ESOn4008 Current Themes in Sociology

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2020
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Csaba Szaló, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Pospěch, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Csaba Szaló, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 16:00–17:40 U35
Prerequisites
! SOC755 General Sociology
Basic knowledge of sociological theories and methods is presupposed.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 10 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/10, only registered: 0/10, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/10
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course will cover some of the most pressing themes in sociology in the early twenty-first century. A sociological theme is typically associated with a relatively long debate and tends to be an underlying concept or phenomena, recurring throughout it and unifying it. Discussed topics include recent social movements and civil action, urban subcultures of discontent, and the role of nonhumans in social reality. Seminars will deal with literature from multiple academic journals including, while also discussing studies in depth. Students are expected to actively participate in a seminar and write a term paper (2000 words) addressing the subject of one of the seminars. Term papers should discuss the chosen topic in reference to two academic texts published in a sociological journal in the last 10 years
Learning outcomes
Knowledge of the basic analytical apparatus of contemporary sociology. Ability to critically interpret and utilize articles published in academic journals for own research. Ability to employ relevant analytical apparatus for explaining various social processes and social problems.
Syllabus
  • Current contents are available at: https://is.muni.cz/auth/go/dgss9b
Literature
    required literature
  • Appelrouth, Scott A. & Laura Desfor Edles (2012): Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
  • Cahill, S.E., 1998. Toward a Sociology of the Person. Sociological Theory, 16(2), pp.131-148.
  • Rawls, A.W., 1987. The interaction order sui generis: Goffman's contribution to social theory. Sociological theory, pp.136-149.
  • Douglas, M. 1984. Purity and Danger. London: Routledge. (pp. 30-41, 95-114)
  • Geertz, C. 1973. The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books. (pp. 3-32)
  • Simmel, G. 1991. Money in modern culture. Theory, culture and society 8: 17-31
  • Simmel, G. 1997. The Conflict in Modern Culture. In: Frisby, D. & Featherstone, M. (eds). Simmel on Culture. London: Sage. Pp. 75-100.
  • Sennett, R. 1970. The Uses of Disorder. London: Penguin (pp. 27-84).
  • Sennett, R. 1977. The Fall of Public Man. New York: A.Knopf (pp. 257-268, 294-312).
  • Lasch, C. 1979. Culture of Narcissism. New York: Norton. (pp. 31-70).
  • Viger, J. 2019. “The Eighteenth Brumaire in Historical Context: Reconsidering Class and State in France and Syria.” Theory and Society 48(4):611–638.
  • Smelik, A. 2018. “New Materialism: A Theoretical Framework for Fashion in the Age of Technological Innovation.” International Journal of Fashion Studies 5(1):33–54.
  • Szelenyi, I. 2016. “Weber’s Theory of Domination and Post-Communist Capitalisms.” Theory and Society 45(1):1–24.
  • Joosse, P. 2018. “Countering Trump: Toward a Theory of Charismatic Counter-Roles.” Social Forces 97(2):921–44.
Teaching methods
Active participation in seminar discussions. Presentations. Teamwork.
Assessment methods
Regular participation at seminars via comments. Two academic papers.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2021, Spring 2022, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2020, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2020/ESOn4008