Sociological Theory

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

[Formerly SOCI 202/SOCI 2902] Sociology Required course. Sociology majors and minors only, or by instructor approval. Also offered in the Spring Semester. This course examines major theories of society exemplified in the work of sociological theorists. We will give special emphasis and about half of the term to those classical theorists whose insights formed the foundation of contemporary sociology: Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Émile Durkheim. In the latter part of the course we will survey and "map out" a variety of contemporary perspectives on society--most are heavily indebted to those three classical roots--including symbolic interactionism and its variants, structural-functionalism, conflict and exchange theories, neo-Marxisms and critical theory, feminism, and varied approaches to culture. In addition, we will give some attention to the social and organizational contexts in which classical and contemporary theory have emerged. The writing for the course will consist of a series of short writing assignments, numbering eleven in all. You may skip three (3) of these; thus you will have to write eight (8) of these in all, together contributing 80% of your final grade. Each assignment will be either (1) a short essay (ca. 3 pages) or (2) a series of roughly paragraph-length answers to a series of questions I pose to you. Required Bookstore Texts: Robert C. Tucker, ed., The Marx-Engels Reader, 2d ed. only; From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, eds. Gerth & Mills. Émile Durkheim, Suicide: A Study in Sociology; Peter Kivisto, Social Theory: Roots and Branches Readings, 4th ed. only (2011). Plus many Canvas readings.