Theories of Social Action
Code
711081053
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Sociologia
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Manuel Gaspar da Silva Lisboa
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. Ability to think critically on the major theoretical contributions in the field of sociology that have emphasized social action as a structuring element of modern societies;
2. Ability to perform sociological analysis of the different dynamics of social action, in the light of the most recent contributions by sociology and neuroscience
3. Knowledge and critical analysis of the results of recent empirical investigations on the Portuguese reality;
4. Ability to apply theories of social action to actual situations and social contexts;
5. Ability to communicate accurately and pertinently about knowledge on theories of social action.
Prerequisites
Subject matter
1. Social action in the context of sociological production
- Structure and social action
- Reflexivity and social action
2. Sociology and the theories of social action
- From philosophical thought to sociological reflection
- The classics: Marx, Weber, and Parsons
- The more recent: Mead, Garfinkel, Goffman, and Giddens
- Towards a systemic approach to social action
3. The constraints of social action
- The classical paradigms, focusing on the material, and the most recent, focused on pleasure and personal fulfillment
- The economic matter and social norms and values
- Collective action and individual hedonism
4. The new frontiers of social action
- Sociology and the neurosciences
- The individual and the social
- Emotion and reason
5. The analysis of social action through approaches on complex matters (examples)
- Decision-making in contexts of risk in the economic sphere
- Situations of individual and social disruption in contexts of gender violence
Bibliography
Barbalet, J. (1998). Emoção, teoria social e estrutura social. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget.
Boudon, R. (2009). Rational choice theory. In Bryan S. Turner, The new Blackwell companion to social iheory.
Chichester: Blackwell, pp. 179-195.
Giddens, A. (2001). Transformações da Intimidade. Oeiras: Celta.
Goffman, E. (1974). Interaction rituals. Essays on face-to-face behavior. New York: Pantheon Books.
Lipovetsky, G. (2006). A felicidade paradoxal. Lisboa: Edições 70.
Parsons, T. & Shils, E. (1962). Toward a general theory of action. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
Roberts, B. (2006). Micro social theory. Hampshire: Palgrave.
Turner, J. (1988). A theory of social interaction. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Walby, S. (2009). Globalization and inequalities: Complexity and contested modernities. London: Sage.
Teaching method
- Theoretical lectures(50%)
- Practical work; presentation and discussion in class, by the students, of texts provided by the lecturer (10 blocks of texts, that may vary according to the school schedule). In each class, we will discuss thematic blocks; the students enrolled in this group will be divided so that one half will present the text, and the other half a critical counterargument (50%).
Evaluation method
a) Practical (40%)
- Individual presentation / counterargument of texts (30%)
- Individual summary of the remaining blocks of texts provided by the lecturer (9 blocks) (10%)
b) Theoretical (60%)
-Individual written assignment on a topic relating to the curricular unit, with previous agreement of the lecturer, to be presented and discussed during the examination and assessment period (maximum 4000 words, excluding annexes and references).