GLCb2025 Sociological Diagnoses of our Times

Fakulta sociálních studií
jaro 2023
Rozsah
1/1/0. 5 kr. Ukončení: zk.
Vyučující
Dr. Werner Binder (přednášející)
Garance
Dr. Werner Binder
Katedra sociologie – Fakulta sociálních studií
Kontaktní osoba: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Dodavatelské pracoviště: Katedra sociologie – Fakulta sociálních studií
Rozvrh
Po 18:00–19:40 U35
Předpoklady
! SOCb2587 Sociological Diagnoses of our
The course has no prerequesites, except of course for the ability to read English texts and converse in English. It is not only suitable for bachelor students in sociology but also for students from other fields without a sociological background.
Omezení zápisu do předmětu
Předmět je nabízen i studentům mimo mateřské obory.
Předmět si smí zapsat nejvýše 40 stud.
Momentální stav registrace a zápisu: zapsáno: 2/40, pouze zareg.: 0/40, pouze zareg. s předností (mateřské obory): 0/40
Mateřské obory/plány
Cíle předmětu
Sociological literature, especially in the writings of the classics, often contains a (more or less explicit) diagnosis of the present time of the author (for example, Weber’s characterization of modern capitalism as “iron cage”). In the 20th century, “time diagnosis” emerged as a specific sociological genre, exemplified by works such as Beck's "Risk Society", Bauman’s “Liquid Modernity” or Castell's "Network Society". Time diagnoses offer a sociological interpretation of contemporary society, often with a critical edge and the potential to reach broader educated audiences beyond the confines of the discipline. This course focuses on recently published diagnoses of our times, which we will read and discuss in their entirety, limiting ourselves to one or two monographs per semester.
This year, two recent(ly translated) books by two German sociologists will be at the center of our attention, which not only offer condensed versions of arguments elaborated in larger monographs, but also sharpen them towards a critical time diagnosis.
In End of Illusions (2021), Andreas Reckwitz, arguably the most influential sociologist in contemporary Germany, elaborates on the themes of The Society of Singularities (2020), in which he argues that cultural processes of “singularization” characterize all fields of contemporary society, from economy and work to culture, life-style and politics. End of Illusions (2021) focusses on the social consequences and political challenges, which are the result of cultural processes of singularization.
Similarly, The Uncontrollability of the World (2020) by Hartmut Rosa, Germany’s leading critical theorist, is a follow-up to his voluminous monograph Resonance (2019), in which he develops a sociology of human-world relations. The Uncontrollability of the World (2020) argues that our modern desire to control the world impedes on our capacity to experience “resonance”, which Rosa argues is central to having a good life. Good societies, accordingly, acknowledge the uncontrollability of the world and create opportunities for resonance.
Výstupy z učení
After completing the course students will be able to
- read and discuss contemporary sociological texts in English
- identify the key arguments in a text and present them in a written form
- apply general insights from the literature to specific social phenomena in their lives and societies
- think about contemporary challenges to our societies in a sociological way
- understand the role, strenghts and weaknesses of particular time diagnoses as well as of the genre in general
Osnova
  • Organizational Meeting
  • End of Illusions I – Introduction & Cultural Conflicts as a Struggle over Culture
  • End of Illusions II – From the Leveled Middle-Class Society to the Three-Class Society
  • End of Illusions III – Beyond Industrial Society
  • End of Illusions IV – The Weariness of Self-Actualization
  • End of Illusions V – The Crisis of Liberalism and the Search for the New Political Paradigm
  • Reading Week
  • The Uncontrollability of the World I – Controllability and Resonance
  • The Uncontrollability of the World II – Theses and Observations on Controllability
  • The Uncontrollability of the World III – Controllability and Modernity
Literatura
    povinná literatura
  • RECKWITZ, Andreas. The end of illusions : politics, economy, and culture in late modernity. Translated by Valentine A. Pakis. English edition. Cambridge: Polity, 2021, viii, 201. ISBN 9781509545704. info
  • ROSA, Hartmut. The uncontrollability of the world. Translated by James C. Wagner. English edition. Cambridge: Polity, 2020, ix, 132. ISBN 9781509543168. info
    doporučená literatura
  • RECKWITZ, Andreas. The society of singularities. English edition. Cambridge: Policy, 2020, viii, 416. ISBN 9781509534227. info
  • ROSA, Hartmut. Resonance : a sociology of our relationship to the world. English edition. Cambridge: Polity, 2019, xiv, 554. ISBN 9781509519910. info
Výukové metody
Reading, response papers, class discussion, presentation in class, final essay.
Metody hodnocení
1. Participation in class – 20%
2. Eight short response papers – 60%
3. Presentation or Final Essay – 20%
Vyučovací jazyk
Angličtina
Další komentáře
Studijní materiály
Předmět je zařazen také v obdobích jaro 2024, jaro 2025.