PSOS 11302 MODERN THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY 4 credits
Course Outcomes (COs):
- Understand the modern theoretical perspectives in Sociology
- Understand the contributions of modern thinkers to generate interest in the discipline.
- Enable understanding of modern theorists through reading their original texts.
- Exhibit oral and written communication skills in disseminating sociological knowledge based on original works of modern thinkers.
Module 1: Functionalism and Structural Perspectives
- Nature of modern theoretical perspectives in sociology: Rationale of classification
- The emergence of a functional paradigm: A. R Radcliffe-Brown and R. K. Merton
- Systems Approach and Theory of Social Action: Talcott Parsons
- Neo-Functionalism: Jeffrey Alexander and Paul Colomy
- Structuralism – Ferdinand de Saussure and Claude Levi-Strauss
- Critique of functionalism
Module 2: Conflict Perspectives & Critical Theory
- Premises of Conflict approach and Marxian legacy, Functions of Conflict: Lewis Coser, Dialectics of Conflict: Ralf Dahrendorf
- Critical Theory - Emergence of critical theory – Frankfurt School, Culture Industry - Horkheimer and Adorno Revival of Critical theory – Jurgen Habermas
- Neo-Marxian Approach - Class Consciousness – Georg Lukacs; Ideology & Hegemony -Antonio Gramsci
- Structural Marxism - Louis Althusser
Module 3: Interactionist Perspective in Sociology
- The emergence of micro-sociology – C.H. Cooley, G. H. Mead and Herbert Blumer
- The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life: Erving Goffman
- Ethnomethodology: Harold Garfinkel
- Phenomenological Sociology: Edmund Husserl, Alfred Schutz, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann
Module 4: Social Behavioural Perspectives
- Intellectual Roots of Exchange theory
- Exchange behaviourism – George Homans
- Structural Exchange – Peter Blau
- Exchange network analysis – Richard Emerson
- Teacher: Dr. Sheethal S. Kumar