SOC575a Seminar to Advanced Methods of Interpretation in Cultural Sociology

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2017
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Werner Binder (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
each odd Thursday 13:30–16:45 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 15 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/15, only registered: 0/15, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/15
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Course description: The seminar accompanies the lecture with additional readings and interpretation exercises. Students should bring empirical material for discussion and interpretation from their own research projects. If there is no student material for a session, we will discuss fundamental texts and case studies instead. After the course, students have to submit an interpretation essay as final paper, either as individual or team work.
Objectives: Upon successful completion of the seminar students should have a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of methods of interpretation in cultural sociology and related fields. Furthermore, students will have gathered practical experiences with the interpretation of images and texts, which is important with regard to future qualitative research projects (such as the MA 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 Narrative and Interviews
  • XI Discourse Analysis I
  • XII Discourse Analysis II
  • XIII Final Exam
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)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2017, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2017/SOC575a