Sociology is, overall, a way of seeing and analyzing the world. It is an eclectic field, encompassing multiple—sometimes contradictory—perspectives, theories and methods. But all sociology shares one fundamental idea: we experience the world in the context of relationships: with individuals, in groups and communities as well as society writ large. Our relationships allow us to make sense of the world and to take action within it. It is therefore wise to develop tools to describe, reflect on and perhaps even influence the way that society shapes actions, beliefs, values and comprehension.
Sean SAFFORD,Anwita DINKAR,Céline ESCHENBRENNER,Ulysse BICAL,Assia WIRTH
Cours magistral et conférences
English
Spring 2021-2022
Continuous assessment: 2/3 of the final grade
• A midterm exam (30%)
• An oral presentation (30%)
• A poster presentation (30%)
• Participation (10%)
Final Exam: 1/3 of the final grade
The weeks are arranged in two main sections. The first half of the course introduces fundamental sociological concepts such as social construction, norms, identity, deviance, and stratification among others. In the second half of the course, we turn to topical areas in which these concepts are applied: the economy, the family, religion, social movements, the state and on-line.
The course work is organized into three parts: Lectures, “Bonus Sessions” and Seminars
The lectures introduce the main concepts, theories, and debates in sociology. They offer a broad survey of the key ideas in the field of sociology and are meant to draw connections across various intellectual domains. Bonus sessions follow the lecture each week and are meant to reinforce the ideas presented in the lecture but are designed to be more interactive. We also use this time also discuss the video/poster project milestones.
The weekly seminar discussions are designed to help you actively engage with sociological ideas in more depth. Each week, your seminar instructors will discuss the papers or book chapters that have been assigned and teams of students will be assigned to present one of the assigned readings.
Berger, P., Invitation to sociology. A humanistic perspective. New York: Doubleday, 1963, p. 1-22.