Module:                                SPT305 Contemporary Social Theory

Programme:                         BA in Political Science and Sociology

Credit Value:                        12

Module Tutor:                       

1. General Objective

The module introduces sociological theories since 1930s. This module continues from where SPT202 Classical Social Theory ends. It will attempt to draw students to diverse  and  multifaceted  theories  on range  of  social  structures  such  as  power, production and trade that emerged after WWII.  We will look at variety of contending and sometimes complementary perspectives in understanding social reality.

2. Learning Outcomes

On completion of the module, learners will be able to:

• Identify key contemporary thinkers and their ideas

• Identify the  role  of  theory in  the  social  sciences,  both  historically  and contemporarily

• Compare and contrast Foucault, Bourdieu and Habermas's theory of power and structure

• Analyze, explain, and apply key contemporary sociological theories, concept and terms

• Articulate and link modern social theories to social-political issues

• Evaluate the relationship between theorists argument and the way they use data to support those arguments

• Explore the concept of identity and trust through the lens of contemporary social theories

3. Learning and teaching approach

4. Assessment approach

Assessments  will  be  carried  out  on  a  continuous  basis  through  the  following assignments:

A. Mid-semester examination: Portion of the final mark: 20%

Two tests will be conducted in this module. The first test will take place on Week 6 and is worth 10% of the final marks.   The second test will be conducted on Week 11 and will be worth 10% of the final marks.

B. Writing assignment: Portion of the final mark: 25%

Writing assignment will involve selecting a theorist and writing a paper arguing for their  choice.  The  essay  should  be  3000  word  long  and  will  be  graded  on following:

8% - Content (understanding of the subject, relevance of information)

13% - Critical evaluation and discussion of evidence with examples

4% - Grammar and style

C. Oral presentation and discussion: Portion of final marks: 15%

Oral presentation and discussion will be for 25 minutes. Students will work in groups of 2 – 3 students each for this part of the assessment.  The assessment will be graded as follows:

2.5% - Delivery

10% - Content, organization and preparedness

2.5% - Enthusiasm/Audience Awareness

D. End-semester examination: Portion of the final marks: 40%

The exam will be for three hour and the total marks will be for 100. The question will be combination of short-answer and essay questions with 40-60 weightage respectively.

Overview of assessment approaches and weighting

Prerequisite:SPT204 Classical Social Theory

5. Subject matter

5.1.           Unit I: Micro-Sociological Analysis

5.1.1.       Phenomenology; meaning, nature and scope 

5.1.2.       Social construction of reality; meaning, how do we shape our realties

5.1.3.       Presentation  of  self  in  everyday  life;  the  impact  of  social interaction and relation on the concept of self

5.1.4.       Symbolic interactionism; meaning, nature and scope

5.2.           Unit II: Exchange and Rationality

5.2.1.       Social   behaviour   as   exchange;   helping,   reciprocity   and altruism

5.2.2.       Exchange   and   power;   defining   and   understanding   the relationship between the two.

5.2.3.       Social capital and human capital; meaning and types of capital

5.2.4.       Collective behaviours

5.3.           Unit III: Institutional Analysis

5.3.1.       Introduction: Nature of institutions, analyzing institutions and intuitionalism in modern sociology

5.3.2.       Steering action theory

5.3.3.       Coercion and capital – formation and transformation of city and states

5.3.4.       Organizational theory and diversity

5.3.5.       Trust and risk

5.4.           Unit IV: The Sociological Theory of Michael Foucault

5.4.1.       Truth and power; regime of truth, power as knowledge, and the relationship between power and truth establishment in the society

5.4.2.       Discipline and punish; meaning of discipline and the use of punishment and a source of conformity. The relationship between discipline and power in post-modern era

5.5.           Unit V: The Sociological Theory of Anthony Giddens

5.5.1.       Modernity and Self-Identity; the formation of identity and the use of modern society as the source of identity formation

5.5.2.       Agency and structure; the relationship between agency and structure and its formation

5.5.3.       Consequences of modernity and self-identity

5.6.           Unit VI: The Sociological Theory of Pierre Bourdieu

5.6.1.       Structures, Habitus, Practices

5.6.2.       Cultural production; culture as the source of power

5.7.           Unit VII: The Sociological Theory of Jürgen Habermas

5.7.1.       Society and the political public sphere:

5.7.2.       Emergence and development of CSO's in Bhutan

5.7.3.       Critical theory of society

5.7.4.       Theory and practice

6. Reading list

6.1.           Essential reading

Calhoun,  C.,  Gerteis,  J.,  Moody,  J.,  Pfaff,  S.,  & Virk,  I.  (Eds.).  (2012). Contemporary Sociological Theory (3 edition). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Elliott, A. (2014). Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction (2nd  edition). New York: Routledge. 

Giddens, A. (2013). Modernity and Self-identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Redwood City, CA: Stanford University Press. 

6.2.           Additional reading

Brooks, A. (2010). Social Theory in Contemporary Asia.Routledge

Sztompka, P. (2000).  Trust:  A Sociological Theory. Cambridge  University Press.

Date: December 2015