COURSE INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION INFORMATION

Course Name
Contemporary Theories of Sociology
Code
Semester
Theory
(hour/week)
Application/Lab
(hour/week)
Local Credits
ECTS
SOC 222
Spring
3
0
3
6
Prerequisites
None
Course Language
English
Course Type
Required
Course Level
First Cycle
Mode of Delivery face to face
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course Discussion
Case Study
Q&A
Lecture / Presentation
Course Coordinator -
Course Lecturer(s)
Assistant(s) -
Course Objectives To provide a thorough introduction to theoretical orientations in contemporary sociological theory, thereby providing the student with a solid grounding in the concepts, arguments, approaches and schools of thought indispensible for advanced work in sociology.
Learning Outcomes The students who succeeded in this course;
  • describe the key debates in contemporary sociological theory;
  • describe the basic concepts of and theoretical orientations in contemporary sociological theory;
  • examine critically the lines of continuity (and discontinuity) with classical sociological theory in order to assess what change implies at the very level of theorizing about societa
  • evaluate the main theories that have been influential in sociology from the early twentieth century to the present;
  • distinguish between types of explanation and forms of synthesis used in the sociological theories.
Course Description The course involves an introduction to and examination of the major theoretical orientations and types of explanation in sociology ranging (roughly) from the first deades of the 2oth century to the present. In particular, it aims to provide the student with a perspective from which to question the distinction between “classical” and “contemporary” in theory construction, to examine the relevance of theory to fieldwork, to assess the relative strengths of types of explanation, and to reflect on the implications of theory change and controversy in sociology.
Related Sustainable Development Goals

 



Course Category

 Core Courses
Major Area Courses
X
Supportive Courses
Media and Managment Skills Courses
Transferable Skill Courses

 

WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATION STUDIES

Week Subjects Required Materials
1 Introduction to the course
2 Why sociological theory? What are the connections between classical and contemporary theory? Elliot, chapter 1, pp. 6-15.
3 Structural Functionalism Ritzer, chapter 7, pp. 240-259.
4 Symbolic Interactionism: Goffman Berger and Luckman, Part 1, chapter 2 in Calhoun et al. Erving Goffman, Part 1, chapter 3 in Calhoun et al.
5 The Frankfurt School Elliot, Chapter 2, pp. 17-37.
6 Theories of structuration: Giddens and Bourdieu Elliot, Chapter 6, pp. 122-150.
7 Preparation for midterm and midterm exam
8 Structuralism to poststructuralism: Foucault Elliot, Chapter 3, pp. 70-86.
9 Foucault cont’d Elliot, Chapter 3, pp. 70-86.
10 Feminism to postfeminist theory Calhoun et al. Part 7, chapters 22 (Dorothy Smith) and 23 (Patricia Hill Smith)
11 Feminism cont’d Elliot, Chapter 7, pp. 215-219 (on Judith Butler)
12 Race theory Calhoun et al., Part 7, chapter 24 (Franz Fanon) W.E.B. Dubois (1903) “Of Our Spiritual Strivings” in The Souls of Black Folk. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/408/408-h/408-h.htm#chap01
13 Risk society Elliot, Chapter 9, pp. 283-293
14 Liquid modernity: Bauman Elliot, Chapter 9, pp. 294-304.
15 Review of the semester
16 Final Exam
Course Notes/Textbooks

Anthony Elliot. 2009. Contemporary Social Theory. An Introduction. Routledge (main text) ISBN 9780203930540

Craig Calhoun et al. (eds.) 2002. Contemporary Sociological Theory. Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1-119-52724-4

George Ritzer, 2010. Sociological Theory. (8th ed.) ISBN: 978-0-07-811167-9
Suggested Readings/Materials

 

EVALUATION SYSTEM

Semester Activities Number Weigthing
Participation
1
10
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exam
Midterm
1
40
Final Exam
1
50
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade
2
50
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade
1
50
Total

ECTS / WORKLOAD TABLE

Semester Activities Number Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours
(Including exam week: 16 x total hours)
16
3
48
Laboratory / Application Hours
(Including exam week: 16 x total hours)
16
Study Hours Out of Class
14
3
42
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exam
Midterms
1
40
Final Exams
1
50
    Total
180

 

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS RELATIONSHIP

#
 Program Competencies/Outcomes
* Contribution Level
1
2
3
4
5
1

To have the knowledge of classical and contemporary theories in sociology, and be able to comparatively analyze these theories.

 X
2

To have the knowledge of main methodological approaches in sociology as well as social research and data analysis methods.

3

To have knowledge in the fields of general sociology, sociology of institutions, social structure and change, and applied sociology.

 X
4

To be able to determine the appropriate methods in the design of the planning stage and conclusion of a sociological project, individually or as part of a team.
5

To be able to diagnose the social dynamics behind personal problems by using sociological imagination.

 X
6

To be able to define social problems at local, national, and global level, and offer new policies for solutions.

 X
7

To be able to apply commonly-used computer programs for data collection and analysis in sociological research.
8

To be able to develop a socially responsible, scientific and ethical perspective regarding the collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.

 X
9

To be able to analyze different aspects of the social world by drawing on the knowledge produced by other disciplines of the social sciences.

 X
10

To be able to constantly renew herself/himself professionally by following scientific and technological developments in sociology and social research.

X
11

To be able to collect sociological data and communicate with sociologists and other social scientists in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1).
12

To be able to speak a second foreign at a medium level of fluency efficiently.
13

To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to their field of expertise.

 X

*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest