Download FOUNDATIONS IN SOCIOLOGICAL THINKING Sociology 2P00

FOUNDATIONS IN SOCIOLOGICAL THINKING
Sociology 2P00
Winter 2017
Brock University, Department of Sociology
Instructor: Murray Knuttila
Class: Tuesday 12:00-14:00
Office: AS 423
Office Hours: Tuesday 9:00 - 9:45, 2:00-3:00 and Wednesday 9:00-10:30 or by
appointment
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 905-688-5550 Ex 4468
Calendar Description
Foundational ideas in social theory, from its classical roots to contemporary
branches. Critical thinking and expression.
Course Objectives
Since Calendar descriptions tend to be brief, the following is my summary of this
version of the course.
Most fields of study or inquiry are marked by distinctive foci and ways of
understanding the phenomena they study and seek to understand. Sociology is
no different. While there are numerous sub-fields or areas of specialization within
the discipline, the sociological approach is marked by its efforts to develop both a
holistic and comprehensive understanding of social structures and by studying
people as individual social agents. Sociology is differentiated from the other
social sciences by its insistence that we must understand the ‘larger picture’ of
how human beings are shaped and moulded by society and how humans
simultaneously create society.
The very word theory can be intimidating and off-putting because it is
misunderstood and misconstrued, as something that is abstract, not connected to
reality and even of little use; however such is not the case. The Dictionary of
Sociology defines theory as: “A set of interrelated principles and definitions that
serves conceptually to organize selected aspects of the empirical world in a
systematic way. The essence of theory is that is attempts to explain a wide
variety of empirical phenomena in a parsimonious way. "(Theodorson and
Theodorson, 1969: 436-437) Deconstructing this definition we understand that
theories are nothing more than sets of ideas, concepts, and propositions that
attempt to explain some event, process, or phenomena. Social theories are those
sets of ideas, propositions, definitions, and concepts that attempt to explain
phenomenon relating to dynamics and processes of human society.
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The project of developing and using social theory rests on an important basic
assumption - that human social behaviours and actions are not typically random,
chaotic, arbitrary, haphazard or without purpose and intent. Quite to the contrary,
sociologists maintain that the structured, regularized, organized, patterned and
routine nature of most of our actions and behaviours is the very basis and
substance of human society.
Delivery Modes
The course material and content is presented in a number of distinct, related yet
somewhat independent formats:
 Lectures
 Required weekly reading
 Seminar discussions
 Seminar presentations (yours and those of your peers)
The lectures are not drawn directly from the readings, making the readings an
important independent source of information that I simply assume students will
master each week. Students are expected to come to class and the seminars
well prepared and ready to discuss the readings and the topics being covered,
and prepared to articulate their critical assessment of the material. While lecture
attendance is not strictly required, attendance will be regularly taken and
students who miss more than three (3) classes without advising the instructor of
their situation may be subject to a mark loss of between 5 and 10 per cent.
The course has a Sakai site on which some of the Power Point slides and other
materials will be presented including the mini-essay assignment questions. It is
imperative that students regularly check the site regularly for
announcements, assignments and supplementary material.
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives
The course should facilitate your capacity to:
 Understand the necessary role that social theory plays in social analysis
and the development of one’s sociological imagination.
 Comprehend the relationship between historical, social, political, and
economic developments and social theory.
 Appreciate the fundamental differences between and among the theoretical
approaches of the so-called founding figures in social theory.
 Critically evaluate the capacity of several important streams of
contemporary theory to address a number of important social issues.
 Produce clear and succinct critical verbal and written analyses of core
issues in the field.
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Required Reading
Anthony Thomson The Making of Social Theory (2nd Edition)
Course Evaluation
Grades will be calculated on the basis of the following work:
Seminar participation
Seminar presentation
Two (2) Mini-essays (2x15)
Mid-Term Quiz (In Class)
Take home final exam
*Seminar Grading Criteria
Regular attendance with minimal participation
and interest in material:
Regular attendance with engagement that is
not particularly related to course materials and readings
Regular participation and enthusiastic engagement
with readings and lecture material
10 marks *
10 marks**
30 marks**
20 marks
30 marks
1 to 3 marks
4 or 5 marks
6 to 10 marks
1 mark will be deducted for each seminar that is missed. Students who miss 4 or
more seminars will receive a 0 marks for seminar participation.
** Seminar Presentations: In order to guide your readings and focus your
attention on the key points, four questions relating to each chapter will be posted
on Sakai and made available in class. Student seminar presentations will be
based on answers to these questions. Seminar presentations will typically be
about 8 to 10 minutes and be both instructive to the other students and include
questions that will stimulate other students to respond and participate. A written
copy of the presentation must be provided to the seminar leader.
*** The mini-essays are one or two pages in length on topics to be posted on
Sakai and made available in class. The ability to organize your thoughts and
communicate in a clear, succinct and logical manner is among the most
important skills you will develop at university. Long-winded unorganized prose is
easy to produce, but is much less effective than short pithy carefully crafted,
organized and logically presented focused arguments. This exercise will hone
your thinking, organizational and communication skills
Accessibility Concerns
Any student with accessibility concerns must contact the instructor. For more
information please For more information, please go to:
http://www.brocku.ca/accessibility.
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Important dates and Lecture Topics (Subject to Revision)
Date
January 10
Topic
Introduction to 2P00
What is theory and why it is important?
Themes, theorists and theoretical
schools or streams
Reading
Introduction &
Chapter 1
January 17
Background to sociological thought
Ontological basis of Classical
Liberalism and Possessive
Individualism.
Chapters 2 & 3
January 24
Seminars
begin week
of January
23
Post Mini
Essay 1
Conservative reaction and Romanticism
Comte and the emergence of sociology
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Chapter 4
January 31
Karl Marx
Chapter 5
February 7
Social order and stability
Mini-Essay 1 Emile Durkheim
due on
Sakai
February 7
Chapter 7
February 14
Post Mini
Essay 2
From macro to micro
Max Weber’s sociology
Note – This is an On-Line Week. No
Lecture. Required course material
including video links posted on
Sakai.
Chapter 8
February 21
Reading Week
Ironically – no
assigned reading!
February 28
Mini-Essay 1
due on
Sakai
February 28
Freud
Simmel
George Herbert Mead
Symbolic Interactionism
Chapter 10
Chapter 9 (279-305)
March 7
Mid-Term Quiz
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Mid-Term
Quiz
Committing sociology – using theory
Explaining Social inequality
Structural functionalism and NeoMarxism
Material on Sakai
site.
March 21
Feminism emerges (again).
Feminisms beyond liberal feminism.
Chapter 6 (175-187)
Material on Sakai
March 28
Theorizing agency and structure in
advanced capitalism. Giddens,
Bourdieu, Foucault and beyond.
Summary and wrap. Getting ready to so
and commit sociology.
Material on Sakai
site.
March 14
Mini Essay 2
due
April 4
Intellectual Property Notice
All slides, presentations, handouts, tests, exams, and other course materials
created by the instructor in this course are the intellectual property of the
instructor. A student who publicly posts or sells an instructor’s work, without the
instructor’s express consent, may be charged with misconduct under Brock’s
Academic Integrity Policy and/or Code of Conduct, and may also face adverse
legal consequences for infringement of intellectual property rights.
Academic Conduct
The instructor and teaching assistants may use plagiarism detection software
such as Turnitin.com.
The general University policies and regulations regarding academic conduct are
provided in the General Calendar found on line at:
http://www.brocku.ca/webcal/2010/undergrad/areg.html#sec18
All members of the Brock community must ensure compliance with the Copyright
Act of Canada that prevents making more than one copy of copyrighted material
without permission of the copyright holder.
March 10, 2017 is the last date for withdrawal without an academic penalty. The
first mini-essays will be graded by October 8 to ensure that all students receive
notification of their performance on at least 15% of their final grade before the
deadline.
Late Assignment penalty:
For mini-essays, 5 % each day. No assignments will be accepted more than 5
days after due date. No take-home final examinations will be accepted after due
date without medical or other documentation explaining an exceptional
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circumstance.
Grading
Grades are based on Brock University criteria as stated below
As of May 2010, the following grades are awarded for undergraduate courses:
A - 90 to 100
Reserved for students where work is of outstanding quality that provides clear
evidence of a rare talent for the subject and of an original and/or incisive mind.
A - 80 to 89
Awarded for excellent, accurate work in which evidence of a certain flair for and
comprehension of the subject is clearly perceptible.
B - 70 to 79
Indicates competent work that shows a sound grasp of the course goals without
being distinguished.
C - 60 to 69
Represents work of adequate quality which suffers from incompleteness or
inaccuracy.
D - 50 to 59
Given where the minimum requirements of a course are barely satisfied.
F - 49 or lower Means that minimum requirements have not been met and no credit
has been given for the course.