Download SY203OC Wilfrid Laurier University May, 2009

SY203OC
Wilfrid Laurier University
Sociological Theory
Instructor: Dr Michael Manley
May, 2009
Welcome to Sociology 203OC!
This is an online course offered using webct.
The course is designed to promote your understanding of society by providing you with
the intellectual tools that are needed to analyze social interaction. We need to recognize
that different theoretical perspectives can be used in the study of society and this
course will familiarize you with the consensus, conflict, and interactionist approaches.
We pay attention to the changing social conditions that motivated early sociologists to
study society and how the theories of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber
responded to the social concerns associated with modernization. We consider how the
early modern theories of Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton, George Herbert Mead, and
Erving Goffman advance the early concerns. The nature and purpose of sociological
theory is at issue and we seek to clarify the form and the content of the theories that
help us to interpret society.
The course is organized into 24 sections. Since this term has twelve weeks, it is
appropriate that you cover at least two sections per week. However, I strongly urge you
to cover the lessons at a faster pace since there is a significant amount of reading
material towards the end of the course.
Good luck to you all!
Communication Policy:
My policy is to respond to emails and bulletin board messages on a daily basis. That is,
if you email or post a message one day, at some point no later than the evening of the
next day, I will provide a response. The exception to this is for obvious holidays.
If, for some reason, you are having trouble accessing the webct site for this course, you
should contact the Online Office:
www.wlu.ca/homepage.php?grp_id=329
However, if you cannot access the course and if you are also in particular need of a
response from me concerning an academic issue, email me at:
[email protected]
Normally, I would prefer that all course-related issues be discussed using the webct
site.
SY203OC
May, 2009
Textbook:
Marx Durkheim Weber by Ken Morrison, second edition
Course Package of Readings:
Talcott Parsons: On Institutions and Social Evolution
edited by Leon Mayhew
pages 93-114, 157-172, 296-326
“Manifest and Latent Functions”
Robert Merton
On Theoretical Sociology
pages 73-138
Mind, Self and Society
George Herbert Mead
pages pp. 68-82, 117-125, 152-164, 173-178, 192-200, 253-260
“Goffman’s Social Theory”
Ann Branaman
The Goffman Reader edited by Charles Lemert and Ann Branaman
pages xlv to lxxxii
Course Objectives:
1. Introduce students to the tradition of sociological theory through the works of
Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber.
2. Introduce students to the early modern tradition of sociological theory through the
works of Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton, George Herbert Mead, and Erving
Goffman.
3. Promote the development of analytic skills in students by familiarizing them with
the three explanatory perspectives used by sociologists to understand society.
4. Develop an understanding of the system of ideas which shaped modern society.
5. Familiarize students with key historical events leading to the formation of modern
Western societies and to elucidate the social and political consequences leading to
the development of these societies.
6. Increase student’s awareness of the role society plays in shaping human
experience.
SY203OC
May, 2009
Course Description
This course examines the central themes of classical and contemporary sociological
theory through the works of Durkheim, Marx and Weber. The aim of the course is to
examine the conditions leading to the growth of modern industrial societies and the
corresponding changes taking place in social, economic and political life as a whole. The
course goes on to explore the major schools of sociological thought by examining the
dominant theoretical perspectives related to the understanding of society and the
individual. These include the consensus, conflict and interactionist theoretical
perspectives.
Discussion will focus on the development of sociology as a discipline, the role of
concepts in understanding society, and the nature and scope of explanation in
sociological theory. The course has its mandate in the study of society through theory
issues. The approach taken in the course is historical and conceptual, focusing on the
main social questions of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as the dramatic rise in
poverty, the increasing reliance on science as a means of social and moral problem
solving, and the dominance of economic individualism.
The first half of the course will focus on the development of modern society and the
theories traditionally used to explain the social and political consequences of these
changes. Generally, there are four key developments to be discussed: revolution,
industrialization, capitalism, and modernism. In addition, we will explore the emergence
of sociology as a distinct discipline, discuss its role as the ‘science’ of society, and
explore the nature of its subject matter. Subsequent to this, the theoretical views of
Durkheim, Marx and Weber will be examined in some detail. Their theories will be place
in the context of developments in Western social thought and in the overall history of
ideas.
The second half of the course focuses upon the broad areas of social theory. First, it
will concentrate on themes related to the late classical and early modern sociological
theory, such as the rise of the modern state, the nature of power, and the development
of a theory of social action. Second, it will focus on developments in modern consensus
theory, principally those proposed by Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton. Third, it will
examine the origins of the perspective in sociological theory to as micro theory. Some
of the key theorists examined in this section of the course include George Herbert Mead
and Erving Goffman.
SY203OC
May, 2009
Course Outline
Part A
1. The Historical Context of Sociological Theory
Read: Lesson 1 & Morrison, pp. 1-8
2. The Development of Modern Society and Sociological Theory
Read: Lesson 2 & Morrison, pp. 8-34
3. Emile Durkheim: Consensus Theory
Read: Lesson 3 & Morrison, pp. 148-185
4. Emile Durkheim: Society and the Individual
Read: Lesson 4 & Morrison, pp. 185-199
5. Emile Durkheim: The Sociological Study of Suicide
Read: Lesson 5 & Morrison, pp. 199-231
6. Durkheim and Anomie
Read: Lesson 11 & Morrison, pp. 224-231
Part B
7. Karl Marx: Conflict Theory
Read: Lesson 6 & Morrison, pp. 35-61
8. Karl Marx: Capitalism and Capitalist Development
Read: Lesson 7 & Morrison, pp. 76-116
9. Marx and Alienation
Read: Lesson 12 & Morrison, pp. 116-127
10. Theories of The State
Read: Lesson 15 & Morrison, pp. 127-147
11. The Sociology of Knowledge: Durkheim and Marx
Read: Lesson 18 & Morrison, pp. 231-272; pp. 61-76
SY203OC
May, 2009
Part C
12. The Sociology of Max Weber, Part I
Read: Lesson 8 & Morrison, pp. 273-295
13. The Sociology of Max Weber, Part II
Read: Lesson 9 & Morrison, pp. 295-313
14. Max Weber's Theory of Capitalism
Read: Lesson 10 & Morrison, pp. 313-329
15. Max Weber's Political Sociology
Read: Lesson 14 & Morrison, pp. 361-374
16. Main Themes of the 20th Century
Read: Lesson 13
17. Max Weber's Study of Bureaucracy
Read: Lesson 16 & Morrison, pp. 374-386
18. Max Weber's Theory of Social Action
Read: Lesson 17 & Morrison, pp. 348-361
Part D
19. The American School of Sociological Thought: Talcott Parsons
Read: Lesson 19 & Parsons (course package)
20. Social Structure and Anomie: Robert Merton
Read: Lesson 20 & Merton (course package)
21. Introduction to Micro Social Theory
Read: Lesson 21 & Mead, pp. 68-82 (course package)
22. American School of Social Interaction
Read: Lesson 22
23. Mead's Theory of Mind and Society
Read: Lesson 23 & Mead, pp. 117-125, 152-164, 173-178, 192-200, 253-260
(course package)
24. Dramaturgical Approach to Social Interaction
Read: Lesson 24 & Branaman (course package)
SY203OC
May, 2009
Grades
Midterm #1
Midterm #2
Midterm #3
Final Exam
Assignment
Part
Part
Part
Part
A
B
C
D
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
Monday, May 25
Wednesday, June 17
Tuesday, July 7
official exam period: July 31-August 12
Monday, July 13
Each midterm test and the final exam is worth 20% of the grade for this course. The
first midterm is based on Part A; the second on Part B; the third on Part C; and the final
exam on Part D. Each is 2 hours long and you will answer four questions out of six.
The midterms and the final exam are not done online. They are written at a specific
location. The date and location of each of the three midterms can be found at:
http://www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=329&p=11868
Students must confirm the date and location of the midterms at this webpage before
they write each midterm. The final exam will be held during the official exam period.
The questions on the midterms and the final examination are of a general nature
permitting you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the material. The
questions are essay-type questions and you are expected to write essay answers. That
is, discuss the material using sentences and paragraphs organized into an essay. Do not
provide an answer that consists of a list of points.
Webct has had technical difficulties in recent years and at times has not been
accessible. Students are expected to download all relevant course material to their own
computers early in the course. Any failure of webct to function properly will not be a
basis for a deferred midterm or final exam, and will not be the basis for a extension for
the assignment.
SY203OC
May, 2009
Assignment
Select a portion of text written by Karl Marx or Emile Durkheim. The text you refer to
should be about 30 to 40 pages long. The text you choose must be actually written by
Marx or Durkheim, translated into English, and not by someone commenting about their
work. You are expected:
-to
-to
-to
-to
summarize the theory presented in the text you have chosen,
show how it relates to the overall theoretical framework of the author,
provide a critique of the theory discussed in the text you have chosen, and
show how this critique is relevant to the overall theoretical framework of the author.
Your assignment should focus on theoretical issues (and not the life of the theorist nor
on the empirical substance of the text). The text you choose should provide a particular
insight into the author’s theories that is not adequately discussed in this course, and
should not simply repeat the core ideas of the theory as presented in the textbook or
the lessons.
The assignment should be about 12 typed pages long (about 3,000 words). It is worth
20% of the final grade for this course. The assignment is due on Monday noon July 13.
It must be emailed to the Online Office by that time. A late assignment, without a
legitimate reason, will be penalized 5 marks. An assignment will not be accepted if it is
over one week late. That is, the assignment must absolutely be emailed to the Online
Office by Monday noon July 20. Do not mail it; do not fax it; do not deliver it in person.
The only exceptions will be for a legitimate reason: a medical reason or a death in the
family.
Students should consult the Online Learning webpage for information about
assignments:
www.wlu.ca/homepage.php?grp_id=329
Students are required to retain a print copy and an electronic copy of their assignment
and to submit their assignment to:
www.turnitin.com using this information:
class:
class id:
password:
SY203DE
2712679
theory
The class id is the important number. If the assignment is not submitted to turnitin, it
will receive a mark of zero. The extended turnitin due date is only for those who have
been granted an extension.
SY203OC
May, 2009
Notices
1. Student Awareness of the Accessible Learning Centre:
Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier’s Accessible Learning Centre
for information regarding its services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the
Calendar for information regarding all services available on campus. Guidelines regarding the
consideration of such students can be obtained by contacting the Accessible Learning Centre, ext.
3086:
www.mylaurier.ca/accessible.htm
2. For Evening Classes:
“After class call 886-FOOT for a walk or drive home - No Walk is Too Short or Too Long!!!”
3. Academic and Research Misconduct:
Academic misconduct is an act by a student, or by students working on a team project, which may
result in a false evaluation of the students(s), or which represents a deliberate attempt to unfairly
gain an academic advantage. Academic misconduct includes: please refer to web site:
www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=158&p=8383&pv=1
Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for plagiarism. Students may be required to
submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for plagiarism.
4. Examination Deferrals:
The academic date section of the 2008/2009 calendar:
www.wlu.ca/calendars/section.php?cal=1&s=268&sp=800&ss=1142&y=33#Deferred_Examination_Policy
clearly states the examination date period for each semester. Students must note that they are
required to reserve this time in their personal calendars for the examinations. Students who are
considering registering to write MCAT, LSAT or GMAT or a similar examination, should select a time
for those examinations that occurs outside the University examination period.
For additional information that describes the special circumstances for examination deferment,
consult web site of the 2008/2009 University on-line calendar:
www.wlu.ca/calendars/section.php?cal=1&s=268&sp=800&ss=1142&y=33#Special_Examinations
The World Wide Web version is the up-to-date, official Academic Calendar: www.wlu.ca