The sociological tradition, as it emerged in the 19th century Europe, addressed
two central questions which are still relevant today: what holds the society
together? And how does it happen that societies change? This course will review
the ways in which major sociological thinkers have approached these questions,
and will invite the students to formulate their own answers. It will explore
a range of theories offered by sociologists in an effort to comprehend the workings
of the modern society in its various manifestations, from religion to science
and from social movements to bureaucracy. It will address agendas and visions
implicated in sociological analysis, and explore the patterns in which the theories
themselves change over time, with a particular emphasis on the rise and fall
of such key concepts as development and modernization, or progress and evolution.
Topics include: development of the nation-state and globalization, capitalism
and modernity, revolutions and the public sphere, discipline and social order,
technology and social change, nostalgia and postmodernity.
Format: Lecture/discussion. Requirements: a take-home midterm exam, a class
presentation and a final.