ANSO 345: Theories of Society and Culture - Kalamazoo College

KokushkinSyllabusANSO345S2009.docx

ANSO 345: Theories of Society and Culture Spring 2010 M/W/F 1:15-2:30, ULC 307

Instructor: Maksim Kokushkin ([email protected]) Office Hours: Dewing, 309F, W 10:00-12:00, F 10:00-12:00 OR by appointment REQUIRED TEXTS: - Main:

Ritzer, George. 2010. Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classical Roots : The Basics. 3rd ed. Boston : McGraw-Hill. Farganis, James (Ed). 2011. Readings in Social Theory : The Classic Tradition to Post-Modernism. 6th ed. Boston : McGraw-Hill. Berberoglu, Berch. 2005. An Introduction to Classical and Contemporary Social Theory: A Critical Perspective. 3rd ed. Oxford : Rowman & Littlefield.

- Supplementary:

Adams, Douglas. 2003. The Salmon of Doubt : Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time. New York : Ballantine Books.

- Additional: To be announced and/or distributed in class. SYNOPSIS: This is an advanced course for ANSO majors and students from other fields interested in social theory. It looks at contemporary developments in sociological theory establishing connections within them and between those developments and classical sociological theory. The course provides an analytical overview of the field drawing students’ attention to the most prominent theoretical approaches in Sociology and Anthropology. You are invited to read and discuss exemplars from each of these approaches and critically assess their claims. Throughout this quarter you will broaden your theoretical repertoire and will apply the theoretical concepts to real-world situations. POLICIES: - ADA:

In compliance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended, and with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Kalamazoo College recognizes that qualified students who have diagnosed or identified learning, physical, and emotional disabilities are entitled to the same benefits from the educational programs of the College. If you need accommodations based on ADA, please get in touch with me ASAP.

- Honor System:

The Honor System is a set of mutually held principles freeing us to create an environment of living and learning that will foster understanding, mutual respect, intellectual curiosity, and social commitment. You are expected to demonstrate honesty and integrity, respect for others’ views, and environmental consciousness.

- Cell Phones: We all how loud a cell phone can be. By being responsible users, we will ensure that there are no disruptions. When in class, please turn off your phones. Page 1 of 4


The “McGinty Shutout Policy”: If a phone goes off during class, all activities will stop until the person whose phone is “misbehaving” leaves the classroom. Each one of you has access to the Moodle page of our course. You can access it by logging at https://moodle.kzoo.edu. Points, grades, and course documents will be online for you to check. Make sure you’re familiar with the tool, explore it, and check for updates. As a rule, assignments will be posted only on the Moodle. Only handouts will be distributed in class.

MOODLE:

PREPARING:

You are expected to come to class prepared. This means: (1) being familiar with the textbook’s discussion of a particular topic, (2) being able to analyze, critique, and discuss the topic with your peers, and (3) being able to answer the instructor’s questions regarding the topic. Tuesdays will be (typically) lecture-oriented, whereas on Thursdays we will be dealing with readings applying/illustrating that material. A companion web site is available with the textbook we’ll be using. You can access it at http://www.mhhe.com/ritzer. You’ll find useful tools there to help you prepare.

GRADING: You will be graded based on your performance on quizzes, assignments, attendance, and participation in class activities. There will be three exams. Occasional pop quizzes are very likely. Attendance will be taken in the beginning of each class. Please check the table below for detailed summary of points. - Assignments:

There are three assignments. Detailed descriptions will be posted on Blackboard. The Salmon Assignment will require you to lead mini-discussions on selected concepts we’ll be covering and how of those concepts apply to the essays from The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams. The Participation Assignment will require you to find and submit comic strips (or cartoons) and YouTube videos of relevance to a specific class and justify why you think your selection is applicable to the topics we’ll be covering. The Moodle Forum Assignment will require you to post discussion questions on Moodle in order to make our in-class discussions more relevant to your interests and thus more effective. Selected individuals will give an overview of the Moodle discussion and will lead an in-class discussion of the readings.

- Attendance: Attendance is required and factors into your final grade. The attendance record will be translated into points. - Make-up Exams:

If you need to miss a quiz in case of emergency or prior commitment, you Page 2 of 4


can schedule a make-up exam within a week following the regular quiz. Your make-up exam could include multiple choice questions, true/false questions, essay questions, or it could be an essay based on the material for the respective quiz. It is your responsibility to inform me and provide the proper documentation prior to the quiz. Parallel to the Participation Assignment we’ll have a competition for the funniest comic strip or cartoon. During a special ceremony in the last week of classes the winner and the runner-up will be awarded copies of The Deeper Meaning of Liff: A Dictionary of Things There Aren't Any Words for Yet-But There Ought to Be by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd.

- F.U.N.:

- Points Summary Number of Questions

Total Grade Points

Quiz 1

5 x 5pts.

25

Quiz 2

5 x 5pts.

25

Quiz 3

5 x 5 pts.

25

Pop Quizzes

25 x 1 pts.

25

Total Exam Points

100

Attendance

20

Salmon Assignment

30

Participation Assignment

20

Moodle Forum Assignment

30

Total

200

- Grade Scale: A+ 100 – 97 A 96.9 – 93 A- 92.9 – 89.5 B+ 89.4 – 87 B 86.9 – 83 B- 82.9 – 79.5 C+ 79.4 – 77 C 76.9 – 73 C- 72.9 – 69.5 D+ 69.4 – 67 D 66.9 – 63 D- 62.9 – 60.0 CHANGES: Any part of this syllabus can be changed at anytime during the semester. I will provide adequate notification if changes are made. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: WEEK 1

Mar 29

Mar 31

NO CLASS

WEEK 2

Apr 5

Apr 7

WEEK 3

Apr 12

Apr 14

Topic

Reader/Readings

About Theory and Science

Collins, Wallerstein (Moodle)

Apr 9

A Historical Sketch of Sociological Theory

Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, DuBois

Apr 16

Structural Functionalism, Neofunctionalism

Davis & Moore, Parsons, Merton

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WEEK 4

Apr 19

Apr 21

Apr 23

General Systems Theory; Exchange, Network, and Rational Choice Theories

Luhmann, Burns & Buckley (Moodle); Homans, Coleman

WEEK 5

Apr 26

Apr 28

Apr 30

Varieties of Neo-Marxian Theory; Critical Theory

Dahrendorf, Mills, Zweigenhaft & Domhoff; Marcuse, Habermas

WEEK 6

May 3

May 5

May 7

Symbolic Interactionism; Ethnometodology

Blumer, Goffman, Hochschild; Schutz, Berger, Garfinkel

WEEK 7

May 10

May 12

May 14

Contemporary Feminist Theory

Smith, Collins, West & Zimmerman,

WEEK 8

May 17

May 19

May 21

Race Theory

West, Bonilla-Silva, Dyson (Moodle);

WEEK 9

May 24

May 26

May 28

Micro-Macro Integration; AgencyStructure Integration

Elias, Alexander; Hays, Sewell (Moodle)

MEM ORIAL DAY

May 31

Jun 4

From Modern to Post-Modern

Habermas, Bauman (Moodle); Foucault

WEEK 10 FINALS WEEK

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