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Sociology 321, Survey of Sociological TheoryProfessor: Sun-Ki ChaiWeb Site: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sunki/course/soc321/ Theory is perhaps the part of sociology that seems most difficult to understand for the average student. What exactly do social theorists study, and how does it relate to real life? Basically, the answer is that theorists study the same thing that all sociologists study: social phenomena such as poverty, democracy, war, crime, education, health, and ethnicity. The main difference between "regular" sociologists and theorists is that theorists try to look at the big picture. Rather than starting off by analyzing a particular society or point in time, they try to see if there are any general rules of human existence that can be said to apply througout the world and across history. Because of this, their writings can often be more abstract than those of other sociologists. Nonetheless, their main purpose is far from abstract, but rather based on a desire to understand the real world. Indeed, sociological theory is useless unless it helps us to explain or predict events in our own lives and the lives of those around us. Good theories are not useful just for intellectual purposes; they should also provide us with hints for how we can live better. This course will attempt to teach you about sociological theory in a way that allows you to see how theories are applied to understanding reality. It will therefore include discussion not only of the theories themselves, but also examples of how they are used in a practical manner to address issues that affect us all in our everyday lives. The course texts are George Ritzer's Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classical Roots: The Basics (McGraw Hill, 2002) and Michael Hechter and Christine Horne's Theories of Social Order: A Reader (Stanford, 2003). Both should be available at the UH bookstore. Ritzer's textbook provides a general summary of both 19th century "classical" and more recent "contemporary" theory. It is a fairly quick and concentrated read, and is designed to make learning a relatively painless process. Check out the textbook website for additional resources on the subject. Hechter and Horne's reader offers excerpts of writings directly from many of these theories. While some the articles in the reader are fairly difficult, they are very clearly explained and provide you a taste of what professional sociology is like. There are a number of regular, small, writing assignments in this course. During most of the semester, students will be expected to write a short essay each week, which will be based on the lectures and readings, as well as an article that you have chosen from outside the assigned material. Your essays will be emailed to the course mailing list. The essays in total will be worth 27.5% (11 @ 2.5%) of your grade. The course requirements also include two exams, a take-home midterm and final. The midterm and final each will count for 10% of your grade. They will be based upon essay questions, and will cover both the material presented in the lectures and in the assigned readings, but will not be cumulative. Attendance will be taken in the course, and will make up a very large 50% of the grade. This percentage is based upon the assumption that the vast majority of students will attend nearly all classes. Students who arrive after class begins or who leave before class ends will receive half-credit for attendance. Finally, 2.5% will be based on your occasional participation in class discussions. TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE: The schedule is subject to adjustment depending on the development of the course. Any changes will be announced in class. Weeks followed by (E) have an essay assigned. They are due before class the first meeting following the week when they are assigned.WEEK 1, 8/23-27: Introduction to Sociological Theory WEEK 2, 8/30-9/3: Macro-Level Classical Theory (E) WEEK 3: 9/6-10: Micro-Level Classical Theory (E) WEEK 4: 9/13-17: Introduction to Contemporary Theory (E) WEEK 5: 9/20-24: Micro-Level Contemporary Theories (E) WEEK 6: 9/27-10/1: Macro-Level Contemporary Theories (E) WEEK 7: 10/4-8: Integrated Contemporary Theories (E) WEEK 8: 10/11-15: Feminist Theories (E) WEEK 9: 10/18-22: Postmodern Theories WEEK 10: 10/25-29: Review and Midterm WEEK 11: 11/1-5: The Role of Beliefs (E) WEEK 12: 11/8-12: The Role of Values (E) WEEK 13: 11/15-19: The Role of Hierarchy (E) WEEK 14: 11/22-24: The Role of Community (E) WEEK 15: 11/29-12/3: The Role of Networks WEEK 16: 12/6-8: Review for Final |