Předměty

Poslední úprava: PhDr. Mgr. Jan Balon, Ph.D. (21.09.2022)

This course concentrates on key debates within last century’s social theory by means of commented reading. Systematic attention is paid especially to the ways by which social theory analyzes transformations and transitions of contemporary societies - and to the problem: how are these transformations reflected in the research agenda of the social sciences? The course is interdisciplinary in its design.

Requirements:

Written test: 25 points - will take place at the end of December and in January, 2021.
Presentation or essay: 60 points - due by the end of January, 2021. Essay length - 2 500 words.
Position paper: 15 points - due by the end November, 2020 (topics will be announced after introductory lectures). Position paper length - 500 words.

Grading:

- 91 - 100 points: A
- 81 - 90 points: B
- 71 - 80 points: C
- 61 - 70 points: D
- 51 - 60 points: E
- less than 51 points: F

For the list of Required Readings, see MOODLE

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

Self enrolment to the course in MOODLE is obligatory.

Poslední úprava: 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.

Poslední úprava: 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)

Poslední úprava: PhDr. Mgr. Jan Balon, Ph.D. (21.09.2022)

Week 1 – Oct. 4, Introduction to the Course

Week 2 – Oct. 11, What is Social Theory?

Week 3 – Oct. 18, Postmodernism and the Consumer Society

Week 4 – Oct. 25, Globalization

Week 5 – Nov. 1. Postcolonialism

Week 6 – Nov. 8, Multiculturalism

Week 7 – Nov. 15, Reading Week

Week 8 – Nov. 22, Civil Society

Week 9 – Nov. 29, New Capitalism

Week 10 – Dec. 6, Transformations of Identity

Week 11 – Dec. 13, Post-Communism

Week 12 - Dec. 20, Written Test

Requirements:

Written test: 30 points - will take place at the end of December and in January, 2023.
Presentation or essay: 60 points - due by the end of January, 2023.
Position paper: 15 points - due by the end of November, 2022 (topics will be announced after introductory lectures)

Grading:

- 91 - 100 points: A

- 81 - 90 points: B

- 71 - 80 points: C

- 61 - 70 points: D

- 51 - 60 points: E

- less than 51 points: F

For the list of Required Readings, see MOODLE

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

Self enrolment to the course in MOODLE is obligatory.