A kaleidoscopic, sociological examination of the great American metropolis. Through analyzes of key occupations, communities, and institutions and processes, the course examines: the emergence of New York City as an international center of business and finance; fashion, media, image making, major cultural organizations, and intellectuals; immigration and vibrant ethnic communities; cultural innovation and nightlife; and urban politics, policing, and crime. Throughout the course, special attention to ethnic and racial tensions; the transformation of gender roles; and the city as simultaneously the embodiment and symbol of crucial fissures in American society: between wealth and poverty, celebrity and obscurity, and established power and insurgent protest. The course will feature lectures from the distinguished Williams alumni/ae who have made their careers in Gotham. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: final examination and a term paper. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 60 (expected: 60). Open to first-year students. Preference given to Anthropology and Sociology majors, and then to juniors, and seniors. A Gaudino Fund Course.