Course Objectives :

This course will examine the development of sociological theory, from its roots in the Enlightenment (and the conservative reaction to the Enlightenment), through its growth in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The main purposes of the course are to give the student (1) a general understanding of the development of the more important theoretical traditions in sociology and (2) a detailed understanding of a number of classical contributions to sociological theory and the continued relevance of these contributions for theory and research. Instead of merely looking at the sayings and writings of famous people in the abstract, we will look at what issues and problems in their lives and milieus prompted them to develop their theories. We will examine only a few of the most important social theories in detail. In addition to having you learn the content of these theories, this course has two other objectives. The first is to help you to learn to think theoretically. This involves trying to understand what assumptions you make in your thinking and what the implications of these are. It also involves learning to use empirical evidence and logic in order to systematically answer questions of interest. The second additional objective is to help you to improve your ability to read and to think critically, and to consider and express abstract ideas.

Course Organization :

Because of the size and nature of the class, there will be a heavy emphasis on discussion; therefore, the class will take the form of a seminar. This puts the burden on you to have read the assigned readings every day and to come to class prepared to discuss them. I will not simply lecture in this class, except to fill in some of the details and clarify some of the more difficult points.

Course Requirements :

You will be required to write two short papers for this class. Each of these should be approximately between five and seven pages in length. The first of these is due by October 5, and the second by the last evening of class, November 30. Each of these papers should be approximately 7-8 pages long. The first paper will cover material in the first half of the course (this will include general discussions of sociological theory, the development of sociological theory and specific theorists such as Comte, Spencer, and Marx). The second paper will deal with material in the second half of the course (individual theorists such as Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, Mannheim, Veblen, and Mead, or one of the early female sociologists). In addition, you will be required to write five short "memos" consisting of a one to two page summary of a choice of designated readings. Details on these written requirements will be filled in later, but these will be due one week after having been assigned the associated reading.

In addition, there will be a midterm examination during the course, as well as a final at the designated time. Each of these exams will consist of essay questions. You must notify me ahead of time if you will not be able to take an exam during the scheduled time.

Students in 521 will have the same requirements as above, in addition to which each will be responsible for presenting a work by one of the major theorists we will deal with in the class. This will involve reading one of the theorist's books and providing a basic outline of the theory to the class in the form of an oral presentation. I will provide a list of possible books from which to choose, but you are not limited to the books on the list. You must consult with me concerning which book/theorist you wish to present.

Evaluation of Performance :

The final evaluation for the course will be based on the following:

SOC 421 students                                                      SOC 521 students

Papers

30% total, two short papers                                          25%, total, two short papers

Memos

10% total, five "memos" (2 points each)                         10%, total, five "memos"

Examinations

30%, midterm examination                                            25%, midterm examination

30%, final examination                                                  25%, final examination

                                                                                   15%, book presentation

Readings: The following books are required for this course and are available at the bookstore:

George Ritzer and Douglas J. Goodman, Classical Sociological Theory (fourth edition). McGraw Hill, 2003.

Charles E. Hurst, Living Theory: The Application of Classical Sociological Theory to Contemporary Life.
    2nd edition. Allyn and Bacon, 2005.

In addition, several supplementary readings will be placed on reserve at the library, as well as online sources to which you will have access.

I strongly urge you to keep in mind the following two web sites as we move through the course. You will find much information here about the theorists we will cover, and many others as well. The Dead Sociologists site contains very useful excerpts on the life and ideas of each theorist, in addition to some original writings, which are listed in the body of the syllabus below:

Famous Sociologists
http://www2.fmg.uva.nl/sociosite/topics/sociologists.html

Dead Sociologists' Index
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/DEADSOC.HTML

Date

August 24

Introduction to the course -- Overview of Theory

August 31

Ritzer: Chapter 1, "A Historical Sketch of Sociological Theory: The Early Years"

Hurst: Chapter 1, "The Contemporary Relevance of Old Theories"

Ritzer: Chapter 3, "Auguste Comte"

"On the Positivistic Approach to Society"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Comte/COMTE.HTML

Lecture: "The World of Auguste Comte"
Lecture 25: The Age of Ideologies (3): The World of Auguste Comte

September 11

Ritzer: Chapter 4, "Herbert Spencer"

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Spencer, "Progress: Its Law and Causes," 670-677.

"The Scope of Sociology"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Spencer/SPENCER.HTML

Hurst: Chapter 2, "The Janus-Faced Nature of Society"

September 18

Ritzer: Chapter 5, "Karl Marx"

From the Preface to "A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy"
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1850/pol-econ/preface-abs.htm

From "Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Marx/MARXMANU.HTML

September 25

"The General Formula for Capital" (Chapter 4 of Capital, Vol. I)
http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-cl/ch04.htm

"Different Forms of the Relative Surplus-Population. The General Law of Capitalist Accumulation"
(Section 4, Chapter 25 of Capital, Vol. I)
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch25.htm#S4

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Marx, "The Definition of Class," 379-380

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Marx, "Class and the Division of Labor," 380--384

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Marx, "Productive Forces and Relations of Production," 668-670

"Bourgeois and Proletarians"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Marx/COMMMAN.HTML

October 2

Ritzer: Chapter 6, "Emile Durkheim"

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Durkheim, "Causal and Functional Analysis," 618-623.

"What Is a Social Fact?"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Durkheim/SOCFACT.HTML

October 9

"The Division of Labor"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Durkheim/DIVLABOR.HTML

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Durkheim, "The Normality of Crime," 571-578.

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Durkheim, "The Internalization of Social Control (I)," 105-111.

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Durkheim, "Suicide and Social Cohesion," 189-198.

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Durkheim, "Anomie and Suicide," 523-533.

October 16

Ritzer: Chapter 7, "Max Weber"

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Weber, "Social Action and Social Interaction," 68-73.

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Weber, "Subjective Meaning in the Social Situation," 248-259.

October 23

Reserve: Coser and Rosenberg, Weber, "Types of Authority," 140-144.

"Characteristics of Bureaucracy"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Weber/BUREAU.HTML

"Politics as a Vocation"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Weber/polvoc.html

"Science as a Vocation"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Weber/scivoc.html

"The Spirit of Capitalism"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Weber/PECAP.HTML

October 30

Ritzer: Chapter 8, "Georg Simmel"

"The Stranger"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Simmel/STRANGER.HTML

"Conflict"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Simmel/SOCIAT.HTML

November 6

Ritzer: Chapter 9, "Early Women Sociologists and Classical Sociological Theory"

Chapter 10, "Thorstein Veblen"

"Conspicuous Consumption"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Veblen/CONSPIC.HTML

November 13

Ritzer: Chapter 11, "Karl Mannhein"

November 20

Ritzer: Chapter 12, "George Herbert Mead"

           Chapter 13, "Alfred Schutz"

"The Looking-Glass Self" (C. H. Cooley)
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Cooley/LKGLSSLF.HTML

From "Mind, Self, and Society"
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Mead/MINDSELF.HTML

December 4

Hurst: Chapter 3, "Private Lives and Public Connections"; Chapter 4, "Separatism and Status"; Chapter 5, "The Decline of Civility,"; Chapter 6, "Commodification and the Value of Human Life"; Chapter 7, "The Polarization of Economic Resources"; "A Summing Up"