1 Sociology 475: Classical Sociological Theory Spring 2012 Instructor: Tod Van Gunten Email: [email protected] Class Location and Time: Social Science 6203, Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM Office: 7133 Social Science, Phone: 890‐4486 (preferably contact me by email rather than phone) Office Hours: Thursday, 12:15‐1:15 or by appointment This class is an introduction to the work of four classic sociological thinkers: Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and Alexis de Tocqueville. In spite of the word “theory” in the course title, the emphasis is not on abstract theorizing but on the concrete engage ment of these sociologists with the major issues of their time: industrializati on, capitalism, democracy, nationalism, individualism, modern religion, and so on. All of these aspects of social life emerged with the advent of modernity and became increasingly important during the 19th century; all of them remain central issues for the social sciences today. Hence, this class is about the way that these classical thinkers shape the way we understand our world today. The class is organized around four major themes: modernity, capitalism and Industrialization, politics and democracy, and religion and culture. Although the focus is on famous authors and seminal works, the idea is to think about common themes and contrasts among them, rather than approach each author on their own. There is no way around it: the main task of this class is to read, understand and develop your own opinions about a set of extremely difficult books and essays. To a certain extent (but only a certain extent) this is a goal in itself: the experience of reading the classics. It turns out that reading the classics isn’t easy. Readings for this class will take much, much longer than reading a textbook or most contemporary sociology: plan at least twice as much time as you normally would to read the same number of pages. You will need to read many sentences or paragraphs repeatedly to understand where the author is going. In some cases, you may need to re‐read the entire text a second time. You are not expected to memorize every word on every page, but you will be expected to understand key themes and ideas. Lectures are intended to 1) provide sufficient context and anticipate possible misunderstandings before you read, so that you get the most out of your reading and 2) clarify and deepen the interpretation of the readings after you read. Thus, each lecture will be dedicated in varying degrees to discussing the readings assigned for that day and those assigned for the next class, while leaving as much time as possible for questions and discussion. Lectures are not intended to substitute for reading: while I will make every effort to clarify the readings, the evaluations are designed to make sure you read as well as come to class. 2 The best way to succeed in this class is to approach the texts with the intent of establishing your own opinion about the authors. With what arguments do you most agree, and why do you disagree with the statements that you disagree with? Are you, in other words, a Marxist, a Weberian, a Durkheimian, or a Tocquevillian? If you can answer this question, you know what you need to know. Required Readings The required books for the class are on sale at the University Bookstore. They are (in no particular order): Tucker, Robert (Ed.), The Marx‐Engels Reader, ISBN‐13: 978‐0393090406, Second Edition, WW Norton Tocqueville, Alexis de (edited by J.P Mayer and Translated by George Lawrence), Democracy in America, ISBN‐13: 978‐0060956660, Harper Perennial Weber, Max (Translated by Stephen Kalberg), The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, ISBN‐13 ISBN13: 9780199747252, Oxford University Press Weber, Max (Edited by H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills), From Max Weber, ISBN‐13: 978‐0‐415‐48269‐1, Routledge Durkheim, Emile (Edited by Mark Cladis and Translated by Carol Cosman), The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, ISBN‐13 978‐0199540129, Oxford University Press Durkheim, Emile, The Division of Labor in Society, ISBN‐13 978‐0684836386, Free Press Note that in many cases there are many different editions and translations of these books of various shapes, sizes, colors, flavors and prices. I have no objection to your using a different edition if it is cheaper or you have it from a previous class, but I strenuously recommend that you not attempt to use a different translation (check the name of the translator) and caution that in some cases it will be quite difficult to figure out which pages to read in a different edition (even if it is the same translation). Beware cheap kindle editions because there are complaints about some of these on amazon.com, but by all means use these if you can find decent editions. In addition, there are a small number of photocopies (well, scanned articles) that will be placed on learn@UW (INCLUDING ONE FOR THE SECOND CLASS), on reserve in the Social Science Reference Library (8th floor on the lake side of the building; note that you have to go back on the 7th floor and then take the back stairs or elevator up) and on e‐reserve. I may make small adjustments to the readings over the course of the semester. 3 Evaluation and Grading Mid‐term and final: there will be a mid‐term covering roughly the first half of the class and a final covering roughly the second half (i.e. the final is not cumulative). Both will consist of short‐answer questions and will be open‐book and open‐note. Short written assignments: in addition, you will be required to submit six of a possible nine short (1‐2 single‐spaced pages) writing assignments. If you submit more than six, I will take the top six scores. Assignments will be given out in class or shortly thereafter by email on the days marked in the schedule and due at the beginning of class a week later. Generally, assignments will come at the conclusion of a particular theme or a major book. These are not formal writing assignments, and you will not be graded on composition (nor will written feedback be provided, though I’ll be happy to discuss these with you). Rather, the purpose of these assignments is to further your understanding of the readings by asking you to discuss, using your own language and ideas, your interpretation, disagreements, and comparisons of the texts. In addition, these assignments are a kind of practice for the