Postgraduate course
2024/2025
Contemporary Sociological Theories
ID 666235
Type:
Elective course
Area of studies:
Postgraduate Studies
Delivered by:
School of Sociology
When:
2 year, 1 semester
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Arnab Roy Chowdhury
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
2
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Today, societies around the world are undergoing numerous large socioeconomic and political transformations, such as globalization and neoliberalism, as well as structural changes in state-society relations and market dynamics. This course uses contemporary sociological theories—which aim to explain these transformations and structural changes in a comparative and historical perspective—to understand the issues that society faces.This course approaches sociological theories and issues in a thematic manner and analyzes socio-economic and political macro categories, groups, markers, and identities (such as class, race, gender, ethnicity, and nation). It considers how macro, meso, and micro social realities interact and intersect, as well as how these interact and transform dynamically through periods of stasis and transformation.Using papers published in prominent sociology journals (such as the Annual Review of Sociology, the American Journal of Sociology, and Theory and Society), the course aims to provide students with the tools to apply these theories creatively in conceptualizing, analyzing, and understanding the complex realities of contemporary society.
Learning Objectives
- to study contemporary texts on sociological theories from prominent sociology journals.
- to track current developments in sociological theories.
- to acquire updated knowledge on sociological theories.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Learning sociological theories for learning concepts and developing critical analytical power.
- Learning updated theories for critical literature review.
- Learning to apply this analytical power and conceptual knowledge in debates, discussions and paper/thesis writing.
Course Contents
- State and Society
- Empires and Nations
- Subjects and Citizens
- Civil Society and Public Sphere
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Global neoliberal capitalism and the alternatives : from social democracy to state capitalisms, Lane, D., 2023
- Social class : how does it work?, , 2008
- The rise of neoliberalism and institutional analysis, , 2001
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Global civil society and its limits, , 2003
- Imperialism and postcolonialism, Bush, B., 2006