Бакалавриат
2022/2023
Современная социология 1
Статус:
Курс по выбору (Международная программа по экономике и финансам)
Направление:
38.03.01. Экономика
Кто читает:
Международный институт экономики и финансов
Где читается:
Международный институт экономики и финансов
Когда читается:
2-й курс, 1, 2 модуль
Формат изучения:
без онлайн-курса
Охват аудитории:
для своего кампуса
Преподаватели:
Кузина Ольга Евгеньевна
Язык:
английский
Кредиты:
3
Контактные часы:
60
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This is a course that will introduce you to sociological ways of analysing
the rapidly changing social world of the 21st century. It covers different areas that today's sociologists focus their research on.
Sociology is the study of society. But what is sociology? In which way sociological thinking is different from economic explanations? Whereas economists focus on costs and benefits, sociologists are interested in the impact of informal social norms, networks, culture, ideology, power and the like on human behaviour. For example, traditional economic analysis takes the atomistic individual as its starting point, sociology generally begins with groups, or whole societies, which it views as existing independently of and partially constituting the individual. When sociologists do focus on individuals, it is generally to examine the ways in which their interests, beliefs, and motivations to act are mutually shaped through the interactions between them. This focus on economic action as social—that is, as oriented toward other people—allows sociologists to consider power, culture, organizations, and institutions as being important factors which shapes human behaviour. During the course students are introduced to sociological approach to human behaviour as an alternative to economic theory way of explanation.
This course is structured into the following way. The first lecture introduces students into the subject matter of sociology. Then the course focuses on the methodology of sociological research. In the following lectures the major sociological perspectives such as conflict theory, functionalism and social constructionism are described and compared. The rest of the course is devoted to the key sociological theories about class, markets, gender and sexuality. It offers the conceptual background of these research fields and presents specific cases as illustration.
The course forms the basis of further studies in disciplines such as: Sociology of Consumer Finance, Management, etc. An important contribution of this course to ICEF syllabi is made by developing academic essay writing skills which students will use for all further courses where these skills are necessary, as well as for course and diploma papers. The course is taught in English.
Contemporary sociology in a global age 1 is an obligatory one-semester course which can be taken separately or in combination with Contemporary sociology in a global age 2.
Learning Objectives
- offer an overview of key issues in contemporary sociology
- apply core debates in sociology to a diverse range of empirical studies, including your own
- describe the nature of the sociological perspective and the major theories of contemporary society
- offer a critical and creative reading of the set texts and be able to select relevant material in their examination answers
- develop the analytical essay writing skills
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Able to define and apply sociological concepts and theories to analyse social phenomena of contemporary society
- Able to define and apply the concepts developed by the Frankfurt School of sociology (false consciousness, totality, reification, commodity fetishism, instrumental reason, one-dimensional man, authoritarian personality, theory of communicative action), consumption, conspicuous consumption, consumerism, informal economy, social organisation of work, flexible labour, 'flexicurity'.
- Able to define and apply the concepts of economic sociology, homo economicus, homo sociologicus, embededdness, trust, the substantive and the formal meaning of ‘economic’, new economic sociology, markets as mechanism versus markets as institution, money, social meaning of money, earmarking.
- Able to define and apply the concepts of sex and gender, gender essentialism and biological determinism, gender roles, gender inequality and the history of feminisms, sexuality, heterosexuality versus homosexuality, medicalised homosexuality, heteronormativity.
- Able to define and apply the concepts of social and class stratification schemes.
Assessment Elements
- Seminars’ participationParticipation in class activities
- Home assignmentsWeekly essays
- TestAssessment is a diagnostic test (70 min (3 questions 12 marks =36 marks)) used to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses, intended to ascertain what further teaching is necessary. Exam is an achievement/attainment test - designed to show mastery of the syllabus.
- ExamThe aim of the examination is to find out whether the students have understood the area of sociology as laid down in the syllabus and the readings given. Since it is an introductory course it is not assumed that students will have an advanced understanding of sociology. In order to pass the exam on sociology students should be aware of the competing paradigms in sociology and be able to apply these in the context of the question.
Interim Assessment
- 2022/2023 2nd module0.5 * Exam + 0.29 * Test + 0.1 * Seminars’ participation + 0.11 * Home assignments
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Bauman, Z. and May, T. Thinking Sociologically, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2001. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1811104
- Dillon, M. Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) first edition. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1566387
- Giddens, A., & Sutton, P. W. (2014). Essential Concepts in Sociology. Cambridge: Polity. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1101348
- Sociology, Giddens, A., 2015
- Sociology, Giddens, A., 2017
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Capital, labour and the middle classes, Abercrombie, N., 2015
- Classes in modern society, Bottomore, T. B., 1966
- Consumption and everyday life, Paterson, M., 2018
- Distinction : a social critique of the judgement of taste, Bourdieu, P., 2000
- Economic sociology : a systematic inquiry, Portes, A., 2010
- Essays in economic sociology, Weber, M., 1999
- Essential concepts in sociology, Giddens, A., 2014
- Explorations in economic sociology, , 1993
- Explorations in the sociology of consumption : fast food, credit cards and casinos, Ritzer, G., 2001
- International encyclopedia of economic sociology, , 2006
- International encyclopedia of economic sociology, , 2011
- Max Weber and the idea of economic sociology, Swedberg, R., 2000
- New developments in economic sociology. Vol.1: ., , 2005
- New developments in economic sociology. Vol.2: ., , 2005
- One-dimensional man : studies in the ideology of advanced industrial society, Marcuse, H., 1991
- Principles of economic sociology, Swedberg, R., 2003
- Readings in economic sociology, , 2002
- Research in the sociology of work, , 2016
- Researching gender. Vol.1: Situated knowers and feminist standpoint, , 2013
- Sex, gender and society, Oakley, A., 2015