Module 1 - Introduction PDF

WELCOME! 1 SOCI 333 (04) –Contemporary Sociological Theory– Dr. Gbenga Adejare Department of Sociology Faculty of Art Land Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the revered traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The City of Calga...

WELCOME! 1 SOCI 333 (04) –Contemporary Sociological Theory– Dr. Gbenga Adejare Department of Sociology Faculty of Art Land Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the revered traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6). 3 Course expectations Respect is a two-way street We are here to learn together, and we want this to be a truly enriching experience Take a moment to check out the course outline and readings Active engagement and participation 4 METHODS OF ASSESSMENT AND GRADING WEIGHTS Grading Plan Component D2L Discussions Weighting (%) 10 Due Dates/Day One per week for 10 weeks Reading Reflection Memos (4) 20 See below Midterm Exam 20 Thu, Mar 07 Presentation 25 Mar 19 – Apr 09 Final Project 25 Friday April 14th Total 100 5 Reading Reflection Memos Purpose: Testing for comprehension, analytical and writing capacity of students. Mode: Personal or teams of 2 to 4 Schedule: Activity Prompt Due Day/Date Mon, Jan 15 Wed, Jan 24 (Assignment 1 is posted) Mon, Jan 29 (Assignment 2 is posted) Mon, Feb 26 (Assignment 3 is posted) Mon, Mar 18 (Assignment 4 is posted) Assignment 1 is due at 11:59 pm Wed, Feb 07 Assignment 2 is due at 11:59 pm Wed, Mar 06 Assignment 3 is due at 11:59 pm Wed, Mar 27 Assignment 4 is due at 11:59 pm 6 Course Coverage Module 1 (Wk 1) Focus General Introduction/ Course Overview/Transitioning from Classical to Contemporary Theorizing 2 (Wk 2) 3 (Wk 3) 4 (Wk 4) Shifting Theoretical Paradigms: Contemporary Grand Theories Metatheorizing Devotion of Michel Foucault to Contemporary Theory 5 (Wk 5) Structuration Theory: Contributions of Pierre Bourdieu and Anthony Giddens Exploring Cultural Approach to Theorizing 6 (Wk 6) Wk 7 7 (Wk 8) 8 (Wk 9) READING WEEK Contemporary Self: Rationality Choice Theory and Actor-Network Theory Rethinking Globalization (I): Integrating The World Wk 10 9 (Wk 11) Wk 12 REVIEW & MIDTERM Decoloniality PRESENTATIONS 7 A Brief Overview of Contemporary Sociological Theory The three key words are: 1. Contemporary 2. Sociological 3. Theory 8 What is Contemporary? The word contemporary, as deployed in this course, includes but not limited to chronological demarcations. A look back at the works of early sociological scholars and the appositeness of their propositions stimulate new forms of theorizing (supposedly current) As far back as 1902, Lester F. Ward averred that “there is new in sociology”. But then, the issues interrogated by sociologists are dynamic, hence the contemporary nomenclature. 9 What is Contemporary? Cont’d Some genre in contemporary sociological theorizing include: New-Marxism Neo-Feminism Neoliberalism Critical theories Globalism Etc 10 What is Sociological? An epistemic way of deploying sociological principles and methods of interrogating our social world. 11 What is a Theory? Oxford dictionary of sociology defines a theory as “an account of the world which goes beyond what we can see and measure. It embraces a set of interrelated definitions and relationships that organize our concepts of and understanding of the empirical world in a systematic way”. It is a process of providing an explanation about (abstract) concept in a coherent or logical sequence for reasons of generalization. Theories are usually a product of scientific enquiries (empiricism). 12 Elements of a Good Theory Science/Empirical validity Utility – it must be useful Generalizability Internal consistency – is the theory logically consistent? Testability/Falsifiability – any good theory must be testable, one that can be falsified (Karl Popper, 1965). Parsimony – a theory must be simple, understandable and adaptive. 13 Theorizing Theorizing is a rigorous process of generating and or making sense of already existing theories. It has been argued that theories are preceded by theorizing. It follows a cyclical process rather than a linear (theoretical) process: From thesis to antithesis, to synthesis, to thesis, and so on. It the main preoccupation of most contemporary theorists 14 Krause’s Modes of Theorizing Monika Krause (2016) explicated five (5) modes of theorizing: 1. 2. 3. 4. Interpreting major figures Applying existing concepts to new observations Linking existing concepts to new observations Developing new concepts in dialogue with observations and previous concepts 5. Joining a new fact or observation to an existential issue or a historical trend 15 Krause’s Modes of Theorizing cont’d 1. Interpreting Major Figures This involves reading, analyzing and making sense of different theorists and their contributions to the pool of theories. E.g. Max Weber, Karl Marx, Thomas Hobbes, Talcott Parsons, etc This exercise gives room for critiquing scholars to fill probale gap in knowledge 16 Krause’s Modes of Theorizing cont’d 2. Applying existing concepts to new observations There is nothing new under the sun, but what is new is way we see the same thing through different lenses. Through empirical testing and falsification new explanations can be provided Different perspectives on gender, class, sexuality, education and race. Different factors influence how concepts are re-observed and/or reconceptualized: Culture Standpoint Diversity Ecology, etc 17 Krause’s Modes of Theorizing cont’d 3. Linking a new fact or observation to an existential issue or a historical trend This is an approach that relies on history to observe changes. The argument here is that we, unfortunately, do not have the capacity to make sense of the current situations of people and this without a recourse to foundational ideas about the original state of being and existing. This model is fundamentalist 18 Krause’s Modes of Theorizing cont’d 4. Developing new concepts in dialogue with observations and previous concepts In this mode, the role of observation is critical New concepts are evolved based on observation Max Weber’s seminal work on authority come to the for here 19 Krause’s Modes of Theorizing cont’d 5. Joining concepts to a testable hypothesis about a causal relationship between them This is akin t trying to establish cause and effect relationships. 20 The Transition: Classical Vs Contemporary Right from the time of epicureans, stoics, Heraclitus , Socrates, Aristotle, John Locke, to the recent Michel Foucault, it is hard to provide a clear distinction of what distinguishes theorists as they are all confronted with same preoccupation of explaining. In the table below, I tried to present some traits that demarcate classical theorists from contemporary theorist. 21 Classical Theories Contemporary Theories Monolithic epistemes Complementary epistemes/Intersectionality Modernity/civilization Postmodernity Constructions Re/Constructions/Deconstructions /Reflexivity Pre-Wars Post-Wars Production Service Industries Environmentalism/Humans Concentrated expansionism/Colonialism Diversity/Decoloniality/Inclusivity/Multipl e ways of knowing Disciplinary specialization Syncretism/interdisciplinarity 22 The Transition: Classical Vs Contemporary cont’d Despite the seeming shift from classical to contemporary theorizing is sociology, it must be noted that the heritage of classical philosophies is not only significantly useful but also rethought in the new ones. E.g. Macro theories Symbolic interactionism Marxism 23 Conclusion Theories help to make sense of concepts. Theorizing helps to construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct theories Contemporary theories are not monolithic, they are expansive and multifaceted. Contemporary sociological theories are not bereft of the elements of classical theories. 24 Reflection Questions Does the use of the word contemporary in contemporary theory signify a complete departure from classical theorizing. In what significant ways is theorizing different from theory Examine some fundamental principles of contemporary sociological theorizing. Every social thinker is potentially a theorist. True or False? 25