Foundations of Sociological Theory

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course offers an introduction to sociological theory. The course explores key issues in the philosophy of social science and the development and evaluation of social theory. It places emphasis on the connection between sociological theory and underlying philosophical commitments, on the central intellectual and conceptual problems in social theorizing, and on the major traditions or schools of sociological theory that have developed as responses to those problems. We will pay particular attention to classic sociological works of Tocqueville, Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and others, reading significant selections of their original works. Additionally, this course fulfill the Sociolgical Theory requirement for Sociology majors and minors.