SOC575a Seminar to Advanced Methods of Interpretation in Cultural Sociology

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2013
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Werner Binder (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Ladislav Rabušic, CSc.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 12:00–13:30 U34
Prerequisites
NOW( SOC575 Methods of Interpretation )
Good knowledge of English
Interest in qualitative social research
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 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Course description: The seminar accompanies the lecture with additional readings and practical exercises. In the first half of the course we will have close readings of fundamental texts and case studies; in the second half, students will also interpret images and texts on their own ‒ either as class or in small discussion groups. After the course, students have to submit an interpretation as final paper, either individual or team work.
Objectives: Upon successful completion of the seminar students should have a deeper understanding of methods of interpretation in cultural sociology and related fields. Furthermore, students should have gathered practical experiences in interpreting images and texts, particularly media discourses, which prepares them for their own qualitative research, for example in their master thesis.
Syllabus
  • I What is Interpretation?
  • II On Methodology
  • III Hermeneutics
  • IV Structuralism
  • V Structural Hermeneutics I
  • VI Structural Hermeneutics II
  • VII Reading Weak
  • VIII Artifacts and Practices
  • IX The Interpretation of Images
  • X The Interpretation of Action and Text
  • XI Discourse Analysis
  • XII Discourse and Narrative
  • XIII Discourse and Performance
Literature
  • Iconic power : materiality and meaning in social life. Edited by Jeffrey C. Alexander - Dominik Bartmanski - Bernhard Giesen. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, 262 s. ISBN 9780230340053. info
  • SMITH, Philip and Alexander RILEY. Cultural theory : an introduction. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2009, 307 p. ISBN 9781405169073. URL info
  • ALEXANDER, Jeffrey C. The meanings of social life : a cultural sociology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003, 296 p. ISBN 9780195306408. info
  • EMMISON, Michael and Philip SMITH. Researching the visual : images, objects, contexts and interactions in social and cultural inquiry. 1st pub. London: SAGE Publications, 2000, xiii, 242. ISBN 0761958460. info
Teaching methods
Close reading, discussions in class, discussions and work in small groups
Assessment methods
1. Participation in class (40%)
2. Final paper - individual or team work (60%)
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 Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2013, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2013/SOC575a