Social Theory IMA Programme, AUD

Monsoon 2014Course Coordinator:

Dr Santosh K. Singh (santosh@aud.ac.in)

Tuesday 1.45 to 3.45, Friday 9 to 11 AM ( Both in Room # 403)

Credits: 4

Course DescriptionThis course begins by asking what theory is and what theory is for; how it is related to science and production of knowledge. Building on our discussion on social theory, the course aims to explore the ideas of classical social theorists that have influenced the social sciences in two important respects: by developing distinct approaches to understanding the ‘social’ and by bringing social inequalities as a key aspect of society into view as an object of study. The aim is to provide students with the necessary skills to enable them to ‘read’ theory as they progress further in their studies and focus on particular issues, and to start building their own theoretical ‘tool-kits’ for their future research.Assessment

There will be three short papers of 20% (20x3=60) each to be written by the students. And there will be an end term presentation or end term examination of 40%. If we resort to end term presentation, then 20% would be reserved for writing of the paper and 20% on individual presentation.

Module 1Theory and its Antecedents

Kant, I. 1784. ‘What is Enlightenment?’ in An answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment? England: Penguin Books Great Ideas.Foucault, M. 1980. ‘The Eye of Power’ in Michel Foucault Power and Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings 1972-1977 edited by Colin Gordon. New York: Pantheon

Module 2Emile Durkheim: Theory as Knowing Social Facts

Durkheim, E. and M. Mauss. 1963. Primitive Classification. Translated and edited by Rodney Needham. London: Cohen and West. Chap. 1-2.Durkheim, E. [1895] 1938. The Rules of Sociological Method, New York: The Free Press. pp. 1-75

(Selections)

Module 3Emile Durkheim : Division of Labour & Solidarities

Emile Durkheim, 2007 [1893]. “The Division of Labor in Society.” In Classical Sociological Theory, edited by Craig Calhoun, Joseph Gerteis, James Moody, Steven Pfaff, and Indermohan Virk, 158-180. Malden, MA and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. Pp. 128-49.

Module 4Karl Marx: Historical Materialism Marx, K. and Engels Marx, K. 1976. The German Ideology,. Moscow: Progress Publishers. pp. 11-24 & 29-71.

Marx. K. 2007. ‘The Eighteenth Bruimaire of Louis Bonaparte’. in Classical Sociological Theory, edited by Craig Calhoun, Joseph Gerteis, James Moody, Steven Pfaff, and Indermohan Virk, Malden, MA and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 91-99.

Module 5Karl Marx: Alienation, Division of Labour and Primitive AccumulationMarx, K. 1959. Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. Translated by Martin Mulligan.

Moscow: Progress Publishers. pp. 66-80; 108-27Marx, K. 2007. ‘The So-Called Primitive Accumulation’. in Classical Sociological Theory, edited by Craig Calhoun, Joseph Gerteis, James Moody, Steven Pfaff, and Indermohan Virk, Malden, MA and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 70-4.

Module 6Max Weber: Understanding the Social, Objectivity in Social Sciences

Weber, M. 1949. ‘Objectivity in Social Sciences and Social Policy’ in E.A. Shils and H.A. Finch (eds.) The Methodology of the Social Sciences, Jaipur: ABD Publishers. pp. 49-112.

Weber, M. 2007. ‘Objectivity in Social Sciences’ in Classical Sociological Theory, edited by Craig Calhoun, Joseph Gerteis, James Moody, Steven Pfaff, and Indermohan Virk, Malden, MA and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 171-77.

Module 7Max Weber: Power and Politics

Weber, Max. 2007. [1914] “The Distribution of Power Within the Political Community: Class, Status, Party,” and “Bureaucracy.” In Classical Sociological Theory, edited by Craig J. Calhoun, Joseph Gerteis, James Moody, Steven Pfaff, and Indermohan Virk, Malden, MA, USA and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 206-14; 223-32.

Module 8Georg Simmel: Modernity, The Metropolis & Social Space

Simmel, Georg. 1997. "Sociology of Space." In Simmel on Culture: Selected Writings, edited by David Frisby and Mike Featherstone, London and Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. pp. 137-70.

Simmel, Georg. 2007 [1908]. “The Stranger.” In Classical Sociological Theory, edited by Craig J. Calhoun, Joseph Gerteis, James Moody, Steven Pfaff, and Indermohan Virk, Malden, MA, USA and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 253-57

Suggested Readings

Fischer, Ernst and Marek, Franz. 1973. Marx in His Own Words. Translated by Anna Bostock. England: Penguin Books.

Freund, Julien. 1969. The Sociology of Max Weber. Translated by M. Ilford. New York: Vintage Books.

Frisby, David. 2002. Georg Simmel, Key Sociologists. London and New York: Routledge.Giddens, Anthony. 1971. Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx,

Durkheim and Max Weber. New York: Cambridge University Press.Morrison, Kenneth. 2006. Marx, Durkheim, Weber: Formation of Modern Social Thought. New

Delhi: Sage Paperback.Parkin, Frank. 2002. Max Weber. 2nd ed, Key Sociologists. London and New York: Routledge.Thompson, Kenneth. 2002. Emile Durkheim 2nd Edition ed, Key Sociologists. London and New York: Routledge