fall 2024 sociological theory syllabus

Introduction to Sociological Theory

Prof. Gabe Ignatow

Review Sheet for Exam 1

Friday February 21 in class

The 1st exam will cover the course readings on the syllabus through Karl Marx. Note that the Weber readings (Weber on Class, Stande, Conflict, and Rationalization  III-13,14,15) and Thorstein Veblen will not be on the first exam.

You should be able to define and discuss all of the following terms. Note that this list is a guide only, and everything from the lectures and readings for this section of the course can be included on the exam.

Readings: C. W. Mills VIII-37 Weber on Verstehen III-11 Durkheim’s Suicide II-8 Marx on false consciousness I-2 Simmel on urban life IV-16, 17 Durkheim and mechanical and organic solidarity II-6  Marx on the proletariat, bourgeosie, and capitalists I-1,3,4,5 What is sociological theory? What is a theory? C. Wright Mills “Culture and Politics” “false consciousness” Suicide and social integration Karl Marx “The German Ideology” Max Weber “‘Objectivity in Social Science and Social Policy’” Emile Durkheim

“Anomic Suicide” Charles Darwin Auguste Comte Thomas Malthus Herbert Spencer Ferdinand Toennies Georg Simmel “Fashion” and “The Problem of Sociology” Network analysis Functionalism Conflict theory Inequality Cultural Theory Values Rituals Socialization Organic analogy Theological stage Metaphysical stage Positivist stage Natural selection “survival of the fittest” “Laws of Population Growth” Meritocracy Gemeinschaft (“Community”) Gesellschaft (“Society”)

Mechanical solidarity Organic solidarity Anomie Individualization “The Metropolis and Mental Life” Network analysis “The Communist Manifesto” “Das Kapital” Class conflict Capitalists Bourgeoisie Proletariat “Base” and “superstructure” Control of the “means of production” Capitalism’s “internal contradictions” False consciousness -> class consciousness Revolutionary intellectuals Alienation De-skilling Routinization Boredom Socialism