Download 3) History of Sociological Thought

Tinatin Zurabishvili,
Telavi State University
History of Sociological Thought1
Course syllabus
Course Description:
The course introduces to the students the history of sociological thought starting with Hobbes and to
the present. It’s the longest course in the curricula of Sociology specialization students which lasts
during 7 of the total of 8 academic semesters. Step by step, students learn the works of prominent
sociologists, European and Americans as well as Georgians; get acquainted with their books and/or
articles and trace the development of sociological ideas.
4 academic hours per week are provided for this course, 2 of these are lecturing and 2 – tutorials.
The course supposed very intensive reading of the original texts. In addition to the readings, a
manual will be distributed among students.
Course requirements:
A) All students are strongly advised to attend lectures. All are strongly required to do relevant
readings.
B) The students are expected to be prepared for every tutorial and participate in discussions.
C) By the end of the 4th, 6th and 8th semesters, all students must submit essays (10-15 pages length)
devoted to a special work/problem/issue in the history of sociological though. The topics of the
essays must be discussed in advance with the lecturer, and while writing these the students are
expected to demonstrate the ability to use special literature intensively, compare different traditions
in the history of sociology and critically access the works under study.
Schedule of Topics:
1st Semester.
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Introduction. History of sociology as a special discipline
Elements of sociological thought in the ancient world. Plato and Aristotle
Proto-sociology. Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau
Positivism as a new philosophy of the social sciences. Comte.
Formation of sociology as an independent science
Social Darwinism. Sociology of Herbert Spencer
Sociology of Karl Marx
Psychological sociology. Lebone, Tard
Summing up
duration
(weeks)
1
2
3
2
1
2
3
2
2
2nd Semester.
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duration
I can’t give here a completed course syllabus as I still work on it; I give only the first 3 semesters’ syllabus,
which are ready.
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Sociology of Emile Durkheim. General introduction
Sociology and the social sciences
“The Division of Labor in the Society”
“The Method of Sociological Research”
“Suicide”
“The Elementary Forms of Religious Life”
Sociological Ethics
Durkhaim in the history of sociological thought. Durkheim’s
“sociologism”
Sociology of F. Toennis.
Main problem of sociology
Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft
Toennis’s sociological system
Toennis in the history of sociological thought.
(weeks)
1
1
1
1
2
2
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2
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1
3rd Semester.
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Sociology of Max Weber – general introduction
Methodology of the social sciences
Sociology of religion
“The Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism”
Class, Status and Power
Social action theory
Weber in the history of sociological thought.
Sociology of Georg Simmel – general introduction
Problem of individuality in sociology
The Stranger
Simmel in the history of sociological thought.
duration
(weeks)
1
2
3
2
1
2
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1
1
1
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Readings2:
Tamar zurabiSvili, TinaTin zurabiSvili. sociologiis istoria. masalebi saleqcio kursisaTvis.
e. kodua. sociologiis istoria. nakveTi 2.
А.Б.Гофман. Семь лекций по истории социологии. 2000.
История социологии в Западной Европе и США. 2001.
Alan Swingewood. A Short History of Sociological Thought. 1995.
Classical Sociological Theory. A Reader. Ed. by Ian McIntosh. 1997.
Four Sociological traditions. Ed. by Randall Collins. 1994.
Readings from Emile Durkheim. Ed. by Kenneth Thompson. 1999.
Emile Durkheim. Durkheim on Religion. Ed. by W.S.F.Pickering. 1994.
Max Weber. Basic Concepts in Sociology. 1993.
2
Only the literature currently available at TeSaU is included in this list. The titles are given in the original
language.