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SOCI A345-001: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY Dr. Marcus Kondkar

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SOCI A345-001: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY Dr. Marcus Kondkar SOCI A345-001: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY Dr. Marcus Kondkar Spring 2021 Monroe 237 T/TH 11:00 – 12:15 865-2572 Monroe 412 [email protected] Office Hours: W: 12.15 – 2.15 by Zoom and by appointment Course Format This course is HyFlex (in person and via Zoom). We Have a large classroom wHere half the class can meet in person while abiding by the standards we have been given for social distancing. Students witH last names A through M should plan on attending class on Tuesday; N througH Z on THursday. Some of you may be able to attend class in person on botH days of the week. Please talk to me if this is your preference. THose of you wHo are “online only” are not expected to attend eitHer day in person. You sHould all be prepared to go fully online if necessary. Course Description This course focuses on tHe original writings of a number of contemporary social theorists since the classical works of Marx, DurkHeim, Weber, and Simmel. We will examine tHe conceptual tools and tHeoretical propositions advanced in the major paradigms of modern sociological thougHt. After considering the nature and role of theory in social science and briefly examining tHe classical foundations of contemporary sociological tHeory, we will begin a rigorous analysis of the substance and structure of eacH major scHool of tHougHt along a continuum from an empHasis on human agency to an empHasis on social structure. We will discuss a wide range of tHeoretical ideas including pHenomenology and symbolic interactionism, rational-choice and exchange tHeories, conflict tHeory, critical race tHeory, feminist tHeory, ‘motivational’ tHeory, functionalism, neo-Darwinian tHeory, sociobiology, constraint tHeory, and ‘pure sociology.’ We will end tHe course witH a series of interactive tHeory presentations, where we will apply eacH of tHe tHeoretical perspectives to a specific substantive area of social life (ie. criminal beHavior, education, etc.). Course Readings All tHe required readings for tHis course can be accessed via Canvas. They are listed by author and year of publication in the same order as they appear on the reading scHedule. All readings sHould be completed by the assigned dates. Course Requirements Regular and timely attendance at lectures is expected and required. The course will be examined by two midterm exams and a final exam. THe midterm and final exams will consist of sHort answer and essay formats. THe final will be partially compreHensive. Additionally, both independently and as part of a small group, you will be required to do some research on a particular tHeoretical perspective’s application to a substantive area of social life. This theory exercise will involve an in-class (or Zoom) presentation at tHe end of tHe semester. Details will be fortHcoming. The grading scHedule is as follows: • Midterm I (3/2): 25% • Midterm II (4/1): 25% • Theory Presentations (4/29, 5/4): 20% • Final exam (5/11): 30% At tHe end of tHe semester your final grade corresponds to tHe following numerical points: 93-100 = A, 90-92 = A-, 87-89 = B+, 83-86 = B, 80-82 = B-, 77-79 = C+, 73-76 = C, 70-72 = C-, 67-69 = D+, 63-66 = D, 60-62 = D-, 0-59 = F. Policies Regarding Attendance and Missed Exams Regular attendance at lectures is critical to doing well in tHis course. At tHe risk of appearing to be a little autHoritarian, here is an added incentive to come to class: every unexcused absence over one will result in your course grade being 2 reduced by one point. Make-up exams will be given to students who experience a serious illness or a sudden family emergency. If you know tHat you will miss an exam please get in toucH witH me before tHe time of tHe exam. A Reminder about the Office for Accessible Education If you need any accommodations for tests or attendance please contact the Director of tHe Office for Accessible Education (OAE) in tHe Student Success Center (Monroe Library). Note regarding participation: Active and tHougHtful participation in class discussions is an important part of tHe learning experience for everyone in tHe class. Your participation will be taken into account in determining your final grade. Specifically, in cases wHere a student’s grade is borderline between one letter grade and tHe next (e.g., a score of 79 is just short of a B), tHe instructor may award tHe student tHe HigHer grade if tHat student Has a strong record of participation in class discussions. Policies Regarding Attendance, Missed Exams, and Emergencies Regular attendance at lectures is critical to doing well in tHis course. At tHe risk of appearing to be a little autHoritarian, here is an added incentive to come to class: every unexcused absence after one will result in your course grade being reduced by one point. Make-up exams will be given to students who experience a serious illness or a sudden family emergency. If you know tHat you will miss an exam please get in toucH witH me before tHe time of tHe exam. At times, ordinary university operations are interrupted as a result of tropical storms, Hurricanes, or otHer emergencies that require evacuation or suspension of on-campus activities. To prepare for sucH emergencies, all students will do the following during tHe first week of classes: 1. Practice signing on for each course through Canvas. 2. Provide regular and alternative e-mail address and pHone contact information to eacH instructor. In tHe event of an interruption to our course due to tHe result of an emergency requiring an evacuation or suspension of campus activities, students will: 3. Pack textbooks, assignments, syllabi and any otHer needed materials for eacH course ad bring during an evacuation/suspension 4. Keep up witH course work during tHe evacuation/suspension as specified on course syllabi and on-line Canvas courses. 5. Complete any reading and/or writing assignments given by professors before emergency began. Assuming a power source is available.... 6. Log on to university Web site witHin 48 Hours of an evacuation/suspension. 7. Monitor the main university site (www.loyno.edu) for general information. 8. Log on to eacH course tHrougH Canvas or e-mail witHin 48 Hours of an evacuation/suspension to receive furtHer information regarding contacting course instructors for assignments, etc. 9. Complete Canvas and/or otHer online assignments posted by professors (students are required to turn in assignments on time during tHe evacuation/suspension period and once tHe university campus Has reopened.) 10. Contact professors during an evacuation/suspension (or as soon as classes resume on campus) to explain any emergency circumstances tHat may Have prevented tHem from completing expected work. FurtHer information about student responsibilities in emergencies is available on tHe Academic Affairs web site: http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/students-emergency-responsibilities All students are required to sign on to Canvas and to keep up witH course assignments witHin 48 hours of evacuation and routinely cHeck for announcements and course materials associated witH eacH class. Class Handouts will be posted under “course materials”. Students sHould be familiar witH tHeir responsibilities during emergencies, including pre-evacuation and post-evacuation for Hurricanes. Additional emergency-planning information is also available – http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/emergency-planning 3 Learning Objectives The learning objectives of tHis course contribute to tHe following broader learning objectives developed by tHe department of Sociology: • Appreciation for tHe discipline of Sociology and its role in contributing to our understanding of social reality. • Understanding how core concepts relate to the development of theories. • Understanding of tHe Historical context of tHe development of sociological tHeories. • Knowledge of major classical and contemporary tHeoretical paradigms. • Ability to apply and evaluate various theoretical paradigms to particular social pHenomena. • Ability to tHink critically about tHe social world. • Ability to identify and tHink critically about one’s own position and tHe positions of otHers on social justice issues. 4 COURSE OUTLINE AND READING SCHEDULE 1/21 TH INTRODUCTION AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES No reading assigned. 1/26 T SOCIOLOGY AS SCIENCE Reading: DaHrendorf, Ralf 1961 “Values and social science: tHe value dispute in perspective.” Pages 1-18 in Essays in tHe THeory of Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1968. Black, Donald 2013 “On tHe most inconceivable misunderstandings concerning value-free social science,” British Journal of Sociology, Volume 64, Issue 4. 1/28 TH SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION Reading: Homans, George C. 1967 “Discovery and explanation.” Pages 1-31 in The Nature of Social Science. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World. 2/2 T, 2/4 TH & 2/9 T CLASSICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY Reading: Marx, Karl, and FriedricH engels 1888 Manifesto of tHe Communist Party. DurkHeim, emile 1895 Selection from Rules of Sociological MetHod. Weber, Max 1910 Class, Status, Party. 2/11 TH PHENOMENOLOGY: SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM & ETHNOMETHODOLOGY I Reading: Sykes, GresHam M., and David Matza 1957 “TecHniques of neutralization: a tHeory of delinquency.” American Sociological Review 22: 664-670. 2/16 T Mardi Gras Holiday 2/18 TH Take a break/study 5 2/23 T PHENOMENOLOGY: SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM & ETHNOMETHODOLOGY II Reading: Goffmann, erving 1956a “Front,” and “Reality and contrivance.” Pages 22-30, 70-76 in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York Doubleday. 1959 Goffmann, erving 1956b “THe arts of impression management.” Pages 208-214 in The Presentation of Self in everyday Life. New York Doubleday. 1959 West, Candace 1996 “Goffman in Feminist Perspective”. Sociological Perspectives, 39(3), 353–369. Berger, Peter L., and THomas Luckman 1966 Selection from: The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Garden City: AncHor Books. 2/25 TH Film: Catch Me If You Can (Netflix from home) 3/2 T MIDTERM I (time-limited open book from home) 11:00 – 12:30 3/4 TH & 3/9 T RATIONAL-CHOICE THEORY & EXCHANGE THEORY Reading: Stark, Rodney 1994 “Rational-choice tHeories of religion.” The Agora 2 (Winter): 1-5.
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