Course Syllabus
Course: Sociology 512 (Graduate Sociological Theory)
Fall 2017
5:30-8:15 p.m. Monday
Grise Hall 130
Instructor: Dr. Steve Groce
Office: 131 Grise Hall
Phone: 745-2253
E-mail: steve.groce@wku.edu
Web Page: http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Home.htm
Text: Sociological
Theory (tenth edition) by George Ritzer and
Jeffrey Stepnisky, plus selected readings assigned by
the instructor.
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Course Objective:
Sociological
theory is one of the most important areas within the discipline of
sociology. Many sociologists, including
your instructor, argue that it is the most
important area. Why???
A researcher can spend her/his days counting, cross tabulating,
regressing, and otherwise "analyzing" the virtually limitless
dimensions of human social behavior.
However, without some theoretical framework to serve as a guideline,
many empirical exercises tell us much about the relationships between numbers
and precious little else. In short, the
importance of theory for sociology is that is allows us to meaningfully
explain, describe, and analyze the things that people do with, to, by, and for
each other. Our goal this semester is to
investigate a wide range of theoretical perspectives in sociology. It is my intent for you to come away from
this class with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for both the strengths
and weaknesses of the most micro-level theories, the most macro-level theories,
and everything in between.
Attendance:
This is a
graduate level course that meets only once a week. Need we say anything more about attendance???
Grade Determination:
I will assign
grades on the basis of three in-class exams, bullet-style summaries of each
week's readings, and a number of unannounced in-class quizzes on assigned
readings.
Office Hours:
My office in 131 Grise Hall. My
office hours are 7:00-8:00 a.m. and 9:30-11:00 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays,
and 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Mondays. If
these times are not convenient for
you, just call me at the office or e-mail me and we'll schedule an appointment.
Students With Disabilities:
In compliance
with university policy, students with disabilities who require accommodations
(academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must
contact the Office for Student Disability Services in DUC A-200 of the Student
Success Center in Downing University Center.
Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or
instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student
Disability Services.
The Learning Center
(TLC) (located in the Academic Advising and Retention Center,
DUC-A330)
Should you
require academic assistance with this, or any other, course, there are several
places that can provide you with help. TLC tutors in most major undergraduate
subjects and course levels throughout the week . To
make an appointment, or to request a tutor for a specific class, call 745-6254
or stop by DUC A330. Log on to TLC’s website at www.wku.edu/tlc
<http://www.wku.edu/tlc> to find out
more. TLC hours: M-Thur. 8am-9pm, Fri. 8am-4pm, Sat.-Closed, and Sundays
4pm-9pm.
Tentative Schedule
Aug. 21
No Class (solar eclipse)
Aug. 28 Introduction; Historical and Intellectual
Development of Sociological Theory;
Early
Functionalism (Ritzer, pp. 3-13; 13-19; 31-38; 19-21;77-110)
Kimmel, Michael S. and Charles Stephens (eds.). 1998. Social and Political Theory: Classical
Readings. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon. Pp. 32-41, “Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Selections From ‘The Social Contract.’”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Rousseau.pdf
Sica, Alan (ed.). 2005. Social Thought: From the Enlightenment To The Present.
Boston: Pearson. Pp. 27-32, “The Spirit of Laws”
(Montesquieu).
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Montesquieu.pdf
Farganis, James (ed.). 1993. Readings
in Social Theory. New York:
McGraw-Hill. Pp. 27-39,
“Auguste Comte: The First Technocrat” (from Comte’s System of Positive
Polity).
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Comte.pdf
Carneiro, Robert L. (ed.). 1967. Herbert
Spencer: The Evolution of Society.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Pp. 1-48.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Spencer1.pdf
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Spencer2.pdf
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Spencer3.pdf
Farganis, James (ed.). 1993. Readings
in Social Theory. New York: Mcgraw-Hill.
Pp. 76-87, “Emile Durkheim: Egoistic Suicide and Anomic Suicide”
(from Durkheim’s Le Suicide).
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Durkheim--Suicide.pdf
Giddens, Anthony (ed.). 1972. Emile Durkheim: Selected Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. Pp. 51-88.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Durkheim-Giddens1.pdf
Sept. 4 No Class
(Labor Day)
Sept. 11 Continue
Early Functionalism
Sept.18 Modern
Functionalism (Ritzer, pp. 209-211; 235-257)
Aberle, D.F., A.K. Cohen, A.K.
Davis, M.J. Levy, Jr., and F.X. Sutton.
“The Functional Prequisites
of Society.” Pp. 203-213 in James Farganis (ed.) Readings
in Social Theory. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1993.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/aberlecohendavis.pdf
Merton, Robert K.
1967. On Theoretical Sociology. New
York: Free Press. Pp. 114- 138,
“Manifest and Latent Functions.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Merton.pdf
Parsons, Talcott.
“Evolutionary Universals in Society.”
Pp. 684-710 in Lewis A. Coser and
Bernard Rosenberg (eds.) Sociological
Theory: A Book of Readings. New York: Macmillan, 1969.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/parsonsuniversals.pdf
Parsons, Talcott.
“Social Structure and Dynamic Process: The Case of Modern Medical Practice.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/parsonsmodernmedical.pdf
Davis, Kingsley and Wilbert E. Moore. 1945.
“Some Principles of Stratification.”
American
Sociological Review 7, pp. 242-249.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/davismoreprinciples.pdf
Sept. 25
Early Conflict Theory (Ritzer,
pp. 21-26; 43-75; 26-31; 113-155;157-187)
Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels. From The
German Ideology. Pp. 64-69 in
James Farganis (ed.)
Readings in Social Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/MarxEngelsGermanIdeology.pdf
Marx, Karl. From The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of
1844. Pp. 56-64 in James
Farganis (ed.) Readings
in Social Theory. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1993.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/marxeconomicandphilosophic.pdf
Marx, Karl. From Manifesto of the Communist Party. Pp. 167-179 in Michael S. Kimmel and Charles Stephen (eds.) Social and Political Theory: Classical Readings. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Marxmanifesto.pdf
Marx, Karl. From Wage Labor and Capital. Pp. 180-195 in Michael S. Kimmel and Charles Stephen (eds.) Social and Political Theory: Classical Readings. Boston: Allyn
and Bacon, 1998.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/MarxLaborandCapital.pdf
Engels, Frederick.
From “The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State.” Pp.
22-40, “The Basis of the
Family,” in Neil J. Smelser (ed.) Karl Marx on Society and Social Change.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/engelsoriginoffamily.pdf
Weber, Max. From Economy and Society. Pp. 110-120 in James Farganis
(ed.) Readings in
Social Theory. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1993.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/WeberEconomyandSociety.pdf
Simmel, Georg. “The
Sociological Nature of Conflict.” Pp.
13-55 in Kurt Wolff and Reinhard
Bendix (trans.) Georg Simmel: Conflict
and the Web of Group Affiliations. New York: Free Press, 1955.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/simmelconflict.pdf
Oct. 2 Early Conflict Theory
(cont.) Modern Conflict Theory (Ritzer, pp.
211-216;
266-272; 275-306); Review for Exam
Mills, C. Wright.
1956. The Power Elite. London:
Oxford University Press. Pp.269- 297.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/powerelite.pdf
Dahrendorf, Ralf. From Class
and Class Conflict in Industrial Society.
Pp. 271-290 in James Farganis
(ed.) Readings in Social Theory (2nd edition).
New York: McGraw-Hill,
1996. Pp. 271-290.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/dahrendorf.pdf
Kellner, Douglas.
1989. Critical Theory, Marxism, and Modernity. Baltimore: The John Hopkins
University Press. Pp. 121-145, “From
‘Authentic Art’ to the Culture Industries.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/fromauthenticart.pdf
Adorno, Theodore and Max Horkheimer. “The Culture Industry: Enlightment
as Mass Deception.” Pp. 173-193
in Roger S. Gottlieb (ed.) An Anthology of
Western Marxism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Adorno
and Horkheimer.pdf
Sica, Alan (ed.). 2005. Social Thought: From the Enlightenment To The Present.
Boston: Pearson. Pp. 734-739, “World System Theory” (Immanuel
Wallerstein).
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/wallerstein.pdf
Oct. 9 Exam #1
Oct. 16 Early
Symbolic Interactionism (Ritzer, pp. 112-126; 157-173;
199-
205;
332-376)
Weber, Max.
“Subjective Meaning in the Social Situation” (from The Theory of Economic and Social Organization). Pp. 191-203 in Lewis Coser
and Bernard
Rosenberg (ed.) Sociological Theory: A Book of Readings. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 1989.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/subjectivemeaning.pdf
Weber, Max. “Social
Action and Its Classification.” Pp.
76-86 in J.E.T. Eldridge (ed.) Max
Weber: The Interpretation of Social Reality. New York: Schocken,
1980.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/socialactionanditsclassification.pdf
Simmel, Georg. “How
Is Society Possible?” Pp. 6-31 in Donald
Levine (ed.) Georg Simmel:
On Individuality and Social Forms.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/howissocietypossible.pdf
Reynolds, Larry T.
1990. Interactionism: Exposition and Critique. New York: General Hall. Pp. 5-31, “Intellectual Antecedents.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/intellectualantecedents.pdf
Manis, Jerome and Bernard N. Meltzer (eds.). 1978. Symbolic Interaction: A Reader in Social
Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Pp.
104-106, “Communication, Individual, and Society” (John Dewey)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/communication,individualandsociety.pdf
Pp.
169-170, “Looking-Glass Self” (Charles Horton Cooley)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/looking-glassself.pdf
Pp.
252-254, “Mind, Experience, Behavior” (John Dewey)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/mindexperienceandbehavior.pdf
Pp.
254-258, “The Definition of the Situation” (W.I. Thomas)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/definitionofthesituation.pdf
Mead, George Herbert.
“The Emergent Self” (from Mind,
Self, and Society). Pp. 160-
179 in
James Farganis (ed.) Readings in Social Theory.
New York: McGraw-
Hill, 1996.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/mindselfandsociety.pdf
Oct. 23 Modern
Symbolic Interactionism (Ritzer, pp. 340-347
Manis, Jerome and Bernard N. Meltzer (eds.). 1972. Symbolic Interaction: A Reader in Social
Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Pp.
145-154, “Society as Symbolic Interaction” (Herbert Blumer)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Society
as Interaction.pdf
Pp.
160-171, “Reference Group as Perspective” (Tamotsu Shibutani)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Reference
Groups.pdf
Pp.
393-404, “Situated Action and Vocabularies of Motive” (C. Wright Mills)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Vocabularies
of Motive and Accounts.pdf (1st
half of file)
Pp.
404-429, “Accounts” (Marvin Scott and Stanford Lyman)
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Vocabularies
of Motive and Accounts.pdf (2nd
half of file)
Becker, Howard S.
“The Self and Adult Socialization.”
Pp. 289-303 in Howard S.
Becker (ed.) Sociological Work: Method and Substance. Chicago: Aldine, 1970.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/SelfandAdultSocialization.pdf
Becker, Howard S.
“Becoming a Marijuana User.” Pp.
41-58 in Howard S. Becker (ed.) Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of
Deviance. New York: Macmillan, 1963.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Becoming
a Marihuana User.pdf
Rosenberg, Morris.
“The Self-Concept: Motives and Principles.” From Conceiving
the Self. New York,
Basic, 1979.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Rosenberg
on Self Concept.pdf
Zhao, Shanyang. 2015.
“Reconceptualizing the Self-Phenomenon: Toward
an Emic
Conception of the Self.” Symbolic
Interaction 38, pp. 235-260.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Reconceptualizing
the Self Phenomenon.pdf
Oct. 30 Social Exchange
Theory (Ritzer, pp. 210-211; 216-217; 395-431) and
Dramaturgy (Ritzer, pp. 217-218; 347-355)
Simmel, Georg.
“Exchange.” Pp. 43-69 in Donald
Levine (ed.) Georg Simmel: On Individuality
and Social Forms. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1971.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/exchange-simmel.pdf
Homans, George C. 1978 [1961].
“The General Propositions of Social Exchange.” Pp.
131-146 in Alan Wells (ed.)
Contemporary Sociological Theories. Santa Monica, CA: Goodyear.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/generalpropositions-homans.pdf
Homans, George C. 1982 [1958].
“Social Behavior as Exchange.” Pp. 72-76 in Lewis Coser and Bernard Rosenberg (eds.) Sociological Theory: A Book of Readings (fifth ed.). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/socialbehaviorasexchange-homans.pdf
Blau, Peter. “The Structure of Social Associations” (from Exchange and Power in Social Life). Pp. 303-317 in James Farganis
(ed.) Readings in Social Theory. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Structureofsocialassociations-Blau.pdf
Singlemann, Peter. 1972.
“Exchange as Symbolic Interactionism: Convergences Between Two Theoretical Perspectives.” American
Sociological Review 37, pp. 414-424.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Exchange
and SI.pdf
Gall, Alecia Faye.
1996. “Marital and Personal Life
Satisfaction Among Married, Female
Graduate Students: A Qualitative Analysis of Value Conflicts.” Unpublished
Master’s Thesis, Department of Sociology, Western Kentucky University. Pp. 1-8 (“Introduction”), pp. 20-32
(“Theoretical Perspective”), and pp.
67-93 (“Value Conflicts”).
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Marital
and Personal Satisfaction.pdf
Goffman, Erving.
1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Pp. 1-16, “Introduction”; pp. 106-140, “Regions and Region Behavior”; pp.238-255,
“Conclusion.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/goffman-presentationofself.pdf
Goffman, Erving.
1971. Relations in Public. New
York: Basic. Pp. Ix-xvii,
“Preface”; pp. 28-61, “Territories of the Self.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/goffmanrelationsinpublic.pdf
Goffman, Erving.
1967. Interaction Ritual. Garden
City, NY: Doubleday. Pp. 1-3, “Introduction”;
pp. 5-45, “On Face Work.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/goffman-interactionritual.pdf
Goffman, Erving.
1963. Behavior in Public Places.
New York: Free Press. Pp.
3-63, “The Problem,” “Introductory Definitions,” “Involvement,” and
“Some Rules About
Involvement.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/goffman-behaviorinpublicplaces.pdf
Gonos, George. 1977.
“‘Situation’ Versus ‘Frame’: The ‘Interactionist’ and the ‘Structuralist’ Analyses of
Everyday Life.” American Sociological Review 42,
pp. 854-867.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/gonos-situationversusframe.pdf
Dellwig, Michael. 2102.
“Little Drama of Discomposure: On Doing Face-Work with
Disaligning
Actions.” Symbolic Interaction 35, pp. 146-161.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Disaligning
Actions.pdf
Nov. 6 Phenomenology
and Ethnomethodology (Ritzer, pp. 217-218; 369-392
Review for Exam
Schutz, Alfred.
“Social Interpretation and Individual Orientation,” “Social Means
of Orientation
and Interpretation,” and “Selective Attention: Relevances
and Typification.” Pp.
79-122 in Helmut R. Wagner (ed.) Alfred
Schutz: On Phenomenology and Social Relations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Schutz.pdf
Garfinkel, Harold. 1967. Studies in Ethnomethodology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall. Pp. 1-34, “What Is Ethnomethodology?”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Garfinkel.pdf
Mehan, Hugh and Houston Wood. 1975. The Reality of Ethnomethodology. New York: Wiley. Pp. 8-33, “Five Features of Reality.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Mehan
and Wood.pdf
Handel, Warren.
1982. Ethnomethodology: How People Make Sense. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Pp. 28-51, “The Philosophical Concerns of Ethnomethodology”;
pp.130-147, “Conversation Analysis.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Handel.pdf
Cicourel, Aaron. 1974. Cognitive Sociology: Language and Meaning in
Social Interaction. New
York: Free Press. Pp. 11-41,
“Interpretive Procedures and Normative
Rules in the Negotiation of Status and Role”; pp. 51-62, “Some Properties of Interpretive
Procedures.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Cicourel.pdf
Dennis, Alex.
2011. “Symbolic Interactionism
and Ethnomethodology.” Symbolic
Interaction
34, pp. 349–356.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Ethnomethodology
and SI.pdf
Nov. 13 Exam #2
Nov. 20 Feminist Theory
(Ritzer, pp. 204-205; 220-221; 433-474)
Sica, Alan (ed.). 2005. Social Thought: From the Enlightenment To The Present.
Boston: Pearson. Pp. 700-705, “Dorothy Smith: Feminist
Standpoint Theory.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Dorothy
Smith Standpoint Theory.pdf
Wood, Julia.
1994. Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth. Pp. 59-90, “The Origins and Implications of
Gendered Identities.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Julia
Wood.pdf
Wolf, Naomi.
1991. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. New York: Morrow. Pp. 9-19, “The Beauty Myth”; pp. 131-178,
“Sex.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Naomi
Wolf The Beauty Myth.pdf
Litewka, Jack. 1977.
“The Socialized Penis.” Pp. 12-35
in Jon Snodgrass (ed.) For Men Against Sexism: A Book
of Readings. Albion, CA: Times
Change Press.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Litewka
The Socialized Penis.pdf
Franklin, Clyde W. II.
1988. Men & Society. Chicago:
Nelson-Hall. Pp. 83-122, “Becoming ‘Boys,’ ‘Men,’ ‘Guys,’ and
‘Dudes”; pp. 156-171, “Men’s Sexuality.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/becomingboysmenguys.pdf
Stoltenberg, John. 1997.
“How Men Have (A) Sex.” Pp.
218-227 in Estelle Disch (ed.) Reconstructing
Gender: A Multicultural Anthology.
Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Stoltenberg
How Men Have a Sex.pdf
Nov. 27 The Micro-Macro Connection; Postmodernist Theory (Ritzer, pp. 223-232; 477-
525;
529-558); Review for exam
Giddens,
Anthony. 1984. The
Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration.
Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. Xiii-xxxvii, “Introduction”; pp. 1-40, “Elements of the Theory of
Structuration.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Giddens
Intro to Structuration.pdf
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Giddens
Structuration Theory.pdf
Sica, Alan (ed.). 2005. Social Thought: From the Enlightenment To The Present.
Boston: Pearson. Pp. 706-712, “Jean Baudrillard:
Simulacra and Simulations.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Jean
Baudrillard.pdf
Sica, Alan (ed.). 2005. Social Thought: From the Enlightenment To The Present.
Boston: Pearson. Pp. 644-652, “Pierre Bourdieu: Habitus and
Field.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Bourdieu
Habitus and Field.pdf
Farganis, James (ed.). 1993. Readings
in Social Theory. New York:
McGraw-Hill. Pp. 363-364, “Post-Modernisms”; pp. 365-374, “The Carceral”
(Michel Foucault); pp. 374-385, “The
Post Modern Condition: A Report on Knowledge” (Jean-Francois Lyotard).
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Foucault
and Lyotard.pdf
Murphy, John.
1989. Postmodern Social Analysis and Criticism. New York: Greenwood. Pp. 37-56, “Postmodern Social Science”; pp.
57-78, “Order and Discourse.”
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Murphy
Postmodern Social Analysis.pdf
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Murphy
Order and Discourse.pdf
Kellner, Douglas.
1990. “The Postmodern Turn:
Positions, Problems, and Prospects.” Pp. 255-286 in George Ritzer
(ed.) Frontiers of Social Theory. New York: Columbia
University Press.
http://people.wku.edu/steve.groce/Kellner
Postmodern Turn.pdf
Final Exam: Monday,
Dec. 4, 6:00-8:00 p.m.