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Sociology 314: 03/04 Contemporary Sociological Theory Fall 2014 Professor: Richard Williams [email protected] M/W 3:55-5:15 CDL 109 (DC) Office: Davison 111 (DC) Office Hrs. M (1:00-3:00) and by appointment TA: Ben Foley [email protected] Section: (03) M6: 5:50-6:45 Hickman 205 Section: (04) W6: 5:50-6:45 Hickman 210 Office: Davison 012 (DC) Office Hrs. W (10-12) Course Description and Objectives The purpose of this course is to give you an overview of the theories used by contemporary sociologists as conceptual tools for the study social life. By thinking of theories as tools we move away from treating them as competitors for arriving at a singular truth. Rather, the tools approach allows us to treat theories as dense analytical concepts that are more or less appropriate for studying social life from a specific point of view. In other words, we will be operating with the assumption that there is no single theoretical perspective that could give us the ability to competently study the complexity of social life. By the end of this course you will be able to analyze social life from a variety of theoretical perspectives. In accomplishing that end we will focus on how different theories take distinct approaches to studying society. One of our major concerns then will be with identifying the social sources of the points of view upon which the theories we study are built. The lecture sessions will help you grasp the historical background, presuppositions (working assumptions) and general sense of the specific theories. In the recitation sections you will discuss the readings and lecture ideas while also having the opportunity to relate them to everyday life. All readings are on Sakai Week I Intro: Frames and Presuppositions 9-3 Orientation: Structural and conceptual What color lens do you look through? Before 1st class (URL) “Take Away,” Russian version of Ukrainian shoot down (radio interview) (URL)Tiger-Tyagarajan, “If you’re curious” 9-8: Further conceptual orientations Read: Miles, S. 2001. Social Theory in the Real World, “Introduction” Rorty, R: “The Contingency of Language,” of his Contingency, irony, and solidarity Week II Sociological Theories (analytical tools) deconstructed 9-10: Framework Read: Farganis, J. “Introduction” to Readings in Social Theory Objects of attention (level of analysis/assumption about why motivation for behavior 9-15 Different departures/points of view: how opposing findings are arrived at Read: Farganis, J. Chapt. 7 “Functionalism”: Davis and Moore (161-171) in Readings in Social Theory Farganis, J. Chapt. 8 “Conflict Theory”: C. W. Mills (197-9 and 214-23),” in Readings in Social Theory Week III 9-17 (Short Assignment) Different departures/points of view: how opposing findings are arrived at (Conti.) Read: Farganis, J. Chapt. 9 “Exchange Theory and Rational Choice: Homans” (241-52),” in Readings in Social Theory Farganis, J. Chapt. 10 “Symbolic Interaction: Goffman” (331-33 and 341-50),” in Readings in Social Theory Temporality as a basis for making convincing Sociological Theories 9-22 Bourdieu: the example of Art Read: Bourdieu, P. “Manet and the Institutionalization of Anomie,” in his The Field of Cultural Production Week IV 9-24 Focault: knowledge as structured seeing Read: Rajchman’s “Foucault’s Art of Seeing” General Foci of Sociological Attention 9-29 1st Reader response due Continuity: how do stratified social systems hold together? Read: Weber, M. “The Types of Legitimation Domination” Geertz, C. “Commonsense as a Social System,” in his Local Knowledge: Further Essays 2 in Interpretive Anthropology Week V 10-01 Discontinuity: Social and Conceptual changes Read: Weber, M. “The Types of Legitimation Domination” focus on “Charisma” Schweickart, “Reading Legitimation Crisis during the Meltdown” Contemporary Issues in which we are embedded for Consideration Are your experiences reflected here? 10-06 1st Essay due Read: Miles, Chapter 5, “A post-modern society?” in his Social Theory in the Real World Week VI 10-08 Postmodern Society (multiple ruptures from the past) Read: Taylor, C. “Social Imaginaries,” in Kearney, R. Traversing the Imaginary 10-13 2nd Reader response due Postmodernity theorized Jameson, F. “Introduction,” Postmodernism, or, the cultural logic of late capitalism Week VII 10-15 Postmodern Identity Read: Bauman, Z. Chapter 1: “Identity in Question,” in Elliott, A. and C. Lemert (eds.) Identity in Question: The Global New Individualist Debate Giddens, A. Chapter IV (only pages 112-124): “Abstract Systems and the Transformation of Intimacy, in his The Consequences of Modernity 10-20 Postmodern Identity (conti.) Read: Butler, J. 1999. “Subjects of Sex/Gender/Desire,” in Elliott, A. (ed.) The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory Weeks, J. 1999. “Living with Uncertainty,” in Elliott, A. (ed.) The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory 3 Week VIII 10-22 Postmodern Individualism Elliott, A and C. Lemert (eds.), 2009. Chapter 3: “The Global New Individualist Debate: Three Theories of Individualism and beyond,” in their Identity in Question: The Global New Individualist Debate 10-27 2nd Essay due Postmodern Society as Risk Society Read: Beck U. 1999. “From Industrial Society to Risk Society: Questions of Survival, Social Structure and Ecological Enlightenment” Week IX 10-29 2 General Risks in Contemporary Society Read: (URL):“Can the Market stave off Global Warming” (URL):Apuzzo: “Malicious Web Viruses” Cole, D. 2014. “Can Privacy be Saved?” NY Review of Books, March 6 11-03 3rd Reader response due Globalization Read: Miles, S. 2001. Chapter 8, “A Global Society?” in his Social Theory in the Real World Week X 11-05 Globalization Read: Robinson, W. I. “Theories of Globalization” Hsu, E. 2010. “Social Theory and Globalization,” in Elliot (ed.) Routledge Companion to Social Theory 11-10 Globalization and Terrorism Read: Borradori: Habermas & Derrida on Terror (Dialogue) Week XI 11-12 3rd Essay Due Globalization: rise of the Cosmopolitan Read: Kendall, et al. 2009 “Problems in the field of Cosmopolitanism” 4 Beck, U. 2004. “The Cosmopolitan Turn,” in Gane, N. The Future of Social Theory 11-17 Professionalization and Postmodernity Read: Abbott, A. 2005. “Linked Ecologies,” Sociological Theory, 23:3 Saks (2012). Neo-Weberian Take on Professions Burnett & Bonnici. 2006. “Contested Terrain,” Library Quarterly, 76:2 Week XII 11-19 The Digital Revolution (poses the same issue as the postmodern label, how fundamental is it?) Read: Besnier, J-M 2014. “Is the digital revolution a fraud?” (URL)http://www.cuberevue.com/en/is-the-digital-revolution-a-fraud/1097 Face‐to‐Facebook: (URL)www.Face-to-Facebook.net/theory.php 11-24 4th Reader response due Living in the Digital World Read: Hart, W. E. 2011, “Mind, Self and Facebook: Towards a Postmodern Sociology” Wed. Nov 26: Friday Classes Week XIII 12-01 Theorizing the digital world Read: Stevenson, N. 2010. “New Media, Popular Culture and Social Theory,” in Elliot (ed.) Routledge Companion to Social Theory 12-03 Contemporary Society: Concrete and Abstract engagements Aneesh, A. 2009. “Global Labor,” Sociological Theory, (27:4). Urry, J. “Complex Mobilities” Week XIV 12-8 (Group presentations) 12-10 (Group presentations) 5 Grading (Details for all assignments will be posted at least 1 week before they are due) (All assignments MUST be handed in by the due date: There will not be make-ups) Short assignment (5 pts.) Due (Week III): 9-17 3 Essays (17 pts. each: 51 pts. total) #1: Due (Week V): 10-06 #2: Due (Week VIII): 10-27 #3: Due (Week XI): 11-12 Class participation: (8 pts.) Recitation participation: (14 pts.) 4 Reader responses (3 pts. each: 12 pts. total) #1 (Week IV): 9-29 #2 (Week VI): 10-13) #3 (Week IX): 11-03 #4 (Week XII): 11-24 1 Group project: (10 points) Based on one of the central themes Making use of topics in the mass media Short assignment (5 pts) Essays (51 pts) Course participation (22 pts) Reader response (12 pts) Group Project (10 pts) Total of 100 pts Consult the following before beginning your assignments http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/douglass/sal/plagiarism/intro.html Attendance You have permission to miss 2 lectures and 2 recitations without impact; you would be wise not to use them too early in the semester. Be mindful of the fact that the Self-Reporting Absence Application is not permission for missing classes beyond what is designated above. 6