CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY(603) (MA 1)

MSC Sociology 1^st Semester

Classical Sociological Theories

 

First semester                                                                3 Credit Hours

 

Objective:

The course provides a review of classical sociological theorists to contemporary sociological thinking.  It focuses on the content and utility of classical theories in terms of understanding social world.  While the course provides a general history of sociological theory, the focus remains on examining how classical theories have provided the basis for a better understanding of the character and dynamics of societies around the world. The contents of the course also help understand the nature of contemporary sociological theories.

 

Course Outline

 

1.   Background

                    a.        Social Forces

                    b.        Intellectual Forces

                    c.        French Revolution

                    d.        Enlightenment

 

2.   Development of Sociological Theory

a.            Theory and Knowledge

b.            of Sociological Theories

c.            Inductive and Deductive

d.            Process of theorizing

 

3.   August Comte

a.            Positivism

b.            The law of Human Progress

c.            Social Static & Dynamic

 

4.  Emile Durkheim

e.            Rules of Sociological methods

f.             Division of Labour

g.            Theory of Religion

h.            Theory of Suicide

 

 

2.      Karl Marx

a.            Communist Manifesto

b.            Socialism

c.            Class Conflict

 

3.      Herbert Spencer

a.            The law of Social Evolution

b.            Organic Sociology

c.            Evolution of State

 

4.      Max Weber

a.            Sociology of Social Action

b.            Bureaucracy

c.            Protestant Ethic and the Sprit of Capitalism

 

Recommended Books:

1.            Farganis, James (2000). “Readings in Social Theory: The Classic Tradition to Post-Modernism (3^rd Ed.)”. Boston: McGraw Hill.

2.            Kinloch, Graham C. (1977). “Sociological Theory: Its Development and Major Paradigms” New York:   McGraw Hill.

3.            Ritzer, George (2002). Sociological Theory (10^th edition). New York: McGraw Hill.

4.            Blalock, Hubert M. (1969) Theory Construction from Verbal to Mathematical Formulation (Ed). N.J.; Prentice Hall Inc.

5.            Bronner, Stephen Erick (latest ed.) Critical Theory and Society-A Reader, London; Routledge and Kegan paul.

6.            Cooley, C.H. (1962). Social Organization, New York: Scrichnes Books.

7.            John, J. Macionis. 2004. Sociology, 10^th edition. Hardcover

8.            Ross, H. Laurence (1963). Perspectives on the Social Order, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.

9.            Imasheff, N. and G.A. Theoderson, (1976) Sociological Theory: Its Nature and Growth, New York: Random House.

10.       Calhon, Craig. Ed. 2007. Contemporary Sociological Theory. 2^nd ed. Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishing.

11.       Wallace, Ruth A. & Alison Wold. 1991. Contemporary Sociological Theory. Continuing the Classical Tradition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall

12.       Waters. Malcolm. 1994. Modern Sociological Theory. London: Sage Publications

13.       Appelrouth Scott. 2007. Sociological Theory in the Contemporary Era: Text and Readings. London: Pine Forge Pres