SOCIAL THEORY / ANTHROPOLOGI AL THEORY
SOCL/ANTH 302, section #001 (call #’s 10045 and 10046), Fall 2011, 3 credit hours
Professor: Dr. Douglas Eckberg Classroom: Kinard 316
Schedule: TR, 9:30-10:45 a.m. Office: Kinard 314-A
Phones: (office) 323-4654, (home) 366-0637, (cell) 517-4819
Office Hrs: Tue & Thu, 11:00 a.m.–noon, and MW 9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
email: eckbergd@winthrop.edu
Web page: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/eckbergd/
To communicate outside of class --
(1) If it’s not an emergency, email is best!
(2) I’m around a lot more than my official hours, so you might just drop by if you
need to see me (though it is a good idea to call ahead).
(3) Once in a while I can’t make my hours because emergencies come up. I’ll try to
leave messages when that happens.
(4) You can get hold of me the following ways:
(a) make an appointment,
(b) call me (my cell number is best)
(c) send an email (you have both my email addresses)
(d) leave a note in the basket on my door
Just don’t call after 10:00 p.m., please!
The course is an approved “writing intensive” course. Please see guidelines.
(http://www.winthrop.edu/uploadedFiles/recandreg/Services/writ_intensive_guideli
nes_app.pdf)
I. Readings:
Main text: R. P. Cuzzort and Edith W. King, Social Thought into the 21st Century, 6th
ed., 2002, Orlando: Harcourt.
Individual Theorists’ Readings: A series of readings are available (free) online. Links to
them are provided in the calendar at the end of this syllabus.
II. Course objectives:
Trying to understand society will make you crazy, but that’s our job. We’ll be going over
some theorists who are considered important, to let you see what they thought, where
their ideas came from, and what is the status of some of their ideas today. As I’ll tell you
early on, it isn’t likely that that there’s one correct ―theory‖ and other ―incorrect‖ ones.
Theory is much more complicated than that.
This course should integrate what you already have learned in sociology. That is, while
you had several courses on particular issues, and while you probably are somewhat
familiar with the different "perspectives" of the discipline, you have not yet gone to the
root of sociology, to find where the issues originated, or why it is that certain ways of
looking at issues are common and others are not. In this course, we will look at the social
roots of sociology, at the diverse positions of its founders, and at how those positions still
play major roles in the direction of the discipline at this time. We will concentrate on the
general social positions of Marx, Weber and Durkheim, will look at the nature of
"functionalism," and "interpretive sociology" in this century, and will glance at a few
ongoing controversies.
All this falls within the department mission, which includes helping our students
―develop the analytical tools to understand an ever-expanding body of knowledge about
the dynamics of social relationships, the nature of power and influence in complex
societies, and the roles of age, class, ethnicity, gender, religion, and other social
phenomena that affect viewpoints and life chances,‖ as well as learning to write
effectively (http://www2.winthrop.edu/sociology/departmissionstatement.htm). The
department/ student learning outcomes evaluated include: 1) The student specifically
will be able to articulate the role of theory in sociology. 2) Students will develop the
ability to communicate effectively about the basic concepts and theoretical premises of
sociology.
We will look at the cool stuff (I think) – the reality or unreality of society or of history.
The place, or lack of place, or odd place, of the individual in the social world. Issues of
whether we construct the world or it constructs us, or both. Or a little from column A and
a little from column B.
Any set of readings in theory can be criticized. You will read little in explicitly post-
modernism or what’s called ―European‖ or feminist theory. There are only so many hours
in the day. We will focus on theorists of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. I
will bring to bear contemporary discussions, debates, criticisms, etc.
III. Course work:
(1) You will complete four out-of-class essays (which you will turn in via Turnitin),
basically one every three weeks, and you will write a semester paper of 10-20 pages.
One of the essays will be the re-write of your first one. You will write a paper on
some aspect of one theorist’s ideas. And you will participate in class. The essays
will collectively account for 60% of the possible points you can get this semester,
the paper will count for 25%, and preparation/participation will count for the rest.
(2) Turnitin: You will be doing a lot of out-of-class assignments, so we are using the
Turnitin system (motto: ―trust but verify‖). The class name is ―Theory Fall
2011.‖ The Turnitin class ID is ―4228999;‖ and the password is ―marxweber.‖
Here’s some information on using Turnitin:
http://www.winthrop.edu/dacus/resources/usingturnitin.htm
(3) American Sociological Association style guide: We will use this in all major
assignments! (you will be graded) ASA documentation style:
http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/asaguidelinesnew.pdf
(4) What is participation and preparation? (a) I will take role every day. (b) I will have
you write a paragraph at the start of class most days, on the reading for that day. The
response will be pretty obvious, if you have skimmed the reading, and it will be
graded with a ―‖or an ―X‖. (c) When I call on you in class I will note whether you
were prepared to respond (this isn’t the same thing as ―knowing the answer,‖ but
being clueless will hurt you). (d) Finally, you will indicate on a 4x6 card what your
major contribution to class was each day (details later).
(5) Essays will be assigned letter grades (e.g., A-, B+, C, etc.), which I will convert to
a number grade for later averaging. A=95, B=85, C=75, D=65, F=55 (unless it is
too bad an essay to warrant even that many points—wow!). A "+" adds three points
and a "-" subtracts three points.
(6) For your final course grade, I give ―plusses‖ if your average (rounded to the nearest
whole number) ends in an 8 or a 9. I don’t often give ―minuses‖ for course grades.
An 80 is a B, not a B-. If you get a minus it’s because I had to give a serious benefit
of a doubt to bump the grade.
(7) The grading of your written assignments. I grade your writing according to four
major criteria: (a) the content, (b) the organization, (c) the use of sources and your
documentation, and (d) the quality of the writing and editing.
A 'D' essay is one which does not answer the question as asked, which contains errors
of fact about the reading or theorist, which shows little comprehension about the
concepts at issue, or which is poorly enough written that its meaning is not fully clear
-- but which appears to be otherwise ―correct.‖ : - (
A 'C' essay is one which presents information on a theory or theorist correctly and
clearly, and which answers the basic question, but which does not go beyond simply
repeating information which came from lecture or readings. : - |
A 'B' essay contains the positive qualities of a 'C' essay, but in addition it shows some
thinking about the issues at hand. It may do this by applying the theory in a new
situation, or by discussing it in terms other than those used in lectures/readings, or by
taking a stand on it (where this is appropriate), or by comparing/contrasting it with
another theory. This basically has to show something more than just memorization of
material. A 'B' essay is a very good one. : - )
An 'A' essay has the positive characteristics of a 'B' essay, but in addition it shows
insight to the implications of the theorist's position. It can show synthesis
(developing a different twist on a theory) or analysis (analyzing the parts of a theory
and understanding their linkages). Basically, this shows a level of mastery of
material which is not too common for undergraduates, and which comes only with
much thought and reading. ; - ))
Remember: you must make use of your readings all writing!
(8) Last notes:
(a) I will not go over material with you, outside of class if you "skipped" class. I will
go over that material with you only if you have written documentation of medical
or family emergency.
(b) Late work: If you are not prepared to turn in an assignment, you may opt to turn
it in late, at a cost of five percentage points for each day (including Saturday and
Sunday) it is late. I will waive the penalty if you have a real emergency (e.g.,
serious illness), you email me or call me by the day the assignment is due, and
you can provide a written excuse. In that case, we can work out a time for you to
turn in the material.
(9) Academic integrity. You’ve all been told about this before. It’s in your Student
Handbook and the Undergraduate Bulletin. It is covered in your writing and
GNED102 classes. Don’t cheat. Don’t copy other people’s words and use them as
though they were your own. If you do, you get an F and I turn you over for a
disciplinary hearing. It’s not worth it and I don’t want to have to do it, but I will.
(10) Students with disabilities. Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to
education for all its students. If you have a disability and need accommodations,
please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities,
at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Please let me (instructor) know when you
receive your "Professor Notification Form" so that we can make arrangements for
your accommodations well before the first test, paper, or assignment.
(11) Syllabus Change Policy. Except for changes that substantially affect
implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for
the course and is subject to change with advance notice.
Calendar (this will likely change)
Aug 23 Introduction to big, bad theory
Aug 25 Peter Berger, Ch. 1 from Invitation to Sociology,
http://www.sociosite.net/topics/texts/berger.pdf
Aug 30 Herbert Spencer ―The Social Organism‖
(http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ft
itle=335&chapter=12321&layout=html&Itemid=27 )
Sep 01 The Sacred and the Profane -- Emile Durkheim (in the C&K text)
Sep 06 Emile Durkheim ―What is a Social Fact?‖
http://www.faculty.rsu.edu/~felwell/TheoryWeb/readings/DurkheimFactF
orm.html
Sep 08 Franz Boas, ―On alternating sounds.‖ Available via JSTOR: http://0-
www.jstor.org.library.winthrop.edu/stable/658803?&Search=yes&searchT
ext=alternating&searchText=Boas&searchText=sounds&list=hide&search
Uri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DBoas%2Balternating%
2Bsounds%26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=1&ttl=95&r
eturnArticleService=showFullText
Sep 13 Malinowski, from Argonauts of the Western Pacific, Chapter II (pp. 49-
81), ―The natives of the Trobriand islands‖:
http://www.archive.org/details/argonautsofthewe032976mbp
Sep 15 Greed and Human Misery -- Karl Marx (in C&K)
Sep 20 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, ―The Manifesto of the Communist
Party,‖ 1888 edition: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/61/61.txt
Wednesday, Sept. 21, before midnight: First essay due, via Turnitin
Sep 22 Karl Marx, ―The Basis of Religion‖ (very short—
http://www.angelfire.com/or/sociologyshop/marxrel.html)
Sep 27 Power, Bureaucracy, Money and Religion – Max Weber (in C&K)
Sep 29 Max Weber, ―The Spirit of Capitalism‖
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/world/ethic/pro_eth_fra
me.html (click on Ch. 2)
Oct 04 Max Weber, ―Science as a Vocation‖
http://tems.umn.edu/pdf/WeberScienceVocation.pdf
Oct 06 Charles Horton Colley ―The Looking Glass Self‖:
http://books.google.com/books?id=WMA5OJCTCH4C&printsec=frontco
ver&dq=Cooley+social+order&hl=en&ei=FIiMTpuvF4T50gGUpsHZBA
&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v
=onepage&q&f=false (read pp. 136-top of 153)
Sunday before midnight: Second essay (re-written first essay) due, via Turnitin
Oct 11 Symbolic Interactionism -- George Herbert Mead (in C&K)
Oct 13 George Herbert Mead, from Mind, Self, and Society. Click on two sub-
sections in Part III: the one titled ―The self and the organism‖ and the one
titled ―The I and the me.‖
http://www.brocku.ca/MeadProject/Mead/pubs2/mindself/Mead_1934_toc
.html
Oct 18 Fall Break
Oct 20 W. E. B. DuBois, ―Our Spiritual Strivings,‖ (from: The Souls of Blacks
Folks), http://www.bartleby.com/114/1.html
NOTE: Merton is different topic; he will be covered for the next essay, though we will
get on him before then.
Oct 25 The Unanticipated Consequences of Human Actions -- Merton (in
C&K)
Oct 27 Robert Merton, ―The unanticipated consequences of purposive social
action‖:
http://www.compilerpress.atfreeweb.com/Anno%20Merton%20Unintend
ed.htm
Sunday before midnight: Third essay due, via Turnitin
Nov 01 Life as a Con game – Erving Goffman (in C&K)
Nov 03 Erving Goffman, ―Stigma and Social Identity,‖ from Stigma (hand out)
Nov 08 Clifford Geertz. ―Deep Play:‖ Notes on the Balinese Cock Fight‖
http://webhome.idirect.com/~boweevil/BaliCockGeertz.html
Nov 10 Eviater Zerubavel, ―Lumping and Splitting: Notes on Social
Classification.‖ http://homosexus.hypotheses.org/files/2008/12/zerubavel-
classification-sociale1.pdf (you may have to be on campus to get this via
JSTOR)
Nov 15 Garfinkel (in C&K)
Nov 17 No Class – SSHA (Boston) and ASC (Washington, DC) meetings
Nov 22 Wikipedia article on Labeling theory (it’s generally pretty good)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labeling_theory
Nov 24 Thanksgiving
Nov 29 D. L. Rosenhan, ―On Being Sane in Insane Places‖:
http://psychrights.org/Articles/Rosenham.htm
Dec 01 Last class – odds and ends
Sunday before midnight: Fourth Essay due via Turnitin
Final papers due Tuesday of finals week (December 13)