Sociological theory and methodology
C Lloyd
8 points * 3 hours per week * Second semester * Caulfield * Prerequisites: First-year SCY sequence or equivalent
This subject considers a variety of approaches to thinking theoretically in sociology as well as how the production of knowledge is understood. An overview of the development of sociological theory will consider the `classical' theorists Marx, Durkheim, Simmel and Weber; the ascendancy of functionalism; the challenge to functionalism posed by the sociologies of `everyday life' and neo-Marxist forms of theorising. Using notions of `power' and `subjectivity' as points of reference, the subject explores the current theoretical debates in sociology over modernism/postmodernism, structuralism/poststructuralism and the challenge posed by feminist forms of theorising.
Assessment
Seminar presentation and 2500-word essay: 40% * Two critical reviews (750 words each): 15% each * Test (2 hours): 30%
Recommended texts
Craib I Modern social theory 2nd edn, Wheatsheaf, 1992
Ritzer G Sociological theory 3rd edn, McGraw-Hill, 1992