University of Southern California



SOC 370- Introduction to Sociological Theory

Fall Semester 2010

GFS 101

TTh 9:30-11:00AM

Instructor- Dr. Edward Flores

Office: KAP 364F

Office Hours: M/W 9-10am, T/Th 11-12pm.

Office Phone:

Course Objective

In this course we will examine the classical foundations of sociology, as well as 20th century developments that led to a myriad of perspectives in the discipline; we will end by theorizing the significance of sociology’s expanding boundaries. This approach will help us develop an understanding of theory that is multicultural.

What comprises theory, and what theory does to help us understand social behavior, have been questions that have led to lively debates. To study sociology, one must first study the early foundations of sociology, and how they have been challenged through the decades. We will begin by reading Marx, Weber and Durkheim, continue through with the Chicago school of sociology, and finish with readings sensitive to race/class/gender, and theory from “post-colonial” writers. We will read selected texts from these theorists in order to examine a wide variety of perspectives.

We will draw from our readings in thinking through contemporary social issues. Doing this will allow us to think about the relationship between theory, and the context from which it emerges. Discussion of each reading is open to what students in class feel comfortable with- there is much flexibility in thinking through theory, not least of which is lived experience. By approaching theory in this way, we will avoid the pitfall of engaging with sociological theory “objectively” from a top-down “God’s eye view” that ignores context and bias.

Books

The required books for the course are:

Lemert, Charles. (2009). Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings (Edition 4).  Westview Press. ISBN: 0813343925

DeTocqueville, Alexis. (2000). Democracy In America. Harper Perennial Modern Classics. ISBN: 9780060956660.

Course Requirements

Class Structure & Participation

Our class will have a different structure than most. At the beginning of every class, we will begin with a short, student-led presentation on the day’s particular reading(s). I will follow this by guiding a lengthy student discussion. At the end of class, I will give a lecture introducing the following week’s topics. I do this because I believe that if my lectures precede the following class’ readings, then students will have a better grasp of the material preparing for class.

Quizzes

Quizzes will be administered during the first 5-10 minutes of each class. Although everyone receives full credit for simply taking a quiz, quizzes will reveal where some students may have strengths or weaknesses in understanding particular readings. Quizzes cannot be made up, so tardiness and absences will detrimentally affect a students’ grade. Please notify me in advance if you cannot make it to class.

Paper I: Classical Theory Paper

You will write a theoretical paper about a classical theorist of your choice. The theoretical paper is a short, but concise, explanation of the major ideas of a theorist we covered in class. If you wish, you can draw from academic journal book reviews, as long as you properly cite your sources.

Paper II: Contemporary Theory Paper

The contemporary theory paper will require that you situate a contemporary theorist’s ideas within a broader legacy of sociological theory. Examples could include framing contemporary readings on race and class within Karl Marx or W.E.B. Dubois’ writings, or describing how Jane Adams’ work fits within Alexis DeTocqueville’s ideas of civic life in America. For this project, you have the option of choosing to cite academic sources to substantiate your claims or illustrate your ideas.

Final Exam

The final exam will consist of multiple-choice questions, key terms, and two short essay questions.

Grading

Grades for the class will be weighted as follows:

Class attendance- 10%

Participation- 10%

Classical Theory Paper- 20%

Contemporary Theory Paper- 30%

Final Exam- 30%

The final grade will follow this scale:

A 100-93

A- 90-92

B+ 87-89

B 83-86

B- 80-82

C+ 77-79

C 73-76

C- 70-72

D+ 67-69

D 63-67

D- 60-62

Class Policies

Etiquette

As with any class, I expect students to behave in a courteous and respectful manner. Talking with other students during class will not be tolerated. Much of the process of intellectual growth takes place during class discussions, and this is not possible without an open environment in which to share ideas.

Electronic Devices

Cell phones should be turned completely off at the beginning of class. Using a computer to surf the internet will not be allowed. These behaviors distract everyone from the process of learning. I will deduct points from one’s attendance & participation if I feel distractions are occurring.

Late Policy

Students should arrive on time to class, everday. If you cannot attend on a particular day, please notify me, in person, prior to your absence. I will accept written documentation (i.e. doctor’s note, etc.) in the rare event that an unforseen emergency occurs.

Communication

It is the student’s responsibility to frequently check his/her e-mail or Blackboard for any class communications. Do not contact me last minute about missing class, or to ask questions about assignments. I encourage you to notify me of any questions or time conflicts well ahead of time, and to get started or turn in assignments in advance, in order to prevent any last-miunte miscommunication.

Academic Integrity

I expect students to act in accordance with USC’s honor code. The USC- Undergraduate Student Government (USG) website declares, “When USC confers a degree, it is acknowledging students’ academic success and their ability to be positive, honest, and outstanding citizens within society. In failing to uphold academic standard, students cheat themselves and others out of learning, degrade the value of their education, and diminish the prestige of USC.” When in doubt, check the following link:

The Classical Foundations of Sociology (Weeks 1-4)

How did the discipline of sociology first arise? What social changes occurred? How did these shape early conceptualizations in the field?

Week 1: Introduction, Marx and Engels

Our first reading is Marx and Engels’ Communist Manifesto. What economic patterns were they describing? What were they predicting? How did these economic changes relate to work and social life? How were these processes global?

Tuesday, August 24

Class Introduction

Thursday, August 26

Marx, Karl and Frederich Engels. (1848). Manifesto of the Communist Party. (Blackboard PDF) Pp. 14-27 and 56-57.

Week 2: DeTocqueville

The next major theoretical writings we will delve into are from Alexis DeTocqueville, who compared social life in America with social life in France. What broad differences did DeTocqueville find between America and France? How was this organized by civic engagement? How did this shape the boundaries of religious life? How was each country’s social relations rooted in their colonial past?

Tuesday, August 31

DeTocqueville, Alexis. (1835). Democracy in America. Pp.



Thursday, September 2

DeTocqueville, Alexis. (1835). Democracy in America. Pp.



Week 3: Marx, Engels and Weber

This week we will examine Marx and Engels’ ideas more in-depth, as well as become introduced with the writings of Max Weber. How did Marx describe the effect of work on the human condition? How readily could this condition be understood? How did Marx and Engels frame their arguments? Our readings will lead into Max Weber’s conceptualization of modern life. How did Weber describe the shift from feudal to industrial society? What fundamental social changes undergirded this shift? Does Weber’s idea of the “iron cage” of modernity still apply today? How?

Tuesday, September 7

Marx, Karl. (2009). “Estranged Labour,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory:

The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 31-38

Marx, Karl. (2009). “Camera Obscura,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory:

The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 38-39

Marx, Karl. (2009). “On Imperialism in India,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 50-51

Engels, Frederich. (2009). “The Patriarchal Family,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 67-70

Thursday, September 9

Weber, Max. (2009). “The Spirit of Capitalism and the Iron Cage.” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 103-108

Weber, Max. (2009). “The Bureaucratic Machine.” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 108-114

Weber, Max. (2009). “The Types of Legitimate Domination.” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 116-119

Weber, Max. (2009). “Class, Status and Party.” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 119-129

Week 4: Durkheim

Last week we read about alienation and modernity. Is that all there is to life after the feudal era? What holds social life together, according to Emile Durkheim? How is social cohesion conceptualized, and how do these practices coalesce in social gatherings? How does Durkheim’s work inform what we have read thus far? How could you see it applied today?

Tuesday, September 14

Durkheim, Emile. (2009). “Anomie and the Modern Division of Labor,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 77-78

Durkheim, Emile. (2009). “Sociology and Social Facts,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 78-81

Durkheim, Emile. (2009). “Suicide and Modernity,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 81-89

Thursday, September 16

Durkheim, Emile. (2009). “Primitive Classifications and Social Knowledge,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 89-94

Durkheim, Emile. (2009). “The Cultural Logic of Collective Representations,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 94-103

Early-Mid 20th Century Social Theorists (Weeks 5-9)

How did Marx’s intellectual influence continue in the 20th century? How were his anticipations of a revolution compromised? What new directions did social thought take following the World Wars, the Great Depression, the expansion of civil rights, and social movements in the colonized world?

Week 5: Adams, Lenin and Keynes

Marx envisioned a working class revolution to wipe away class inequality. How did Adams, Lenin and Keynes envision reforms to the widening class structure of modern societies?

Tuesday, September 21

Adams, Jane. (2009). “The Settlement as a Factor in the Labor Movement,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 70-72

Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich. (2009). in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 215-217

Thursday, September 23

Keynes, John Maynard. (2009). “The Psychology of Modern Society,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 203-205

Keynes, John Maynard. (2009). “The New Liberalism,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 205-206

Week 6: Gramsci and Dubois

According to Gramsci, why did Marxist movements fail? What cultural process can we conceptualize as being counterproductive to working-class organizing? In contrast, how were Dubois’ ideas initially presented as differing from traditional Marxist thought? How was it reflective of Weber’s concern with a “master status?” How did Dubois’ ideas reveal a greater Marxist influence over time?

Tuesday, September 28

Gramsci, Antonio. (2009). “Intellectuals and Hegemony,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 263-265

Thursday, September 30

Dubois, W.E.B. (2009). “Double-Consciousness and the Veil,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 166-172

Dubois, W.E.B. (2009). “Manifesto of the Pan African Congress.” (Blackboard).

Week 7: The Chicago School, Social Ecology

How did Chicago school scholars conceptualize the relationship between industrialization and social inequality? How did this affect social relationships? How does this relate to Durkheim’s concept of “collective effervescence”?

Tuesday, October 5

*Classical Theory Paper Due*

Thursday, October 7

Merton, Robert K. (2009) “Social Structure and Anomie,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp.

“Thomas, William I. and Florian Znaniecki. (2009). “Disorganization of the Polish Immigrant,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp.

Thrasher, Frederic. (2009). “Personality and Status within the Gang,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp.

Week 8: Micro-Sociological Perspectives

This week we will take a turn away from the large-scale macro-structural frameworks discussed in previous weeks, and turn our attention towards micro level sociological theories. Although Freud is widely regarded as a psychologist, many of his ideas help us to understand social interaction. How did Mead’s concept of the “self, the I, and the me” characterize social relations? How did Freud’s concept of the id and the ego relate to this?

Tuesday, October 12

Freud, Sigmund. (2009). Various readings in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 129-151

Thursday, October 14

Mead, George Herbert. (2009). “The Self, the I, and the Me.” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 224-229

Erikson, Erik. (2009). “Youth and American Identity,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 334-337

Goffman, Erving. (2009). “On Face-Work,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 337-342

Week 9: Social Structure and Systems

Last week we examined how social relations are structured by interpersonal interactions. How did sociologists perceive this to be shaped by larger structures? How did they understand social inequality, difference, and even deviance, to exist within larger, but tightly bound structures?

Tuesday, October 19

Parsons, Talcott. (2009). “Action Systems and Social Systems,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 212-215

Parsons, Talcott. (2009). “Sex Roles in the American Kinship System,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 300-307

Thursday, October 21

Merton, Robert K. (2009). “Manifest and Latent Functions,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 307-312

Strauss, Levi. (2009). “The Structural Study of Myth,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 312-317

Late 20th Century Social Thought (Weeks 10-15)

The first half of the history of sociology is one marked by a great tendency to centralize meaning into large, abstract categories. How did developments in late 20th century social thought challenge these broad understandings? How were these discourses informed by, and in turn how did they inform, social changes, such as the feminist movement?

Week 10: Expanding the Boundaries of Sociological Theory

Tuesday, October 26

Mills, C. Wright. (2009). “The Sociological Imagination,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 354-358

Derrida, Jacques. (2009). “The Decentering Event in Social Thought,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 413-417

Thursday, October 28

Beauvoir, Simone. (2009). “Women as Other,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 345-348

Friedan, Betty. (2009). “The Problem That Has No Name,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 361-364

Week 11: Expanding the Boundaries of Sociological Theory (cont’d)

This week continues the theme started by the previous week; we will continue examining how late 20th century social thought challenged broad discourses and centralized understandings. How was social thought informed by rights movements in America and abroad? How did these changes to social thought discourse influence the direction of social inquiry? Did social theorists extend the tendency to question social construction too far? Why or why not?

Tuesday, November 2

Fanon, Franz. (2009). “Decolonizing, National Culture, and the Negro Intellectual,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 364-370

Niebuhr, Reinhold. (2009). “Moral Man and Immoral Society,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 247-248

King, Martin Luther. (2009). “The Power of Nonviolent Action,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 350-354

Thursday, November 4

Lyotard, Jean-Francois. (2009). “The Postmodern Condition,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 465-468

Baudrillard, Jeane. (2009). “Simulacra and Simulations: Disneyland,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 479-485

Garfinkel, Harold. (2009). “Reflexive Properties of Practical Sociology.” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 439-443

Week 12: Power and Knowledge

How does the decentralization of knowledge illuminate the dynamics of power? How is this influenced by one’s standpoint? What are the larger social ramifications of such inequities in the production of discourse? How can we use the Chicana feminist movement as an example?

Tuesday, November 9

Foucault, Michel. (2009). “Power as Knowledge,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 473-479

Foucault, Michel. (2009). “Biopolitics and the Carceral Society,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 417-421

Thursday November 11

Smith, Dorothy. (2009). “Knowing a Society from Within: A Woman’s Standpoint,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 394-398

Chodorow, Nancy. (2009). “Gender Personality and the Reproduction of Motherhood,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 408-413

NietoGomez, Anna. (1997) "Sexism in the Movimiento" in Alma M. Garcia (ed.) Chicana Feminist Thought: The Basic Historical Writings. New York: Routledge.

Vidal, Marta. (1997). “New Voice of La Raza: Chicanas Speak Out” in Alma M. Garcia (ed.) Chicana Feminist Thought: The Basic Historical Writings. New York: Routledge.

Week 13: Power and Knowledge (cont’d)

This week we continue the theme from last week on power and knowledge. This week we will probe deeper, however, and question exactly what it means to have a particular standpoint, whether it is possible to speak on the behalf of others, and what the consequences of this may be. Are we reconstituting the same structures of social inequality by attempting to engage with old discourse through new dialogue? Or is it simply old wine in a new bottle?

Tuesday, November 16

Anzaldua, Gloria. (2009). “The New Mestiza,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 552-558

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. (2009). “Can the Subaltern Speak?” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 536-540

Thursday, November 18

Collins, Patricia Hill. (2009). “Black Feminist Thought in the Matrix of Domination,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 540-552

Mohanty, Chadra Talpe. (1988). “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses.” Feminist Review 30:61-88 (Blackboard)

Butler, Judith. (2009). “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 562-573

Week 14: The “Globalized” 20th Century?

Although jumping back to macro-structural readings may be somewhat confusing, this week we will read Immanuel Wallerstein’s World-Systems theory as well as a piece by Theda Skocpol. In the past decades our world has become increasingly interconnected through faster transportation and communication. How is understanding these linkages helpful to understanding the local level, as well as interpersonal social interactions?

Tuesday, November 23

*Contemporary Theory Paper Due*

Wallerstein, Immanuel. (2009). “The Modern World-System,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 398-405

Skocpol, Theda. (2009). in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 405-408

Thursday, November 25

Thanksgiving- No Class

Week 15: Globalization and the Local (cont’d)

This week we end our class on a more contemporary note. We will review two articles that have had an impact on popular social thought today in America, Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” thesis and Barber’s “Jihad vs. McWorld.” We will also read two articles that connect global developments to current sociological literature on race and gender. What types of social conflicts do these authors predict? How would they warn us to proceed in thinking through these themes? What theorists most influenced you this semester, and how would you use them to understand and discuss the readings and theme of this week?

Tuesday, November 30

Huntington, Samuel P. (1993). “The Clash of Civilizations?” Foreign Affairs 72(3): 22-49. (Blackboard)

Barber, Benjamin. (1992). “Jihad vs. McWorld.” Atlantic Monthly 269(3): 53-65. (Blackboard).

Thursday, December 2

Wilson, William Julius. (2009). “Global Economic Changes and the Limits of the Race Relations Vision,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 657-660

Connell, Raewyn. (2009). “Masculinities and Globalization,” in Charles Lemert (ed.) Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Pp. 665-668

Final Exam

Thursday, December 9: 11am-1pm

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