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Transcript
Introduction to Sociology Department of Sociology Rhodes University Sociology I First Term 2017 Lecturer: K. Helliker [email protected] Introduction Welcome to the Department of Sociology and to the first course in Sociology I. The Department believes that you will enjoy first year Sociology and will benefit immensely from it. Prior to entering university, most students are in large part unaware of the existence of the academic discipline of Sociology. However, Sociology is a well-established discipline at universities around the world and, at Rhodes University, it is one of the most popular. The purpose of this ‘Introduction to Sociology’ course in first term is to give you a broad understanding of what Sociology is about, and what sociologists study and how. In other words, it gives you an introduction to what is often called the ‘sociological perspective’, or the way in which sociologists go about studying the social world. You will find out that sociologists seek to understand human society in general as well as particular societies (such as South Africa) in a manner which highlights the term ‘social’ – as all human societies consist of various kinds of social groups. Thus, examining social relationships and social interactions is fundamental to Sociology. Just as important, all individual human lives (including your own) are the product of a particular set of social relationships and interactions, and these are based upon your social background and social experiences up until now. This is because we live and act within social groups, whether it be our family, our school or our friends. There is a very close relationship between societies and individuals in society. Three further points are worth mentioning at the onset. First of all, individual lives and human societies are always changing, and this means that history and the study of history is important to Sociology. Secondly, you will come to realise that, within Sociology, there are differences of opinion about society. Thus, Sociology is marked by many debates and controversies over a range of issues. This is encouraged within Sociology. Thirdly, Sociology can be unsettling for the student of Sociology in the sense that the discipline will likely challenge many of your long-held views about the social world. In particular, things which we might consider as natural and inevitable are often the result of society’s influences. In this way, Sociology opens up new ways of understanding yourself and the social world around you, and this can be very enlightening and empowering. Course Structure The course is divided into four main sections: Individual biographies and human societies Sociological perspective Socialisation, culture and ideology History of Sociology – a critical understanding. 2 The first section discusses specific issues pertinent to your experiences as a student in tertiary education in South Africa, and the last three sections focus explicitly on concerns central to Sociology as a discipline. These concerns though will be initially raised and discussed in the first section. Benefitting from the Course Sociology is an exciting discipline and it provides you with the opportunity to explore social life in a critical and thoughtful manner. But, like all academic disciplines, studying Sociology requires effort and preparation. Indeed, Sociology entails a form of thinking about society that as a student you must nurture and develop. It is thus imperative that you take full advantage of all the opportunities that arise during this particular course to enhance your capacity to think and reason sociologically. The lectures are a good starting point. But in order to benefit fully from lectures, it is necessary that you first read any assigned reading or readings cited for each lecture. If you do so, then you will be able to listen attentively to the lecture being given, to take notes only where necessary, and to participate when given the chance. Taking lengthy and cumbersome notes without first looking over the assigned reading distracts from your ability to concentrate and reflect thoughtfully on the material being presented during the lecture. Besides the assigned reading for each lecture, you will also be given supplementary readings during the course. Try to read as widely as possible on each topic covered in the course, as different readings tackle the particular topic from a unique angle that will further enrich your understanding. You will also find that your writing skills improve dramatically as you read and study more and more. Tutorials, videos, visiting speakers and other forms of instruction and interaction are integrated into the course. Again, take full advantage of these. Tutorials are mandatory. Participate as fully as possible in the tutorials, because expressing yourself sociologically will deepen your grasp of the tutorial topic. Each student will receive a Course Reader, which includes most of the assigned readings for the course. Course Outcomes Aim to achieve the following by the end of the course: Be conceptually clear on the relationship between individual biographies and human societies. Be able to offer an account of the sociological imagination including the importance of debunking widely-held views about human society. Be in a position to understand the relationship between socialisation, culture and ideology. Be able to discuss the history of Sociology as a discipline and criticisms of this history. Be able to apply your sociological insights to understanding the social problems currently besetting South Africa. 3 Course Outline and Assigned Readings The list below details the subject matter to be covered in each lecture and the assigned reading/s. The assigned readings appear in the Course Reader and/or are available via RUConnnected. LECTURE 1 (Feb. 20) – INTRODUCTION TO COURSE SECTION ONE – INDIVIDUAL BIOGRAPHIES AND HUMAN SOCIETIES LECTURE 2 – Feb. 21 3 – Feb. 22 4 – Feb. 23 5 – Feb. 27 TOPIC Entering University Rhodes Must fall/Rhodes so White [video] Rhodes Must fall/Rhodes so White [lecture] Race and Racism in South Africa READING see READER Video see READER see READER 6 – Feb. 28 Fees Must fall [video] Video 7 – Mar. 1 Fees Must fall [lecture] see READER 8 – Mar. 2 9 – Mar. 6 10 – Mar. 7 11 – Mar. 8 Rich and Poor in South Africa Disrupting rape culture [video] Disrupting rape culture [lecture] Sex and gender in South Africa see READER Video see READER see READER SECTION TWO – SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE What is sociology? Giddens, A. 2006. Sociology (5th ed.) (pp. 4-7; 26-27). 13 – Mar. 13 Social Imagination Mills, C W. 1981. ‘The promise’. In: Henslin J M (ed.) Down to Earth Sociology. (chap. 2) 14 – Mar. 14 Debunking Berger, P. 1963. Invitation to Sociology. (chap. 2). 15 – Mar. 15 Debunking Berger, P. 1963. Invitation to Sociology. (chap. 2). 12 – Mar. 9 4 SECTION THREE – SOCIALISATION, CULTURE AND IDEOLOGY 16 – Mar. 16 17 – Mar. 20 18 – Mar. 22 19 – Mar. 23 Socialisation Culture Power and Ideology Sexuality and Sexual Orientation Berger, P. 1976. Sociology: A Biographical Approach. (chap. 3). Stewart, P and Zaaiman, Z. (eds.). 2014. Sociology: A South African Introduction. (chap. 5). Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. 2008. Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. (7th ed.) (pp. 10-11, 522523). Kimmel, M. 1994. ‘Masculinity as homophobia: fear, shame, and silence in the construction of gender identity’. In: Brod, H. and Kaufman, M. (eds.). Theorising Masculinities. SECTION FOUR – HISTORY OF SOCIOLOGY – A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING 20 – Mar. 27 21 – Mar. 28 22 – Mar. 29 23 – Mar. 30 Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. Rise of Sociology in Europe 2008. Sociology: Themes and and Sociological Theoretical Perspectives. (7th ed.) (pp. 7-13, 866Frameworks 872, 874-878). Marx and Weber Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. 2008. Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. (7th ed.) (pp. 7-13, 866872, 874-878). Sociology in South Africa Stewart, P and Zaaiman, Z. (eds.). 2014. Sociology: A South African Introduction. (chap. 23). De-Colonising Sociology Mangcu, X. 2016. ‘Decolonising South African Sociology’. Du Bois Review 13(1). 5 Supplementary Readings: There are a significant number of Sociology textbooks on short loan in the main library and in the open bookshelves. Extra reading will greatly benefit your understanding of Sociology. Three useful textbooks are as follows: Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London: Collins. (any edition). Giddens, A. 2006. Sociology. Cambridge: Polity. (any edition). Stewart, P and Zaaiman, Z. (eds.). 2014. Sociology: A South African Introduction. Cape Town: Juta. Course Evaluation There will be a one-hour test to be held on the evening of Tuesday March 28th. This test will count 30% towards the overall mark for the course. The balance of the course mark (70%) consists of the June exam. In June, there is a three-hour exam, with this course forming half of the exam and the second term course constituting the other half. Tutorials Tutorials are compulsory. There will be three tutorials for this course. These tutorials will take place in the weeks starting March 6th, March 13th and March 20th. There is a separate handout for the tutorial schedule. 6