SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
SOC/CRM 503
Fall 2014
Wednesday 6:15pm-9:00pm BR 281
INSTRUCTOR:
Stephen J. McNamee, Ph.D.
OFFICE:
230 Bear Hall
PHONE:
Office: 962-7413
Home: 763-2160
OFFICE HOURS:
TR 2:00pm-4:00pm and other times by appointment or by
chance
Email:
mcnamee@uncw.edu
TEXTS:
Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory: Text and Readings. 2nd ed., Scott
Appelrouth and Laura Desfor Edles. 2011. Los Angeles: Pine Forge Press.
Sociological Theory. 9th Edition. George Ritzer. 2014. Boston: McGraw Hill
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Sociological theory is about “making sense” about why society is the way it is (the
“society” part of sociology) and how people act with and toward one another (the
“social” part of sociology). In other words, social theory represents sociology's “take”
on the human condition, social behavior, and society as a whole. The emphasis on this
course will be on applied theory; that is, how can we apply theory to “make sense” of
society and our place within it in useful and practical ways.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course is designed as a foundation for your masters program. In graduate programs,
the emphasis is on “doing” sociology (as opposed to just reading about it or hearing about
it). In the “doing” of sociology, theory is essential. Research (that is, to re-search—to
“search” and “search” again) involves the going back and forth between proposed
explanations (theory) and evidence (data) with the ultimate goal of arriving at informed
and grounded explanations of reality. Throughout your graduate program, you will all be
“using” and “applying” theory to the research that you will do, especially in the context
of your internships or theses projects.
For those of you who may be thinking about going on to purse a Ph.D. at some point,
sociological theory is a required in all Ph.D. sociology programs (and provides a useful
background for graduate study in other social sciences as well). So another goal of the
course is to provide you with a theoretical foundation that would properly prepare you for
entry into a Ph.D. program.
In a general way, my hope for you in this course is that you become more knowledgeable
and sophisticated in your understanding of modern society and social behavior. Social
theory examines a wide range of social circumstances, from the briefest of encounters
between two individuals to social change occurring among nations over centuries.
This knowledge can be practically useful to you in several ways. In short, if you want to
"work" the system, then you should know how the system "works." I would hope that as
a result of taking this course, you will be better able to navigate and negotiate you way
through social space. In other words, I hope you will be able to come away from this
course with several practical “life lessons” that have application beyond the content of
this course and beyond the university to the world “out there.” Specifically, the learning
objectives of this course are:
•
To improve your ability to distill and synthesize information
•
To sharpen you inductive and deductive reasoning abilities
•
To learn about the history and development of social thought
•
To improve your ability to think critically and evaluate theories
•
To develop your ability to formulate your own informed understanding of
social life
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
Your final grade for the course will be based on the following:
Class Participation
Reaction Papers
Term Paper
TOTAL
25%
25%
50%
100%
Class Participation:
This course will be seminar format which means that it is discussion intensive. Active
participation is essential to this course. In short, you are expected to attend class
regularly, actively participate in class discussions, and complete assignments when they
are due. I will consider the quality and quantity of class participation in deciding your
class participation grade. As part of your participation grade, I will also make individual
assignments in each class for background research and presentation to the class at the
next meeting. For a seminar format to be effective, everyone must come to class
prepared having read the assigned readings. Active participation in class and your
responses to questions posed in the seminar will be an indication to me of your level of
preparation and understanding of material assigned.
In accordance with NC SL 2010-211, you are entitled to two excused absences for
religious observances per academic year. You must inform me in writing the first week of
class if you will be missing any classes due to religious observance and using one of the
two permissible absences for the academic year. In addition, please inform the Registrar
the first week of class who will then confirm your intentions to miss class with the
impacted course instructors. Any absence for religious purposes will be considered
unexcused unless you submit the request in writing the first week to me and the Registrar.
Reaction Papers
Instead of exams, we will have weekly reaction papers related to the material we are
reading. That is, you should select one or two of the primary readings contained in the
Appelrouth and Edles and write a response that should be about 2-4 double spaced typed
pages (about 600-1200 words). The reaction papers should contain (1) a very brief
summary in your own words of what you think are the key ideas associated with
article(s)/excerpt(s) you select (2) an assessment of the utility/application/relevance of
those ideas to contemporary society (3) and conclude with one or two questions or
criticisms related to the ideas/theories presented.
In formulating your reactions, you should draw directly upon material contained in the
reading assignments referring either to the chapter summaries or specific articles/excerpts
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assigned. You may also do additional background research on your own. You should of
course properly and appropriately cite such material. Your reaction papers will be due
at the beginning of each class. There are no make ups for these assignments and no “late”
responses will be accepted. Although I expect you to complete each weekly assignment,
I also understand that life sometimes intervenes in unpredictable ways. Therefore, I will
allow you to “pass” on one assignment without penalty.
The application papers will be evaluated considering the (1) the accuracy of your
descriptions of the theories (2) the level sophistication with which you apply concepts
and theories (3) the degree of creativity and insight you provide in your application and
analysis, and (4) the quality of your writing, including organization and use of proper
grammar.
Also, while I expect that you may discuss the discussion questions among yourselves
between classes, in the end you should write your own responses from your own point of
view. I will be able to readily tell if your reactions are essentially the same in form or
content which I will then treat accordingly as a violation of the student honor code.
Term Paper:
You are required to write a 18-20 page double spaced “application” term paper (about
6000 words).
By application, I mean that you apply theoretical concepts and perspectives to real world
circumstances, specifically a contemporary social problem/issue. In short, this is an
exercise in theory construction. In the paper you should apply at least one classical
theoretical perspective or theorist (Marx, Durkheim, Weber, or Simmel) and at least at
least one contemporary theoretical perspective (structural functionalist, neoMarxist/critical, symbolic interactionist/dramatury,
ethnomethodology/phenonemonology, exhange/rational choice, feminist, postmodernist,
etc.) or related theoretical perspective to the problem.
For the paper, you should (1) describe and give an overview and some background on the
social issue/problem you have selected (2) describe the general theoretical
perspectives/theorists you have selected and indicate how you think those
perspectives/theorists might be specifically applied to the social problem/issue in
question (you should also review prior literature on theoretical application to the issue in
question) (3) identify potential rival theoretical perspectives related to the issue/problem
you have selected (4) develop testable research questions/hypothesis consistent with the
theoretical perspectives/theorists applied to the social problem/issue in question (4) assess
what you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the different theoretical approaches
applied to the social problem/issue in question and (5) identify what you think might be
remedies or solutions to the social problem/issue in question that would be consistent
with theoretical perspectives/theorists you have selected..
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In short, you should describe, apply, and assess. You should react and apply, not just
repeat what the theories/theorists say.
By application, I mean that you apply theoretical concepts and perspectives to real world
circumstances. First, choose a topic area that you wish to explore, preferably in an area
in which you anticipate doing your thesis or internship. Second, select one classical and
one contemporary theorist whose ideas you think might be relevant to your topic.
The application papers will be evaluated considering the (1) the accuracy of your
descriptions of the theories you apply (2) the level sophistication with which you apply
concepts and theories (3) the degree of creativity and insight you provide in your
application and analysis, and (4) the quality of your writing, including organization and
use of proper grammar.
For your paper, you should use the American Sociological Association Style Guide.
Paper Related Due Dates:
Sept. 24: Topic Submitted For Approval (Working Title and Abstract)
Oct. 15th:
Paper Outline Due
Nov. 19th First Draft of Per Due
Dec. 3rd
Paper Presentations
Dec. 10h : Final Paper Due
Late papers will not be accepted.
YOUR UNCW E-MAIL ADDRESS:
I may send announcements, updates, and other information related to this course to your
official UNCW e-mail address. It is your responsibility to check your UNCW e-mail
address regularly. A common problem is a “full mailbox” so make sure that your
mailbox doesn’t become filled.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Freedom of expression is actively encouraged in this class. I strongly believe that the
university is and ought to be the marketplace of ideas and I encourage vigorous academic
and scholarly debate. Debate on ideas and issues is part of the scholarly process but
personal or ad hominem attacks will not be tolerated. Common courtesy and civility is
expected. Let’s work together to create a positive seminar environment in which
everyone’s comments and interests are listened to and respected.
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ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABLED STUDENTS:
I am happy to make appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities as
specified in federal regulations. If you have a disability and need accommodation please
follow this procedure. First, contact and register with the Office of Disability Services
(962-3746 Westside Hall). Second, obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter and
then make arrangements to speak with me. Assistance will be gladly provided based on
the recommendations of the Office of Disability Services and our mutual agreement.
STUDENT HONOR CODE:
Please note that in this course I expect you to abide by the policies on academic integrity
as set forth in Section V of the UNCW Student Handbook and Code of Student Life
which prohibits cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty including
any unauthorized collaboration or assistance on any text, assignment, or project.
COURSE OUTLINE
Below is a tentative schedule of events. I expect you to thoroughly and carefully
read and study each assigned reading. You should outline, take notes, and review each
of the readings as they are assigned. Also, I may place additional readings on the WEB
or on reserve during the semester. Any changes in this outline or due dates will be
announced in class.
Aug 20
Appelrouth & Edles: Introduction
Ritzer: A Historical Sketch of Sociological Theory
Aug 27 Ritzer : Karl Marx
Appelrouth & Edles: Karl Marx
Sept. 3 Ritzer: Emile Durkeim
Appelrouth & Edles: Emile Durkheim
Sept 10 Ritzer: Max Weber
Appelrouth & Edles: Max Weber
Sept 17 Ritzer: George Simmel
Appelrouth & Edles : George Simmel
Sept 24 Paper Topic Due
Oct 1
Oct 8
Ritzer: Structural Functionalism
Appelrouth & Edles: Structural Functionalism
Appelrouth & Edles: Critical Theory
Ritzer: Varieties of Neo-Marxian Theory
Appelrouth & Edles : Exchange Theory
Ritzer: Exchange Theory
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 8
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Oct 15
Paper Outline Due
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 12
Chapter 10
Chapter 13
Chapter 12
Chapter 14
Chapter 16
Chapter 15
Chapter 13
Chapter 16
WEB
Nov 19
Appelrouth & Edles: George Herbert Mead
Ritzer: Symbolic Interactionism
Appelrouth & Edles: Symbolic Interaction
Ritzer: Ethnomethodology
Appelrouth & Edles: Phenomenology
Ritzer: Feminist Theory
Appelrouth & Edles: Feminist Theory
Ritzer: Poststructual and Postmodern Theories
Appelrouth & Edles:Poststructural and Postmodern Theories
Ritzer: Micro/Macro and Agency/Structure Integration
Appelrouth & Edles: Contemporary Theoretical Syntheses
McNamee “Social Construction of Life Meaning”
First Draft of Paper Due
Nov 26
Dec 3
Dec. 10
Ritzer: Globalization Theory
Appelrouth&Edles: The Global Society
Ritzer: Social Theory in the 21st Century
Paper Presentations
Final Paper Due
Chapter 15
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Oct 22
Oct 29
Nov 5
Nov 12