PrinciplesofSociology
Lecturer:OlgaE.Kuzina
Classteachers:OlgaE.Kuzina,ElenaN.Danilova
Coursedescription
PrinciplesofSociologyisatwo-semestercourseforthesecondyearstudents designedtopreparestudentsfortheexternalexaminationofUoL.Throughoutfirstsemester,studentswilldealwithquestionsrelatingtothenatureof sociology;themethodswhichsociologistsuse;methodology andthemajorsociologicalperspectives.Thekeyaspectsinrelationtoindividualsandsociety areexaminedthroughtheconceptsofrole,socialisationandidentity. Second semestermaterialbuildsonandreinforcestheknowledgereceivedinthefirst semester. Twomaintopics willbecoveredinsecondsemesterare‘Power in society’and‘Globalisationandsocialchange’.The assessmentofthestudents willbeby theUniversity ofLondon(UoL)examinationsattheendofthesecond semesterorbyinternalexamination(ICEF).PrinciplesofSociologyisasupplementarydisciplineunderworldstandards.Itformsthebasisoffurtherstudies indisciplinessuchas:economicsociologyofpopularfinance,management, politicalscience,etc.The courseistaughtinEnglish.
Prerequisites
StudentsaresupposedtobefamiliarwithPrinciplesofStatistics,Intellectual historyofEurope,andEnglishforacademicwriting.
Teachingobjectives
Thiscoursehelpsstudentstobecriticaloftheinformationtheyreceiveand encouragesthemtothinklogicallyandconsistently. Bytheendoftheunit studentswillhavegainedknowledgeandlearntsomeimportantskills:
•tobecriticalofanydataandtheoriesthattheyreadorhearaboutand, ofcourse,tobecriticaloftheirownwork
•tobecreativeand abletolinkideasfromthisunitandtheotherdisciplines theyarestudyingtocreatenewwaysofthinkingaboutsocialphenomena
•tobechallenged. Thisisnotaneasy subjectanditrequiresstudentsto thinkdeeplyaboutthematerialsandbeabletodealwithmorethanone wayofthinkingaboutthesocialworld.
•tobeco-operativeandshareideasandmaterials.Itisagoodideato studywithotherstudentsandfriends,andtodiscussideaswiththem. Thisisanimportantskillfortheworldofworkwherepeopleareoften requiredtoworkinteams.
Asaresult,studentsmustbeabletoreadsociologicalpapers,discussdifferentsociologicaltopicsandtheirtreatmentbyclassicalandmodernsociologists inawrittenformofargumentativeessays. Itisimportant not to memorise information in the textbook or lecture materials but to understand the key ideas of different theories, tobe able to compare and to apply them to society.
Teachingmethods
Inadditiontothelectures,thereareseminars.Participationinbothisobligatory.Duringtheseminars,itisexpectedthatstudentscomepreparedtodiscuss aparticulartopic.Readingoftherequired materialshouldbecompletedbefore theseminar.Shortwrittenassignmentswillbegivenfor everyseminar.
Themainpurposeoftheseminarsisthediscussionofthereadingmaterial. Selfstudywill bethe mainmethodofworkinthiscourse.Studentsmust conductoneandahalfhoursofselfstudypereachhouroflecture.Required readingsareindicatedin the seminar tasks.However,studentwillbeexpectedtoreadatleast onemajorRussiannewspaper(suchasIzvestia,Kommersant,Vedomosti,etc) aswellasa weeklyjournal(Itogi,Expert,etc.)anddeveloptheirsociological imaginationbylookingatcurrentsocialproblems.
Assessment
Thissyllabusisdesignedbasedonthebeliefthatfarfrombeingdivorcedfrom eachother,testingandteachingarecloselyinterrelated. Atestisseenasa naturalextensionofclassroomwork,providingteacherandstudentwithuseful informationthatcanserveasabasisforimprovement.
Duringbothsemesters,studentswillbetested4times:
•Assessment(November)-90min
•Assessment(December)-90min
•Assessment(April) -45min
•FinalExam-180min
Assessment -adiagnostictestusedtoidentifystudentsstrengthsandweaknesses, intendedtoascertainwhatfurtherteachingisnecessary.
Final-anachievement/attainmenttest-designedtoshowmasteryofthe syllabus.
University ofLondonrequirements
Intheendofthesecondsemester,studentswilltakeaUniversityofLondon ExternalProgramExam.UniversityofLondongraderswillgradethisexam. Inordertopassthisexamsuccessfully,studentsmustreceive40%ofpoints.It mustberememberedthatthiscourseinsociologyisconsideredoneofthemost difficult,with40%failurerate worldwide.
HigherSchoolofEconomicsrequirements
ForthosestudentswhowillnottakeaUniversityofLondonExternalPro- gramExamaFinalICEFExamwillbeprovided.FinalICEFExam is set to meet the same level of assessment as UoL exam with the similar failurerate.
Gradedetermination
FinalgradefortheRussiancurriculumwillbecomposedofthreeparts:
•UniversityofLondonExternalProgramExamorFinalICEFExam-
50%
•Firstsemesterfinal-35%
–20%-Seminars
–30%-Assessment (November)
–50%-Assessment (December)
•Secondsemesterfinal-15%
–20%-Seminars
–80%-Assessment (April)
Main reading
1.Fulcher,JandJ.ScottSociology.(Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress,
2003)secondedition
2.Giddens,A.Sociology.(Cambridge:PolityPress,2001)fourthedition
3.Macionis,J.andK.PlummerSociology:aGlobalIntroduction.(Harlow: PrenticeHall,2005)
4.Cuff,E.,W.W.SharrockandD.W.FrancisPerspectivesinSociology. (London:Routledge,1998)fourthedition
5.Lee,D.andH.NewbyTheProblemofSociology.(London:Routledge,
2000)
6.Waters,M.Globalization.(London:Routledge, 2001)secondedition
7.Haugaard,M.(ed.)Power:AReader.(Manchester: ManchesterUniver- sityPress,2002)
8.Held,D.ModelsofDemocracy.(Cambridge:PolityPress,1987)
9.Dunleavy, P.andB.O’LearyTheoriesoftheState.(Basingstoke:Macmil- lanEducation,1987)
10.Lukes,S.Power:ARadicalView.(Basingstoke:Macmillan,1974) Librarycontainsenoughcopiesofthemaintextbook(MacionisandPlum-
mer,Sociology:AGlobalIntroduction).However,thereisaverylimitedsup- plyofallotherbooks.However,allobligatoryandadditionalreadingsinyour syllabusareavailableintheICEFinformationsystem
Internet resourcesanddatabases
•SubjectguidefortheLSEcoursePrinciplesofSociology lse/subject_guides/prin_soc.shtml
•ReadinglistfortheLSEcoursePrinciples ofSociology lse/lse_pdf/read_lists_08/21_principles_sociology.pdf
•UniversityofLondonExampapersandExaminersreportsforthelastthreeyears lse/exams.shtml
•CurrentcoursematerialsintheICEFinformationsystem
Courseoutline
SociologicalResearchandMethodology
1.Whatthisunitisabout
Whatskillsstudentswilllearnfromstudyingthisunit. Thestructureof theunit. Readingadviceandotherresources. Hoursofstudyanduseofthe subjectguide.The examinationandexaminationadvice.
2.Introductiontosociology
WhatisSociology?Inwhatrespectsociologyisdifferentfromothersocial disciplines?Is sociologyascienceoracommonsense?
Subjectguide,pp.14–23; Fulcher&ScottCh.1;Sociology:Issuesand
Debates,pp.2–5
3.SocialandSociologicalProblems
Whataresociologicalproblems?Howtheorderofsociallifeispossible? Howdosocietieschange?Howareourlivesasindividualsshapedbythesoci- etiesinwhichwelive?
Subjectguidepp.24–39;Macionis&Plummer(M&P)2dedition(2002),pp.
4–7or3dedition(2005)pp.4–7;Sociology: Issuesanddebates,pp.2–5
4.SocialisationandIdentity
Whatissocialisation? Selfandidentity: personalandsocialidentities, identitiesandroles. Theoriesofsocialisation: role-taking(Parsons)versus role-making(Mead)theories.The roleofothers.Labellingtheory.
Subjectguidepp.28–39,Fulcher&Scott,Ch.4,pp.121–139;Macionis, J. andK.Plummer(2005),Sociology:aGlobalIntroduction.Ch.7,pp.156–187
5.KeyprinciplesofSociologicalResearch
Keyterms.Objectiveandsubjectiveknowledge.Standartisation.Reliabil- ity.Transparency.Validity. Authenticity.
Subjectguidepp.45–50;McNeillP.Research methods,pp.14–15;Bryman, A.SocialResearchMethodspp. 28–33;Wallace,W.TheLogicofsciencein sociology,pp.11–25
6.ResearchdesignsinSociology
Whatisaresearchdesign?Conceptsandconceptualthinking.Operational- isationandindicators.Descriptiveandexplanatoryresearchdesigns. Quanti- tativeandQualitative.
Subjectguide,pp.50–63;McNeillP.Researchmethods,pp.24–25;Fulcher&Scott, Ch.3
7.Major researchdesignsI
Surveys:sampling,longitudinalapproaches. Researchexample:Townsend onmeasuringpoverty.
Experimentalandevaluativeresearch: causality,independentanddepen- dentvariables.Naturalexperimentsinsociologicalresearch.Experiments and ethics.
Subjectguide,pp. 56–61;Fulcher&Scott,Ch. 3,pp. 78–79;McNeillP. Researchmethods,pp.17–23;Bryman,A.SocialResearchMethods, pp.34–
48
8.Major researchdesignsII
Comparativeresearch.Researchexamples: Durkheimonsuiciderates.So- cialmeaningsandsuicide(Douglas).Thesocialorganisationofsuicide(Atkin- son).
Ethnography.‘Verstehen’:tounderstandtheworldfromtheinsider’sper- spective. Researchexample: Taylor(1982)onsuicidalbehaviour.
Subjectguide,pp. 61–62;Fulcher&Scott,Ch. 3,pp. 88–90;Bryman,A. SocialResearchMethods,pp.53–55
9.ResearchMethodsI
Primaryandsecondarydata.Questionnaires. Interviews:structuredand unstructured.
Subjectguidepp.63–74;Marsh,I(ed.)TheoryandPracticeinSociology, pp.48–54;pp.54–58
10.ResearchMethodsII
Observations:structuredandparticipant.
Marsh,I(ed.) TheoryandPracticeinSociology,pp. 41–47;P.McNeill, Research methods,pp.64–93
11.ResearchMethodsIII
Socialstatistics.Documents.
Selectionofmethods. Researchdesignsandresearchmethods.P.McNeill,Research methods,pp.99–114
12.Methodology
Whatismethodology?Epistemology. Positivism.Interpretivism.Realism. Subjectguide,pp.73–90;Fulcher&Scott,pp.14–17,24–25;Macionis and
Plummer(2005)pp.44–50.
Bryman,A.SocialResearchMethods.Part1;Marsh,I.(ed.)Theoryand
PracticeinSociology.Chapter1.pp.9–25.
13.TheoriesinSociology
OriginsofSociology.TheEnlightment. Whatisatheory. Ontological assumptions.
Subjectguide,pp. 93–97;SwingewoodA.,Ashorthistoryofsociological thought, 2000,pp. 3–10;Cuff,SharrockandFrancis(1990),Perspectivesin Sociology,pp.1–12
14.Marx
Marx’sinfluences:GeorgHegel,LudwigFeuerbach.AMaterialistSocial Ontology. HistoricalMaterialism.TheCritiqueofCapitalism.ClassasaSocial Relation.The StateandPolitics.
Subjectguide,pp.102–108;Fulcher&Scott,pp.28–32
15.Durkheim
Biologicalanalogy.Explanationofreality. Scientificmethodology.The relationshipbetweentheIndividualandSociety.Functionalistmethodofex- planation.ThreeStudiesofSocialSolidarity.
Subjectguide,pp. 109–113; Fulcher&Scott,pp. 33–39; Giddens(2001) Chapter1;MacionisandPlummer(2002:p.84)(2005:p.92)
16.Weber
Actionapproachinsociology.Socialaction.Methodologicalindividualism.Objectivityinsocialsciences. Idealtypes. Therelationshipbetweenreligion andeconomy.The disenchantmentoftheworldandtherationalisationoflife.
Sujectguide,pp.113–120;Fulcher&Scott,pp.39–43; MacionisandPlum- mer(2002:pp.80–83)(2005:pp.88–91)
17.Structural functionalismandParsons
Functionalapproachinsociology. ‘Functionalprerequisites’.‘Soft’ver- sus‘hard’(normative)versionsofstructuralfunctionalism.Parsons’sociology: Socialactionandsocialsystem,movingequilibrium,statusroles,socialinsti- tutions,patternvariables.Merton’sideas:“middlerangetheories”,manifest andlatentfunctions:intendedandunintendedoutcomes,positivelyfunctional
/dysfunctional/non-functional levelsofsociety,structuralalternatives.
Subjectguidepp.120–129;Fulcher&Scott,pp.45–52;Cuff,Sharrockand Francis(1998),PerspectivesinSociology,pp.87–114;LeeandNewby(2000), pp.238–245
18.Bringingtheindividual backin
Socialinteractionism,symbolicinteractionismandethnomethodology.Thomas Theorem.Takingtheroleoftheother.Theselfisaprocess.Phenomenological approach.Labellingtheory. Aself-fulfillingprophecy.TheSocialConstruc- tionofReality. ‘Breachingexperiments’.Structureoraction?Structuration threories.
Subjectguidepp.129–139;Fulcher&Scott,pp.52–57,133–36
19.Postmodernity andSociology
Modernityversuspostmodernity.Information Society.Knowledgeclass.Consumerism.Postmodernsociologicaltheory.TheEnlightenmentasModern Project. Thereconstructionoftheimageofnaturalsciencesinpostmodern theory.‘Grandnaratives’.Culturalanalysis.
Subjectguidepp.139–146;Fulcher&Scott,pp.65–67,387–88;orGiddens
(2001)pp. 674–75;orMacionisandPlummer(2002edition)pp. 31–32and
662–63;
MacionisandPlummer(2005edition)pp. 33–34, 686–88; Cuff,E.,W. SharrockandD.FrancisPerspectivesinSociology.(1998)pp.291–305
PowerinSociety
20.Introduction: power,modernity andsociology
Differentunderstandingsofthisterm.Powerascoercion.Powerasdomi- nation.Powerasinfluence. The problemof‘power’.
Subjectguide,pp. 285–291;HeldD.Democracy:FromCity-States toa
CosmopolitanOrder,pp.13–15
21.Marxistaccountofpower
Humanistversusstructuralist(or‘scientific’)Marxism.Twomodelsofthe State.Theorisingoftransitiontheory(Lenin,radicaldemocracy).Gramsci’s theoryof hegemony. Theroleof intellectuals.Thedistinctionbetweenideolo- giesandideology(Althusser).
Subjectguidepp.291–295;LeeandNewby,2000,pp.115–136;orSwinge- wood,AShortHistoryofSociologicalThought,2000,Chapter2;Held,Models ofdemocracy,1996,pp.129–136,orDunleavyandO’Leary,1987pp.204–15, pp.237–43;LeeandNewby,The ProblemofSociology,2000,pp.161–64
22.Weber: power,stratification anddomination
Powerversusdomination.Legitimacy.Threetypesofauthority. Bureau- cracy.Weber’sdefinitionoftheState.
Subjectguidepp. 295–298;Swingewood, AShortHistoryofSociological Thought, 2000,pp. 107–111;Lee,D.andH.Newby(2000)TheProblemof Sociology,Part7,pp.178–182
23.Thepowerofelites
Thekeyideasof classicalelitisttheories:Mosca,Pareto,Michels.Neo-elitist theoryofC.WrightMills.
Subjectguide,pp.298–331;Lee,D.andH.Newby(2000)TheProblemof Sociology,pp.198–200;Scott,J,(1996)Stratificationand Power:Structures ofClass,StatusandCommand,pp.127–157
24.Thepluralist modelofpoweranditscritics
One,twoandthreedimensionalviewofpower(Lukes).Powerandcompet- ingepistemologies.The problemof‘realinterests’.
Subjectguide,pp.301–304;Bilton, T.etal.(2002)IntroductorySociology, pp. 201–214; Scott,J.(2006)Pressureandpolity formationinPower,pp.
51–62
25.Powertoandpowerover
Zero-sumconceptionofpowerversus variablesumconceptionofpower. Parsons’sconceptionofpower:as‘powerto’.
Subjectguide,pp.304–305;Haugaard,M.(ed.)(2002)Power:AReader, pp.67–70
26.Foucaultviewonpower
Modernistvs. non-modernist perspectivesonpower.Foucault’sconcept ofpower.Disciplinarypowervs.Sovereignpower.Thesocialconstitutionof actors.Foucault’sconceptofdiscourse. Knowledge asaformofpower.
Subjectguide,pp.305–306;Haugaard,M.(ed.)(2002)Power:AReader, pp.181–204;ScottJ.DisciplineandexpertiseinPower:KeyConcepts,Polity Press2006,pp.92–109
27.TheoriesoftheState
ClydeBarrow,CriticalTheoriesoftheState,ChapterTwo;BobJessop, (1990)StateTheory:puttingcapitaliststatesintheirplace,pp.338–369
Globalisation
28. Introduction
Definition of Globalisation.GlobalisationvsInternationalisation: differences and similarities. Held’s typology: Hyperglobalisers (positive and negative), Sceptics, Transformationalists/
Subjectguidepp.137–152;Waters,M.Globalization,2001,Routledge,Ch.1-2; Hirst,P.,ThompsonG. GlobalisationinQuestion.(Cambridge:PolityPress,1999)Introduction,pp. 1–10
29.Economicglobalisation
Informationsociety (Castells), Global capitalist theory (Sklair), Internationalisation(Hirst and Thompson), regionalization (Hay), changes in the nature of the firm in the process of globalisation (Dicken, Hirst and Thompson, Castells).
SubjectguideChapter 6,,Waters,M.Globalization,2001,Routledge,Ch. 3, Sklair, L. (2002) Globalisation: Capitalism and its Alternative, pp. 84-116.
30.Political globalization and the State
Definition of the nation-state.Debateson the issue if globalisationhas weakened the state.Deminishingtheroleofthestate: market forces (Ohmae, Strange), international norms and conventions (Held). Little evidence that states have been weakened (Hirst and Thompson) or the state isstrengthened (Mann, Weiss). Newformsofpolitics (Mathews, Sklair, Tarrow).
SubjectguideChapter7,Waters,M.Globalization,2001,Ch.4-5.
31.Cultural globalisation
Homogenised global culture (Barber).A ‘culture-ideology of consumerism’ (Sklair).GlobalisationvsWesternisation(Hannerz).Globalisation strengthens national identity (Smith). ‘Clash of civilizations’ (Huntington).Multiple identities (Sen).‘Hybridculturalidentities’(Hall).
SubjectguideChapter 8, Waters,M.Globalization,2001,Ch.6-7
Distributionofhours
#TopicTotalContacthoursSelf hours Lectures Seminars study
Sociologicalapproachtostudyinghumanbehavior
1. / Introductionofsociology / 12 / 4 / 4 / 42.
3. / Socialand sociological prob-
lems
Socialisationandidentity / 10
8 / 2
2 / 2
2 / 4
4
Sociologicalresearchmethodology
4.
5. / Key principlesofsociological
research
Researchdesignsinsociology / 8
16 / 2
6 / 2
6 / 4
4
6. / Researchmethods / 16 / 6 / 6 / 4
7. / Threeepistemological approachesinsociology / 12 / 4 / 4 / 4
Sociologicaltheories
8. / Ontologicalassumptions ofsociologicaltheories / 8 / 2 / 2 / 4
9. / Marx / 8 / 2 / 2 / 4
10. / Durkheim / 8 / 2 / 2 / 4
11. / Weber / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
12. / Parsonsand structural functionalism / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
13. / Bringingindividualbackin / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
14. / Post-modernismandsociology / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
Powerinsociety
15. / Introduction:power,modernityandsociology / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
16. / Marxistaccountsofpower / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
17. / Weber:power,stratification / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
anddomination
18. / Powerofelites / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
19. / Thepluralist modelofpower / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
anditscritics
20. / Powertoandpowerover / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
21. / Foucault’stheoryofpower / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
22. / Sociologicaltheoriesofthe state / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
Globalisation
23. / Introduction to globalisation / 14 / 4 / 4 / 6
24. / Economicglobalisation / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
25. / Politicalglobalization andthe State / 10 / 2 / 2 / 6
26. / Cultural globalisation / 14 / 4 / 4 / 6
Total: / 270 / 68 / 68 / 134