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Lecturer(s)
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Sýkorová Dana, doc. PhDr. Ph.D.
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Course content
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Introduction: Institutional basis of world sociology: ISA, ISA World Congresses of Sociology, ISA Forums of Sociology: Topics of congresses and forums. European sociology against the background of world sociology: ESA, ESA Conferences. 1/Michael Burawoy PUBLIC SOCIOLOGY Burawoy is considered to be a Marxistic sociologist he is concerned to "reconstruct" the Marxistic sociology "in the light of its research and in a wider perspective in the light of historical changes at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century". Burawoy studies the essence of post-colonialism, organisation of state socialism and dilemmas of transfer from socialism to capitalism. He focuses his attention also at sociology "as a science", at the ways of its production and presentation in the public sphere. In the workshop we will concentrate on one of the "big transformations of the 20th century", i.e. the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and its satellites. We will especially discuss the theory and method presented by Burawoy to a "new" understanding of this change (and social change "in general"). 2/ Margaret S. Archer Morphogenetic Approach to Social Theory Archer has contributed to the development of sociology especially by developing elaborating the "morphogenetical approach" to social theory. Within this approach, she deals with the relationship of "structure - action". We will stretch Archer's work to other sociological approaches describing social reality in terms of structure and action (e.g. to Giddens's approach), as well as to those, who "newly" grasp it through the idea of network sociology, for example Bruno Latour. In the discussions, the attention will be paid to the way Archer conceptualises reflexivity and critically expresses herself against other approaches, specifically against the concept of reflexive modernisation by Giddens, or by Beck. Against the background of Giddens's theory of structuration, we can show the weak points of Archer's concept and its factual proximity with the criticised Giddens's concept. 3/ Michel Wieviorka Sociological Analysis of Evil. Wieviorka's main topics are evil (violence, terrorism, racism, anti-semitism), social movements and theory of social change. He represents the method of intervention sociology, with the help of which he tries to capture collective behaviour of actors involved in the process of social transformation. Wieviorka also engages in the debate about the image of sociology in the current globalised world. In discussion, we will compare Wieviorka's approach to the individual and individuality with the Marxistic approach, then with the concepts of Bourdieu and Foucault. Wieviorka's analysis of a specific phenomenon (evil), confronted with the theological view, will enable us to show the essence of sociological analysis of phenomena. 4/ Jeffrey C. Alexander: Social Theory between Progress and Apocalypse Alexander has developed the theory of cultural trauma, which he supports by empirical case studies: he explains trauma as a collective experience and assigns it a key role in crucial sociological conflicts. Alexander also deals with paradoxes of modern society, or with the "reverse side of modernity". He sees great significance in the project of civil society. Alexander is valued for his project of rehabilitation of Parsons's sociological theory and for building post-positivistic theory of science and general theories of behaviour and order. We will focus on Alexander's evaluation of various ways by which sociological theory has coped with the "double-faced" character of modernity Alexander presents them on the examples of approaches by Weber, Simmel, Eisenstadt and Parsons. We will discuss Alexander's view on reorientation of social theory from the effort to solve contradictions of modernity to the acceptation of its "Janus's face" (see social theory between progress and apocalypse).
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming)
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Learning outcomes
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The course focuses on "society and sociology in the 21st century". It aims to provide the students with an insight into the current topics of world sociology, specifically with the help of reading selected works of leading foreign sociologists and a follow-up critical discussion. Students should acquire an idea about the state of sociological theory and empiricism, or be able to orientate themselves in what world sociology "is living through", what questions are asked, what ways are used to solve them and what findings are found.
Students acquire an idea about the state of sociological theory and empiricism, or are able to orientate themselves in what world sociology "is living through", what questions are asked, what ways are used to solve them and what findings are found.
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Prerequisites
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The course follows the workshop Texts from Sociological Theory and the Methodological Workshop.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Seminar Work
The presuppositions of successful completion of the course and receiving 10 credits are: (a) attendance at workshops and active participation in discussions; (b) presenting a paper on a book assigned for reading and discussion on a specific workshop and processing a written review of this book (4 pages long); (c) annotations to three other discussed topics (individual annotations between 12 pages long); (d) "assessment" of the current state of scientific research in the field of dissertation thesis (23 pages long)/ "assessment" of the situation in the sociological discipline related to the dissertation thesis topic. Reading: Burawoy, M. 2009. The Extended Case Method: Four Countries, Four Decades, Four Great Transformations, and One Theoretical Tradition. Berkeley: University of California Press. Archer, M. S. 2010. Conversations About Reflexivity. London and New York: Routledge. Wieviorka, M. 2012. Evil. Cambridge:Polity Press. Alexander, J. C. 2013. The Dark Side of Modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press.
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Recommended literature
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& Archer, M. S. (2013). Conversations about reflexivity. London: Routledge.
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Alexander, J. C. (2013). The dark side of modernity. Cambridge: Polity.
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Burawoy, M. (2009). The extended case method: four countries, four decades, four great transformations, and one theoretical tradition. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press.
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Wieviorka, M., & Lobel, K. C. (2012). Evil. Cambridge: Polity.
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