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Course Syllabus

Bachelor 2023/2024

General Sociology

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type: Elective course (Sociology and Social Informatics)
Area of studies: Sociology
Delivered by: Department of Sociology
Where: Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences
When: 1 year, 1-4 module
Mode of studies: offline
Open to: students of all HSE University campuses
Language: English
ECTS credits: 13
Contact hours: 162

Course Syllabus

Full SyllabusAsk Question

Abstract

Genaral sociology is introductory course. It is organized as discussion of important social issues (inequality, poverty, migration, urban space, religion etc.) with theoretical lenses provided by social theory. The course is divided into four big blocks: (1) social inequality, (2) social institutions, (3) social processes and (4) theoretical perspectives. The logic of the course and its structure are defined by the variety of answers for the questions about the conditions of formation, maintaining and reconfiguration/ destruction of the samples of social organization, and about the possible ways to analyze these processes suggested by sociology. We start from the very basic elements of explanation of social action and then proceed to understanding the nature of causal explanations in social science.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • Ability to use sociological theory for development of sociological research design, be able to differentiate social actions and social behavior, explain social actions through social mechanisms, understand the link between micro-actions and macro-outcomes, generate simple middle-range theories, develop academic skills in reading, writing, and presentation
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Ability to use sociological theory for development of sociological research design, be able to differentiate social actions and social behavior, explain social actions through social mechanisms, understand the link between micro-actions and macro-outcomes, generate simple middle-range theories, develop academic skills in reading, writing, and presentation.
  • - to use sociological theory for development of sociological research design
  • - be able to differentiate social actions and social behavior, explain social actions through social mechanisms
  • - understand the link between micro-actions and macro-outcomes
  • - generate simple middle-range theories
  • - develop academic skills in reading, writing, and presentation.
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Introduction. Social Facts.
  • Poverty.
  • City and Inequality.
  • Urban Institutions and Inequality
  • Migration, ethnicity, inequality.
  • Education and Inequality.
  • Social stratification. Class and status.
  • Social stratification. Forms of capital.
  • Social stratification. Reputational approach.
  • Inequality and Social Mobility.
  • Elites.
  • Inequality and gender.
  • Inequality and consumption.
  • Family and marriage.
  • State and political institutions.
  • Total and disciplinary institutions.
  • Medical institutions and health.
  • School systems.
  • Religion.
  • Universities and higher education.
  • Art and cultural production.
  • Cultural industries and fashion.
  • Mass Media.
  • Socialization.
  • Civilization.
  • Transformations of sexuality.
  • Revolutions and social movements.
  • Urbanization.
  • Migration and integration.
  • Structural functionalism.
  • Symbolic interactionism.
  • Ethnomethodology.
  • Social networks.
  • Conflict theory.
  • Social capital.
  • Group.
  • Organization.
  • Social action.
  • Institution.
  • Status.
  • Role.
  • Norms.
  • Values.
  • Identity.
  • Trust.
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Project paper grade
  • non-blocking Classroom discussion
    Classroom discussion grade is 0,08 of 1-2 module grade and 0,1 of 3-4module grade. Students need to ask questions to their classmates projects.
  • non-blocking Classroom discussion
    Classroom discussion grade is 0,08 of 1-2 module grade and 0,1 of 3-4module grade.Students need to ask questions to their classmates projects.
  • non-blocking Collective presentation grade
    Collective presentation grade is 0,2 of 1-2 module grade and 0,25 of 3-4 module grade. To successfully participate in seminars students are expected to present group project during a class (10-12 minutes presentation).
  • non-blocking Intermediary written exam
    tudents are expected to sit up an intermediary written exam (2nd module) with open questions on the topics covered by the course
  • non-blocking Project paper grade
    Project paper grade is 0,08 of 1-2 module grade and 0,15 of 3-4 module grade
  • non-blocking Collective presentation grade
    Collective presentation grade is 0,2 of 1-2 module grade and 0,25 of 3-4 module grade. To successfully participate in seminars students are expected to present group project during a class (10-12 minutes presentation).
  • non-blocking Test grade
  • non-blocking Final exam 1st year
    exam is organized as written test with open-ended questions.
  • non-blocking Test grade
    Test grade is 0,4 of 1-2 module grade and 0,5 of 3-4 module grade. Individual knowledge is assessed through regular tests with open questions. Students are expected to sit up 3 tests in 1-2 modules and 3 tests in 3-4 modules.
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2023/2024 2nd module
    Project paper grade* 0.12 + Intermediary written exam* 0.2 + Classroom discussion* 0.08 + Test grade* 0.4 + Collective presentation grade* 0.2
  • 2023/2024 4th module
    Final grade has the formula: 0,4*1-2 module + 0,4*3-4 module  + 0,2*final exam 1 semester grade will be calculeted according to the formula: Test*0,4 + CollectivePresentation*0,2 + ProjectPaper*0,12 + Discussion*0,08 + Exam*0,2 2 semester grade will be calculated according to the formula: Test*0,5+ CollectivePresentation *0,25+ ProjectPaper*0,15+ Discussion*0,1
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Abrutyn, S. (2016). Handbook of Contemporary Sociological Theory. Switzerland: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1251393
  • Rousseau, N. (2014). Society Explained : An Introduction to Sociology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=752270
  • Segre, S. (2014). Contemporary Sociological Thinkers and Theories. Farnham, Surrey: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=797017

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Dillon, M. (2014). Introduction to Sociological Theory : Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century (Vol. Second edition). Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=667235
  • Manzo, G. (2014). Analytical Sociology : Actions and Networks. Hoboken: Wiley. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=714658
  • Sloman, S. A. (2005). Causal Models : How People Think About the World and Its Alternatives. Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=552942

Authors

  • SOKOLOVA NADEZHDA ALEKSANDROVNA
  • Ильина Мария Ивановна
  • SAFONOVA Mariia ANDREEVNA