Sociological Theories: the Founders
Code
711081052
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Sociologia
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Helena Serra, João Pedro Nunes, Nuno Dias
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. Knowledge and understanding of the main authors and trends in classical socology;
2. Ability to identify such theoretical trends in substantive theoretical propositions;
3. Understanding of the bearing of classical sociological theory on the debates on contemporary sociology;
4. Ability to comnicate the basics of those authors and socilogical trends in a rigorous and significant way.
Prerequisites
Subject matter
INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF SOCIOLOGY
1. Founding themes of sociological knowledge
2. The sociological positivism of Auguste Comte
3. Herbert Spencers Organic and Super-organic evolution
4. Democracy in Tocqueville
5. The founding fathers: whom, why and how?
KARL MARX (1818-1883) AND FRIEDRICH ENGELS (1820-1895)
1. The roots of Marxist thought
2. Alienation and dialectical and historical materialism
3. Marxist theory on ideology and social classes
4. The political economy of capitalism
5. Marxist theory: critical readings
ÉMILE DURKHEIM (1858-1917)
1. Societies and social fact
2. The origins of collective consciousness
3. The social division of labour
4. Egoism and anomie
GEORG SIMMEL (1858-1918)
1. Formal sociology
2. The philosophy of money
3. Modernity and metropolises
4. The stranger
MAX WEBER (1864-1920)
1. Economy and social normativity
2. Social action, domination and legitimacy
3. Burocracy
4. Religious rationalities
Bibliography
Shils, E. (1980). Tradition, ecology, and institution in the history of sociology. In The calling of sociology and other essays on the pursuit of learning. Chicago: University of Chigago Press, pp. 165-257.
Connell, R.W. (1997). Why is classical theory classical?. Am. Jour. of Soc. 102, pp. 1511-1557.
Turner, B.S. (1999). The central themes of sociology: an introduction. In Classical sociology. London: Sage, pp. 3-29.
Bottomore, T. (1978). Marxismo e sociologia. In Bottomore, T. & Nisbet, R. História da análise sociológica. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, pp. 166-204.
Marx, K. & Engels, F. (1995). A ideologia alemã. In Cruz, M.B. (org) Teorias sociológicas: Os fundadores e os clássicos. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, pp. 11-60.
Durkheim, É. (1995). As Regras do método sociológico. Lisboa: Editorial Presença.
Simmel, G. (2004). Fidelidade e gratidão e outros textos. Lisboa: Relógio dÁgua.
Weber, Max (1995). Conceitos fundamentais de sociologia. Lisboa: Presença.
Teaching method
Theoretical/practical lectures based on support readings; analysis and discussion of theoretical texts; project research work.
Evaluation method
Grading will be based on:
- one test written in class (50% of the final grade)
- classroom presentation of one text out of the subject´s bibliography, by groups of two students (20% of the final grade)
- one written review of one of the books out of the classical bibliography (30% of the final grade)