SY 6330 - Contemporary Social Theory

Credits: 3

Description This course examines the main strands of contemporary social theory in the ‘long’ 20th century, with a focus on the tensions between social structure and individual agency. The course will emphasize the issues raised by the modern, scientific perspective and its implications for understanding the causal epistemology that underlies social theory. Students will read and critique major theorists (e.g., Freud, Cooley, Weber, Gramsci, Du Bois, Foucault. Goffman, Smith, Harding and Merton, among others), lead discussions and apply appropriate theories to their own research interests.