Skip to main content

Intro Soc Theory, FINAL PAPER TOPICS AND INSTRUCTIONS

Prof. Gabe Ignatow

Chilton 397A

Instead of taking the final exam (40%) of your grade, you may choose to write an original research paper. Here are the requirements for the paper:

  1. Due the time and day of the final exam, in the final exam room, or else in my office mailbox on the 3rd floor of Chilton Hall.
  2. Length: 6-7 pages plus 1 or more pages of references
  3. References:
    1. APA or MLA style
    2. Approximately 5 from the course readings, and 5 from other books and articles not read in the course
    3. You should use books or articles, plus not more than one web site
  4. Where to find books and articles on your topic:
    1. Scholar.google.com
    2. http://iii.library.unt.edu/
    3. Sociological Abstracts: UNT Library Home Page à Electronic Resources à Sociological Abstracts
  5. Please discuss the topic with me beforehand, preferably during my office hours.
  6. The paper can be mainly theoretical, or you can discuss a topic of interest to you. You may use a paper from another class as a basis for this paper. However, the paper must be related in some way to some of the theories and authors discussed in class.

Examples of Possible Topics

What is the “function” of functionalist theory? Of any theory?

Did Pierre Bourdieu radically break with the Marxist tradition, as he claims?

Does Marx’s “historical materialism” help us to make sense of the world today?

Why was Marx wrong about the inevitability of Communism?

How did classical sociologists understand urbanization? Were they right?

Is there a “leisure class” in America today? Why or why not?

Does Marx’s theory of religion help us to understand religion in Ameica today? Why or why not?

What were W.E.B. DuBois’s major contributions to sociological theory? Is he still relevant?

What are the main differences and similarities between Berger and Luckmann’s “social constructionism” and Marx’s theory of religion?

Is society evolving? How so?

Popular posts from this blog

Jurgen Habermas "The Uncoupling of System and Lifeworld"

The Uncoupling of System and Lifeworld Jiirgen Habermas The provisional concept of society proposed here is radically different in one respectfromthe Parsonianconcept:thematureParsons rein terpretedthestruc¬tural components of the lifcworld -culture, society, perso nality -as action systems constituting environments for one another. Without much ado, he subsumed the concept of the lifeworld gained from an action-theoretical perspective under systems -theoretical concepts. As we shall see below, the structuralcomponentsofthe lifeworldbecomesubsystems of ageneralsystem of action, to 'which the physical substratum of the lifeworld is reckoned along with the "behavior system." The p roposal That I am advancing here, by contrast, attempts to take into account the methodological differences between the internalist and the externalist viewpoints connected with the two conceptual strategies . From the participant p erspective of members of a Iifeworld it looks as if sociologywith
Read more

Intro Theory Make-up Exam

Students wishing to take the make-up exam for midterm 2 will meet at my office, Chilton 397 in the sociology department, at 3:30pm this Thursday, November 29. The exam will be short-essay format, and will be based on the same review sheet used for the regular midterm 2. This will be the only chance for a make-up.
Read more

SOCI 6203/5200 Text Mining (8-week online course, summer 2020)

SOCI 6203/5200 Text Mining Semester year Professor Gabe Ignatow ignatow@unt.edu  Start date-end date Overview: This is a graduate seminar on contemporary text mining and text analysis methods for the social sciences. We will cover principles of research design and research ethics as they apply to text-based social science research, and will review the major methodologies within social science text mining, including topic models and opinion mining. Course Objectives: Our goals for the course are to survey major contemporary approaches to social science text mining and for students to develop a preliminary text mining research project of their own. Prerequisites: None. However, experience with social science research methods and research design is preferred. Minimum Technology Requirements and Skills to Function in the Course: Basic reading, writing and computer skills, including the ability to access and search research databases and to download and lear
Read more