Sociological Theory (306-0-20)

Instructors

Ankit Bhardwaj
Ankit Bhardwaj is a College Fellow in the Department of Sociology, interested in sociological theory and climate change.

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 222: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

Sociology emerged as an attempt to answer a set of questions that arose with modernity: the industrial revolution, urbanization, and colonial enterprise. This course provides an overview of early founders of the discipline as they made sense of the rapidly changing world around them, and through it what is now referred to as "classical social theory." We will interrogate how their ideas still matter today, what they miss, and how we can build upon them in understanding our own moment of transformative change.

Registration Requirements

Reserved for Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors from every undergraduate school only. First year students need permission to enroll into the course.

Learning Objectives

There are three main goals: 1) developing critical reading skills to parse difficult texts; 2) learning how to critique readings in their context; 3) discussing why the ideas matter today.

Teaching Method

Lecture and Discussion

Evaluation Method

Quizzes, Midterm Exam, Final Exam/Paper

Class Materials (Required)

All materials for this course will be made available on Canvas - no purchase necessary.

Indicative Reading List (will be made available on Canvas):

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations
Karl Marx's Capital Vol. 1
W.E.B. Du Bois's Black Reconstruction
Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex
Emile Durkheim's Division of Labor in Society

Class Notes

This course is reading-intensive, both in length and difficulty. Classical theories engage in abstract ideas written in a different time for a different audience. I encourage you to take this course if you can dedicate time to reading the materials.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors from every undergraduate school only. First year students need permission to enroll into the course.