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2020/2021  BA-BSOCO1811U  Fundamentals of Social Theory

English Title
Fundamentals of Social Theory

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business Administration and Sociology
Course coordinator
  • Poul Fritz Kjær - Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy (MPP)
Main academic disciplines
  • Philosophy and ethics
  • Sociology
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 17-08-2020

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors: On completion of the two courses Fundamentals of Social Theory and Introduction to Economic Sociology, the student should be able
  • to describe central problems and questions of classical social theory and economic sociology
  • to identify essential similarities and differences between theoretical positions within their particular historical, political, economic and social contexts
  • to present and use different concepts for analysing corporate, social, economic, environmental and political problems
  • to reflect upon the relevance of theoretical positions with regard to understanding the present world
  • to write an argumentative paper with a clear structure that corresponds to academic writing standards, particularly correct citation and referencing of literature
Course prerequisites
The courses Fundamentals of Social Theory and Introduction to Economic Sociology have one intergrated exam. You can only participate in Fundamentals of Social Theory if you also register for the other course.
Examination
The course shares exams with
BA-BSOCO1810U
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

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.

 

In the autumn 2020 part of the teaching may take place online.

 
Description of the teaching methods
Lectures, reading, workshops with group discussions.
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback in FST is given with the purpose of continued improvement.
General Feedback is given at the beginning and/or end of the lectures through sum ups of findings and conclusions of previous and ongoing lectures combined with Q & A.
Peer to peer feedback guided by the teacher to groups of 5 – 6 students is given during the two Workshops.
Group-based and individual feedback is also given on the mid-term assignment and the final exam. After the mid-term assignment, there is a general feedback session where overall impressions and typical strengths and weaknesses are presented and discussed. The groups give peer to peer feedback on the assignments in the presence of the lecturer, and the teacher gives individual feedback to each group. Both for the midterm assignment and for the individually written exams, feedback is given on the basis of a structured format addressing all aspects of the assignment/exam. This is combined with a more general conversation about the course, the exam, how the students see themselves in the course and how it related to their studies in general.
There is office hours open at any time for all students and they are also provided with a specific time slot.
Student workload
Lectures 30 hours
Preparation per lecture 4 hours
Workshops and exercises 8 hours
Mid-term assignment preparation 10 hours
Mid-term Assigment 18 hours
Exam preparation 40 hours
Writing the exam project 35 hours
Various 61 hours
Further Information

Social Theory

 

This course shares a compulsory mid-term assignment with the course Introduction to Economic Sociology (IES). The mid-term assignment has the form of a 10p. home written project. It is to be written in groups of four students. (preparation for the exam paper)
Last updated on 17-08-2020