sta...
Departmental Colloquium Series
Abigail Saguy, "Gender Collisions: Political and Scholarly Debates Over Sex and Gender"
Monday, March 9, 2026 - 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
402 Social Sciences Building
Abstract: Americans are deeply divided about gender, with debates over gender identity, pronouns, parenting, public restrooms, and women's sports sparking intense conflict. In Gender Flashpoints: The Power of Dialogue, Abigail C. Saguy draws on interviews with 94 activists across the full political spectrum to understand the roots of these disagreements. She finds that beneath seemingly intractable conflicts lie disputes about advocacy goals, strategies, and whose rights matter most—but also surprising areas of agreement. When discussing gender-neutral restrooms, for instance, activists initially repeated polarized positions, yet deeper conversation revealed shared concerns about safety and privacy, along with enthusiasm across the political spectrum for redesigned public restrooms with fully enclosed stalls. Through careful listening and comparative analysis, Saguy demonstrates that engaging in genuine dialogue about charged issues can help identify workable solutions to seemingly impossible social problems, offering both a comprehensive view of contemporary gender debates and hope for finding common ground in our polarized moment.
Abigail Saguy is UCLA Professor of Sociology with a courtesy appointment in Gender Studies. She is the author of four books, including What is Sexual Harassment? From Capitol Hill to the Sorbonne (California, 2003), What’s Wrong with Fat (Oxford, 2013); Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are (Oxford, 2020), and Gender Flashpoints: The Power of Dialogue (Russell Sage Foundation, In Press); over thirty scientific journal articles; and several op-eds published in leading news outlets.