National University of Singapore
Department of Sociology
SC6102 – Sociological Theory
Semester I, 2012-2013
Day/time: Tuesdays 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Venue: AS1 #02-12
Syed Farid Alatas, AS1#03-12, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts & Social
Sciences; tel: 65163837; fax: 67779579; <alatas@nus.edu.sg>
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Sociological theories help us to understand aspects of social reality that are not necessarily
articulated in “common sense” accounts of our social lives. More critically oriented social
theories tell us about the hidden forces, principles and interests which influence our lives and
determine the development of society. This course looks at several theoretical perspectives
which have raised critical points about the nature and development of modern society. These
topics covered include alienation, colonialism, nihilism, and oppression. The course
discusses the viewpoints of these theories on these phenomena. In addition, this module also
critically discusses the discourses about these phenomena.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
The course requirements are as follows: (i) completion of readings for the week prior to
attending class; (ii) an essay of 6000 words in which you will attempt to deal with a
theoretical or conceptual problem (70%) and (iii) a presentation of the week’s reading in
class and class participation (30%). The essay may possibly be related to your thesis
topic. The essay is due on 2nd November 2012. It is essential that all readings should be
read before classes meet. Some of the readings can be found in Library E-Reserves,
accessible via the IVLE.
COURSE READINGS
Most of the readings for this course consist of entire books. You would be expected to
complete the readings in time for the discussions scheduled for those books and papers. All
the readings have been placed in RBR or in E-reserves. The books have also been ordered
and will be available at the NUS Co-op.
COURSE OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
The Themes of Sociological Theory
14 Aug 2012
The macro-micro and objective-subjective continua
Substantive themes
Methods
Judgement
George Ritzer, Sociology: A Multiple Paradigm Science, Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1980, ch. 1;
6.
Syed Farid Alatas, Alternative Discourses in Asian Social Science: Responses to Eurocentrism, New
Delhi, Thousand Oaks & London: Sage, 2006, ch. 2.
THE CRITIQUE OF MODERNITY
Alienation and Capitalism
21 Aug 2012
Marx
Kafka
Karl Marx, The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, New York: International
Publishers, 1982, pp. 106-119.
Franz Kafka, Metamorphosis [go to https://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/stories/kafka-e.htm for
e-text].
Rationalization and Capitalism
28 Aug 2012
The Protestant ethic and the origins of capitalism
Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1958,
Colonialism and Capitalism
4 Sept 2012
The sociology of colonial society
Rizal and the enlightenment
Religion and rationality
Raul J. Bonoan, S.J. 1994. The Rizal-Pastells Correspondence: The Hiterto Unpublished Letters of José
Rizal and Portions of Fr. Pablo Pastells’s Fourth Letter and Translation of the Correspondence, together
with a Historical Background and Theological Critique, Manila: Ateneo de Manila Press, pp. 1-48;
José Rizal. 1994. “The Second Letter of Rizal”, in Bonoan, The Rizal-Pastells Correspondence,
pp. 136-146.
José Rizal. 1963. “The Indolence of the Filipino”, in Rizal, Political and Historical Writings
(1884-1890), Manila: National Historical Institute, pp. 111-139.
Religion and Capitalism
11 Sept 2012
The prisons of modernity
Emancipation
Ali Shariati, Man and Islam, Houston: FILINC, 1981.
Race and Capitalism
18 Sept 2012
Black nihilism
Cornel West, Race Matters, Boston: Beacon Press, 1993.
CRITIQUE OF THE DISCOURSE OF MODERNITY
The Critique of Orientations
2 Oct 2012
Ideology and Utopia
Karl Mannheim, Ideology and Utopia: An Introduction to the Sociology of Knowledge, London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1936, parts I & II.
The Critique of Colonial History
9 Oct 2012
Racism and the ideology of imperialism
Syed Hussein Alatas, Thomas Stamford Raffles: Schemer or Reformer, Sydney: Angus & Robertson,
1971.
Culture and Imperialism
23 Oct 2012
Religion, culture and imperialism
Resistance discourses
Edward Said. 1993. Culture and Imperialism, London: Chatto & Windus, 1993, introduction,
chaps.1, 3. [RBR]
Oppression and Education
30 Oct 2012
Oppression and conscientization
Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, New York: Continuum.
Religion and Colonialism
6 Nov 2012
Zionist Marxism
Zionism and colonialism
Biblical orientalism
Maxime Rodinson. 1973. Israel: A Colonial-Settler State?, New York: Monad Press. [RBR]
Shlomo Avineri. 1981. “Zionist Marxism”, in Avineri, The Making of Modern Zionism:
Intellectual Origins of the Jewish State, New York: Basic Books, pp. 139-150.
Religion and Ideology
13 Nov 2012
Christian Zionism
Fuad Sha’ban. 2005. For Zion’s Sake: The Judeo-Christian Tradition in American Culture. London:
Pluto Press. [RBR]