Key Problems in Sociological Theory

Pre-requisites: no prerequisites

Course objectives: The aim is for students to acquire a deeper knowledge of the main theoretical problems in sociology and the solutions to these that have been offered since the classical period to this day. This will provide theoretical background to the students' own research and/or teaching practice in the future.

Course description: Drawing upon the knowledge acquired at undergraduate theoretical courses, as well as in other courses taken in their theoretical dimension, this course offers a more profound and detailed acquaintance with sociological theory, through the prism of a set of persistent problems it has been facing since inception. Each of these problems - theoretical ideas in their social context, social constructionism, the concepts of society, individual and practice - is discussed in its classical, post-classical and contemporary formulations and answers that the various approaches have offered over the past one hundred years of sociology as a discipline. Independent mastering and active usage of theoretical knowledge is encouraged, instead of one-sided reception and superficial reproduction. In seminars, discussions are set up on the basis of select original texts illustrating particular relevant takes on the theoretical problems included in the syllabus.

Learning Outcomes: Students will become familiar and understand the crucial problems in sociological theory and the most relevant positions taken with regards to the latter; they will also master critically different types of theoretical arguments and become capable of using these in their own work.

Literature/Reading:

• Mimica, Aljoša (ur.) (1999) Tekst i kontekst, Beograd: ZUNS, str. 1-48, 249-264, 281-329.
• Marinković, Dušan (2006), Konstrukcija društvene realnosti u sociologiji, Novi Sad: Prometej, str. 5-62
• Heking, Ijan (2012), Društvena konstrukcija – ali čega?, Novi Sad: Mediterran
• Beck, Ulrich (2002), „Cosmopolitan society and its enemies“, Theory, Culture & Society 19(1-2): 17-44.
• Latur, Bruno i Nikolas Gejn (2010), „Društveno kao asocijacija“, Treći program br.146, II/2010, str. 87-100.
• Lahire, Bernard (2003): «From the habitus to an individual heritage of dispositions. Towards a sociology at the level of the individual», Poetics 31 (5–6), 329-355
• Archer, Margaret (2007), Making Our Way through the World: Human Reflexivity and Social Mobility, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, str. 1-61.
• Burdije, Pjer (1999), Nacrt za jednu teoriju prakse, Beograd: ZUNS, str. 139-220.
• Kaufmann, Jean-Claude (2004), Život u dvoje: analiza uspostavljanja para kroz odnos prema rublju, Zagreb: Jesenski i Turk, str. 9-14, 53-89.
• Serto, Mišel (1998), „Pronalazak svakodnevnog“, u: Interpretativna sociologija, Beograd: ZUNS, str. 159-173.
• Spasić, Ivana (2004), Sociologije svakodnevnog života, Beograd: ZUNS, str. 9-52, 333-359.
• Burawoy, Michael (2007), „For public sociology“, u: Dan Clawson et al. (eds), Public Sociology, Berkeley: University of California Press, str. 23-64
• Ber, Vivijen (2001), Uvod u socijalni konstrukcionizam, Beograd: Zepter Book World.
• Gane, Nicholas (2004), The Future of Social Theory, London: Continuum
• Mouzelis, Nicos (2000), Sociologijska teorija: što je pošlo krivo?, Zagreb: Jesenski i Turk.
• Schatzki, Theodore, Karin Knorr Cetina and Eike von Savigny (eds.) (2001), The Practice Turn in Contemporary Theory, New York: Routledge.
• Touraine, Alain (2003), „Sociology without societies“, Current Sociology, 51(2): 123–131
• Urry, John (2000), Sociology beyond Societies, London: Routledge