620 Sociology Classical Sociological Theory Thursday 3:30- 6:10 PM Art/Sociology 2115
Fall, 2002 Mr. Segal Office: 4145 Art/Soc Telephone: [phone] email: [e-mail] Hours: Th 1:00- 3:00 PM and by appt.
Required Texts: Parsons, Talcott. The Social System. Martineau, Harriet. Society in America. De Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. Durkheim, Emil. On Morality and Society. Marx, Karl. The German Ideology. Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Simmel, Georg. On Individuality and Social Forms. Mead, George Herbert. The Individual and the Social Self. Park, Robert E. The City. Addams, Jane. Twenty-Years at Hull House. Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folks. Recommended Text: Ritzer, George. Classical Sociological Theory. 3rd edition. Introductory Remarks: This is primarily a course in Sociological Theory, not in Sociological Theorists. While we will of necessity take individual biographies as data, our objects of analysis are ideas: concepts, assumptions, definitions, value-positions, hypotheses, etc. I do not expect all students in this course to adopt my own views of theory and its place in sociology. Indeed, one of the functions of graduate students, in my opinion, is to help professors see the error of their ways, and one of the criteria on the basis of which you will be evaluated is how well you do this. However, it may be useful for you to know my own views at the onset. The points below are central to my views on theory, and will be elaborated throughout the term. 1) Theory, at the most basic level, is simply a statement of the state of accumulated knowledge in a discipline, including assumptions, definitions, hypothesized relationships, and perceptions of reality. 2) Learned disciplines cannot be divided into theory and research. The two are integrally related, and the expansion of knowledge is based upon the interaction between theory (what we thought we knew before), and research (what we think we have recently learned).
3) The major criterion for the evaluation of a theory is its ability to motivate research and to synthesize and explain research findings. The efficiency of a theory is evaluated by how many concepts are needed to explain how much data. I find myself in agreement with Stinchcombe that a theorist should be defined by his ability to offer new, testable explanations of social phenomena, not by his incompetence at empirical work. 4) The major theorists in sociology have made their contributions not by elaborating and interpreting the writings of those who went before them, but by attempting to describe the social worlds in which they lived. Interpreting the works of Herbert Spencer is a legitimate concern of intellectual history, as is interpreting the works of Copernicus. The former is no more a manifestation of modern sociology that the latter is of modern astronomy. The role of Spencers ideas (and those of others) in the determination of the contemporary sociological agenda, however, is essential for the understanding of continuity and change in the discipline of sociology. 5) I do not regard sociology as having developed to the point where it has a guiding paradigm, or paradigms. If it is a science (which itself is an issue) it is, in my view, nonparadigmatic or preparadigmatic. I do not find it personally useful to take the concept of paradigm, which has a specific meaning in the analysis of the physical sciences, and to change the definition in order to claim for sociology the mantle of science. Too much of the mystique of science is based upon the obfuscation of concepts rather than on understanding the world. There is, however, considerable debate among sociologists on this point. A Note On Incomplete Work I have an obligation to the students in this course to finish the job of teaching it within the temporal limits of the semester. In the exchange relationship that exists between teacher and student, this responsibility weighs no less heavily on you. Completing the work on time is a responsibility, and the receipt of a grade of I is not a right. I recognize that on occasion, circumstances will, for good reason, prevent a student from completing his/her obligations, and under such circumstances, I am willing to temporarily assign a grade of I. The following are the ground rules for receipt of such a grade. a) A grade of I must be requested. If you are not going to finish your work on time, come see me, explain the circumstances that prevent you from completing your work on time, and enter into a contract with me as soon as to when the work must be completed. In the absence of such an agreement, I will regard any work not turned in as having received a failing grade. b) According to University regulations, in order to receive a grade of I, you must have completed a majority of the work for the course, and you must be passing the course on the basis of the work you turned in. c) I will not accept or grade late work during the summer. I conduct no courses during the summer, and regard requests that I perform course-related tasks during this period as an
intrusion on time set aside for my family, for my own research, and for the supervision of the work of my graduate students. d) In those instances where I grant a grade of I, I will allow it to stand for no more than one academic year. Any work not submitted within a year will be regarded as failing, and figured into the final course grade on that basis. A Note On Late Assignments I expect written work to be handed in on the date it is due. There are times that this is not possible, and I tend to be understanding in the case of long-term illness or injury. Since I strongly believe that papers should not be left to the last minute, short-term illness or injury in the days before the paper is due is usually not an acceptable excuse. Papers that are late for reasons that I regard excusable will not be downgraded. Papers that are late for reasons that I regard unacceptable will be reduced one-third of a letter grade for each day after the deadline that they are turned in. A Note on the Conduct of Graduate Courses I expect students to do the reading scheduled for class, and to come to class prepared to discuss the issues raised therein. I do not regard it as my responsibility to digest and summarize the readings for you. Indeed, the scope of the reading list is far too great to allow that. I will neither take attendance in class, nor check directly on your reading. I will expect the knowledge you derive from the readings to be reflected in your class discussions and in your written work. It is my practice to use the full range of grades, as appropriate.
Topics and Readings
Sept. I. 5 Getting Acquainted: The Emergence of Sociological Theory Sept. 12 II. Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) Martineau, especially chapters 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17 Sept. 19 III. Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) Tocqueville, especially vol. 1, chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, 18; vol. 2, second book, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9; third book, chapters 9, 10, 12 Sept. 26 IV. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) Durkheim, especially chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 Parsons, chapters 8, 9, 10, 11 Ritzer, chapter 6 Joseph A. Blake, Death by hand grenade: Altruistic suicide in combat. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior 8 (Spring 1978): 46-59. Jeffrey W. Reimer, Durkheims Heroic Suicide in Military Combat. Armed Forces & Society 25 (1998): 103-120. Daniel Schubert and David R. Segal, Durkheims Fatalism and the U.S. Armys Unit Manning System. Etudes Durkheimiennes, 1990:9-13. Oct. 3 V. Karl Marx (1818-1883) Marx, esp. pp. 29-102, 481-559 Parsons, chapters 5, 9, 10, 11 Ritzer, chapter 5 Oct. 10 VI. Max (1864-1920) and Marianne (1870-1954) Weber Weber, especially pp. 3-147 Parsons, chapters 14, 15, 16, 17 Ritzer, chapter 7 and pp. 316-318
Oct. 17 VII. Georg Simmel (1858-1918) Simmel, entire. Ritzer, chapter 8 Distribute mid-term questions Oct. 24 Mid-Term Examination Due
Oct. 31 VIII. Jane Addams (1860-1935) Addams, entire. Ritzer, pp. 302-309
Nov. 7 IX. George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) Mead, esp. chapters 1-8 Ritzer, chapter 12
Nov. 4 X. Robert E. Park (1864-1944) Park, especially chapters 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
Nov. 21 XI. W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963) Du Bois, entire
Nov. 28 Thanksgiving. NO CLASS Dec. 5 XII. Talcott, Parsons (1902-1979) Parsons, entire Ritzer, chapter 14
Dec. 12 Term Paper Due Take-home Examination distributed Dec. 20 Take-home Examination due
Course Requirements Evaluations in this course will be based upon three criteria. 1. Class Participation. I expect students to read the assigned material, and to come to class prepared to discuss it. The quality of your class contribution will be evaluated. By quality I do not necessarily mean the degree to which what you say is correct. Indeed, we will raise many questions for which there are no correct answers. Rather quality refers to the degree of thought your comments reflect, and the degree to which they stimulate other members of the class, including the instructor, to further thought. 2. A short term paper in which you will identify three empirical articles (not necessarily quantitative) published in a single substantive field of sociology motivated by the central concepts of one of the theorists we are studying this semester, during the last half century. Discuss how the components of the empirical works you have chosen (assumptions, definitions, hypotheses variables, etc.) are rooted in the work of the theorist you have selected. I will give you examples of the kinds of articles I have in mind when we discuss Emile Durkheim. DUE DATE: December 12 3. A Take-home Mid-term Examination. Due October 24 4. A Take-home Final examination. This will be a short essay exam reflecting your ability to apply principles learned during the semester. The questions will be given to you when you turn in your papers on Dec. 12. The examination is due on Dec. 20 by 4:30 PM.
Sociology 620 Classical Sociological Theory Segal Theoretical Terms of Reference
Mr.
Orientation: This is the point of view, or perspective, of the investigator. It is a predilection for a particular way of stating problems, i.e., it guides hypotheses, assumptions, and postulates. As such, it involves the values, judgements, and existing knowledge with which the investigations started. Object of analysis: The level of aggregation with which the theory deals. Social scientists may theorize about individuals, cultures, families, tribes, cities, societies, etc. Unit of analysis: The level of aggregation at which data are collected to bring to bear on the theoretical problem. Most survey research takes the individual as the unit of analysis. Ecol...