PSOS 11302             MODERN THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY          4 credits

Course Outcomes (COs):

      1. Understand the modern theoretical perspectives in Sociology
      2. Understand the contributions of modern thinkers to generate interest in the discipline.
      3. Enable understanding of modern theorists through reading their original texts.
      4. Exhibit oral and written communication skills in disseminating sociological knowledge based on original works of modern thinkers.

Module 1: Functionalism and Structural Perspectives

    1. Nature of modern theoretical perspectives in sociology: Rationale of classification
    2. The emergence of a functional paradigm: A. R Radcliffe-Brown and R. K. Merton
    3. Systems Approach and Theory of Social Action: Talcott Parsons
    4. Neo-Functionalism: Jeffrey Alexander and Paul Colomy
    5. Structuralism – Ferdinand de Saussure and Claude Levi-Strauss
    6. Critique of functionalism

Module 2: Conflict Perspectives & Critical Theory

    1. Premises of Conflict approach and Marxian legacy, Functions of Conflict: Lewis Coser, Dialectics of Conflict: Ralf Dahrendorf
    1. Critical Theory - Emergence of critical theory – Frankfurt School, Culture Industry - Horkheimer and Adorno Revival of Critical theory – Jurgen Habermas
    2. Neo-Marxian Approach - Class Consciousness – Georg Lukacs; Ideology & Hegemony -Antonio Gramsci
    3. Structural Marxism - Louis Althusser

Module 3: Interactionist Perspective in Sociology

    1. The emergence of micro-sociology – C.H. Cooley, G. H. Mead and Herbert Blumer
    2. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life: Erving Goffman
    3. Ethnomethodology: Harold Garfinkel
    4. Phenomenological Sociology: Edmund Husserl, Alfred Schutz, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann

Module 4: Social Behavioural Perspectives

    1. Intellectual Roots of Exchange theory
    2. Exchange behaviourism – George Homans
    3. Structural Exchange – Peter Blau
    4. Exchange network analysis – Richard Emerson