• to describe central problems and questions of classical social theory and economic sociology.
• to identify essential similarities and differences between theoretical positions and situate theories within their particular historical, political, economic, and social contexts.
• to identify and discuss competing theoretical explanations while analysing corporate, social, economic, and political problems.
• to reflect upon the relevance of theoretical positions with regard to understanding the social world.
• to write an argumentative paper with a clear structure that meets academic writing standards including correct citation and referencing of literature.

Aim

The course will introduce the students to key concepts and ideas of social theory. It will primarily do so by outlining the processes that have shaped modern societies and how they were analyzed by the first generation of sociologists. At the center are fundamental dichotomies, problems, and key concepts developed by classical social theorists that continue to inform contemporary social science. The course will explore in more detail social phenomena such as civilization, urbanization, capitalism, industrialization, new technology and democratization with a view to deepening the understanding of ‘modernity’ in a Western context.

Objectives

Students who complete this course will have a broad grasp of main ideas and concepts of social theory and an overall historical perspective on the landmarks and mechanisms of social transformations. They will have developed and practiced the skills of learning, analyzing and evaluating evidence and arguments by way of reading, discussing and writing. The course should provide them with a firm background and framework for the study of more specific areas of sociology taught in the subsequent parts of the Degree.

Social Theory