Course content
Modern society presents a complex environment for private, public, and third sector organisations. Increasingly, established social hierarchies are challenged, leading to new forms of freedom and domination, just as earlier power relations continue to be in effect under new conditions. Simultaneously, different spheres in society – science, politics, art, education, religion – seem to become both increasingly autonomous and increasingly intertwined.
Unlike many other disciplines, sociology has not established a dominant paradigm for understanding these developments and the social, human, and economic challenges they raise. Instead, the most influential sociological theorists rely on different basic assumptions and methodological approaches for understanding modern society.
The course introduces five key sociological theoretical perspectives that are influential in sociology and its many sub-disciplines. During the course, we will uncover the basic assumptions, key concepts, and central arguments of the theories. We will focus on ways that these perspectives are applied to fields relevant to private, public, and third sector organisations, and more broadly examine how the theories shed important light on changing constellations of economic, political, and social actors as well as on the social, human, and environmental consequences of their activities.
The course is based on lectures that integrate exercises and student discussions, and workshops and seminars that help student choose themes and operationalize concepts.
The course builds on the theories that were introduced during Fundamentals of Social Theory.
See course description in course catalogue