SOC183 The Sociological Imagination and the Development of Social Thought

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2011
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Benjamin Jeremiah Vail, Ph.D., M.Sc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D.
Division of Sociology – Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Timetable
Mon 10:00–11:40 P22
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 60 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/60, only registered: 0/60, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/60
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 19 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course introduces many of the major schools of thought and topics of research in the field of Sociology. We take an historical view of the development of social theory from the 19th century until today. Students will learn about the many developments in social thought, in particular sociological theory, during this time by reading textbooks as well as primary source materials. C. Wright Mills’ classic book, The Sociological Imagination, will provide one frame for looking at the development of sociological theory and praxis up to recent years.
Syllabus
  • The weekly schedule of lectures is as follows:
  • Week 1 - Introduction to Sociology and the Sociological Imagination
  • Week 2 - Conflict theory
  • Week 3 - Marxian theory
  • Week 4 - The rational/utilitarian tradition
  • Week 5 - The Durkheimian tradition
  • Week 6 - The microinteractionist tradition
  • Week 7 - Contemporary sociological theory, Parsons and Merton
  • Week 8 - No class: reading week
  • Week 9 - Mid-term exam
  • Week 10 - Micro-macro integration, Structure-Agency integration
  • Week 11 - Social construction of reality
  • Week 12 - Modernity and post-modernity
  • Week 13 - Critical theory, Structuralism and Feminist social theory
  • Week 14 - The Sociological Imagination
  • Literature includes, but is not limited to:
  • Collins, R. 1994. Four sociological traditions. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Durkheim, E. “What is a social fact?” pp. 50-59 in The Rules of the Sociological Method
  • Farganis, J. 2007. Readings in social theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  • Giddens, A. 2002. Sociology. 4th edition, Cambridge. Polity Press Goffman
  • Held,”Introduction to Habermas,” pp. 402-406 in Giddens, A. 2002 Sociology: Introductory Readings, Oxford: Polity Press.
  • Mills, C.W. 2000. The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press.
  • Ritzer, G. 2000. Sociological Theory. London. McGraw-Hill Education.
Literature
  • COLLINS, Randall. Four sociological traditions. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994, xi, 321. ISBN 0195082087. info
  • MILLS, C. Wright. The sociological imagination. 1st ed. New York: Grove Press, 1961, 324 s. info
Teaching methods
The teaching methods used in this course involve weekly lectures and the reading of literature. The semester grade is determined only by your performance on the two exams.
Assessment methods
Students are expected to read the assigned literature before class and to attend every lecture. Each student's final evaluation (A-F) for the semester is based on the following components:

40% – Mid-term exam
60% – Final exam
There is no opportunity to affect your semester grade other than the two exams.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2008, Spring 2009, Autumn 2009, Spring 2010, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Spring 2012.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2011, recent)
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