Contemporary Social Theory - JSM421

• Title: Contemporary Social Theory
• Guaranteed by: Department of Sociology (23-KS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2023
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 9
• Examination process: winter s.:oral
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 80 / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: PhDr. Mgr. Jan Balon, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): PhDr. Mgr. Jan Balon, Ph.D.
• Class: Courses for incoming students

Annotation

Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jan Balon, Ph.D. (26.01.2022)

This course concentrates on key debates within social theory. Building on the foundations of modern social theory, we will delve into questions about globalization, postcolonialism, multiculuralism, new capitalism, or postcommunism. We will consider what happens when we locate these topics at the center of the story of contemporary society's development, as well as the politics of identity and the category of “reflexivity.” We will approach social theory as both professional and activist undertaking. Uncovering the dissensions in particular disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches will refer to the ways in which social theory can help us expose categories that we often take for granted, including race, gender, empire, identity, power, capitalism, and equality. Finally, we will conclude the class by discussing what it means to engage in writing about society.


The course is interdisciplinary in its design.


Course Objectives

1. to provide an understanding of the ways in which transformations of contemporary societies are reflected in the research agenda of the social sciences
2. to enhance the knowledge about social, cultural, political and economic aspects of contemporary society's development


By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. engage actively and critically with the arguments of key social theorists by discussing their works and considering how they increase our understanding of contemporary societies;
2. pick up the threads of theoretical approaches to understanding recent transformations of society;
3. debate the limits of interdisciplinary approaches;
4. articulate own arguments in relation to the topics we have studied in this class and link them to current events; and
5. apply theoretical concepts in their own writing.

Literature

Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jan Balon, Ph.D. (21.09.2022)

Bhambra, Gurminder, John Holmwood, Colonialism and Modern Social Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2021.

Adams, Matthew. “Hybridizing Habitus and Reflexivity:: Towards an Understanding of Contemporary Identity?” Sociology 40, no. 3 (June 2006): 511–28.

Agger, Ben. ‘Books Author Authors, But Reading Writes: A Social Theory of the Text’, Current
Perspectives in Social Theory, 20, 2000, 3-26.

Arato, Andrew, Jean Cohen. “Civil Society And Social Theory.” Thesis Eleven, 21(1), 988, 40–64.

Bhambra, Gurminder K. “Sociology and Postcolonialism: Another `Missing’ Revolution?” Sociology 41, no. 5 (October 2007): 871–84.

Blokker, Paul. “Post-Communist Modernization, Transition Studies, and Diversity in Europe.” European Journal of Social Theory 8, no. 4 (November 2005): 503–25.Reading: Ben Agger, ‘Books Author Authors, But Reading Writes: A Social Theory of the Text’, Current Perspectives in Social Theory, 20, 2000, 3-26.

Bude, Heinz, and Jörg Dürrschmidt. “What’s Wrong with Globalization?: Contra ‘Flow Speak’ - towards an Existential Turn in the Theory of Globalization.” European Journal of Social Theory 13, no. 4 (November 2010): 481–500.Foucault, Michel. ‘Two Lectures’, Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings 1972-1977, New York: Pantheon, 1980, 109-133.

Fenwick, Tara J. “Transgressive Desires: New Enterprising Selves in the New Capitalism.” Work, Employment and Society 16, no. 4 (December 2002): 703–23.

Hartmann, Douglas, Gerteis, Joseph. "Dealing with Diversity : Mapping Multiculturalism in Sociological Terms. Sociological Theory; Vol. 23, No. 2. 2005: 218-240.Matthewman, Steve, Douglas Hoey, ‘What Happened to Postmodernism?’, Sociology, 40(3), 2006, 529-547.

Kemple, Thomas M. “Spirits of Late Capitalism.” Theory, Culture & Society 24, no. 3 (May 2007): 147–59.

McLennan, Gregor. “Sociology, Eurocentrism and Postcolonial Theory.” European Journal of Social Theory 6, no. 1 (February 2003): 69–86.

Orchard, Vivienne. “Culture as Opposed to What?: Cultural Belonging in the Context of National and European Identity.” European Journal of Social Theory 5, no. 4 (November 2002): 419–33.

Ray, Larry. “At the End of the Post-Communist Transformation? Normalization or Imagining Utopia?” European Journal of Social Theory 12, no. 3 (August 2009): 321–36.

Roudometof, Victor. “Gusts of Change: The Consequences of the 1989 Revolutions for the Study of Globalization.” European Journal of Social Theory 12, no. 3 (August 2009): 409–24.

Rundell, John. “Strangers, Citizens and Outsiders: Otherness, Multiculturalism and the Cosmopolitan Imaginary in Mobile Societies.” Thesis Eleven 78, no. 1 (August 2004): 85–101.

Seidman, Steven. Contested Knowledge: Social Theory Today, 6th Ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2017 - ‘Preface’; ‘Introduction’; Chaps. 1-4 (vii-ix; 1-63).

Seidman, Steven. “The End of Sociological Theory: The Postmodern Hope.” Sociological Theory 9(2), 1991, 131–46.

Volker Heins. Civil Society’s Barbarisms. European Journal of Social Theory. 2004, 7(4): 499-517.

Requirements to the exam

Last update: PhDr. Mgr. Jan Balon, Ph.D. (21.09.2022)

Requirements:

1. Students are expected to read the required reading(s) for each seminar. If there are two or three required readings, students are expected to read all of them.

2. Students are encouraged to actively participate in the seminars by posing questions of clarification or bringing up problems for discussion. 

3. Students are expected to write a short position papers (400-500 words each) on a topic that will be announced in the beginning of the semester. The papers should include a summary of the main points of the required reading(s), a critique of these readings, questions of clarification, and possible questions for discussion. 

4. Each class will be opened by a student presentation. It should be focused on the topic of a respective class. The goal is not to summarize readings, but to bring up problems for discussion.

5. A written test will take place at the end of the semester. The test puts focus on the arguments from the required readings. 

6. At the end of the semester students submit a 2500-word long final paper on a topic relevant to the course.

Assessment methods:

1) Presentation or term paper – 60 points max

2) Position paper – 15 points 

3) Written test – 25 points

Grading system:

91 - 100 points: A - excellent (outstanding performance with only minor mistakes)
81 - 90 points: B - very good (above average performance with some mistakes)
71 - 80 points: C - good (overall good performance with a number of notable mistakes)
61 - 70 points: D - satisfactory (acceptable performance with significant mistakes)
51 - 60 points: E - sufficient (performance fulfils only minimum criteria)
less than 51 points: F - insufficient/failed (more effort needs to be made)

Syllabus

Last update: PhDr. Petr Bednařík, Ph.D. (13.02.2022)

Course Objectives

1. to provide an understanding of the ways in which transformations of contemporary societies are reflected in the research agenda of the social sciences
2. to enhance the knowledge about social, cultural, political and economic aspects of contemporary society's development

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. engage actively and critically with the arguments of key social theorists by discussing their works and considering how they increase our understanding of contemporary societies;
2. pick up the threads of theoretical approaches to understanding recent transformations of society;
3. debate the limits of interdisciplinary approaches;
4. articulate own arguments in relation to the topics we have studied in this class and link them to current events; and
5. apply theoretical concepts in their own writing.

Schedule:

Week 1 – Introduction to the Course

Week 2 – What is Social Theory?

Reading:

Steven Seidman, Contested Knowledge: Social Theory Today, 6th Ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2017 - ‘Preface’; ‘Introduction’; Chaps. 1-4 (vii-ix; 1-63).

Week 3 – Postmodernism and the Consumer Society

Readings: 

Steve Matthewman and Douglas Hoey, ‘What Happened to Postmodernism?’, Sociology, 40(3), 2006, 529-547.

Steven Seidman. “The End of Sociological Theory: The Postmodern Hope.” Sociological Theory 9(2), 1991, 131–46. 

Week 4 – Globalization

Readings: 

Roudometof, Victor. “Gusts of Change: The Consequences of the 1989 Revolutions for the Study of Globalization.” European Journal of Social Theory 12, no. 3 (August 2009): 409–24.

Bude, Heinz, and Jörg Dürrschmidt. “What’s Wrong with Globalization?: Contra ‘Flow Speak’ - towards an Existential Turn in the Theory of Globalization.” European Journal of Social Theory 13, no. 4 (November 2010): 481–500.

Week 5 – Postcolonialism

Readings:

McLennan, Gregor. “Sociology, Eurocentrism and Postcolonial Theory.” European Journal of Social Theory 6, no. 1 (February 2003): 69–86.

Bhambra, Gurminder K. “Sociology and Postcolonialism: Another `Missing’ Revolution?” Sociology 41, no. 5 (October 2007): 871–84.

Week 6 – Multiculturalism

Readings:

Rundell, John. “Strangers, Citizens and Outsiders: Otherness, Multiculturalism and the Cosmopolitan Imaginary in Mobile Societies.” Thesis Eleven 78, no. 1 (August 2004): 85–101.

Hartmann, Douglas, Gerteis, Joseph. "Dealing with Diversity : Mapping Multiculturalism in Sociological Terms. Sociological Theory; Vol. 23, No. 2. 2005: 218-240.

Week 7 – Reading Week

Week 8 – Civil Society

Readings:

Arato, Andrew, and Jean Cohen. “Civil Society And Social Theory.” Thesis Eleven 21, no. 1 (May 1988): 40–64.

Volker Heins. Civil Society’s Barbarisms. European Journal of Social Theory. 2004, 7(4): 499-517.

Week 9 – New Capitalism

Readings:

Kemple, Thomas M. “Spirits of Late Capitalism.” Theory, Culture & Society 24, no. 3 (May 2007): 147–59.

Fenwick, Tara J. “Transgressive Desires: New Enterprising Selves in the New Capitalism.” Work, Employment and Society 16, no. 4 (December 2002): 703–23.

Week 10 – Transformations of Identity

Readings:

Orchard, Vivienne. “Culture as Opposed to What?: Cultural Belonging in the Context of National and European Identity.” European Journal of Social Theory 5, no. 4 (November 2002): 419–33.

Adams, Matthew. “Hybridizing Habitus and Reflexivity:: Towards an Understanding of Contemporary Identity?” Sociology 40, no. 3 (June 2006): 511–28.

Week 11 – Post-Communism

Readings:

Ray, Larry. “At the End of the Post-Communist Transformation? Normalization or Imagining Utopia?” European Journal of Social Theory 12, no. 3 (August 2009): 321–36.

Blokker, Paul. “Post-Communist Modernization, Transition Studies, and Diversity in Europe.” European Journal of Social Theory 8, no. 4 (November 2005): 503–25.

Week 12 - The Styles of Writing in Social Theory

Reading: Ben Agger, ‘Books Author Authors, But Reading Writes: A Social Theory of the Text’, Current
Perspectives in Social Theory, 20, 2000, 3-26.

 

For the list of Required Readings, see MOODLE 

https://dl1.cuni.cz/enrol/index.php?id=3942&lang=en