Master 2024/2025

Theories of Modernity in Contemporary Cultural Sociology

Type: Elective course (Philosophical Studies)

Area of studies: Philosophy

Delivered by: School of Philosophy and Cultural Studies

Where: Faculty of Humanities

When: 2 year, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Instructors: Ekaterina Pavlenko

Master’s programme: Philosophical Antropology

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The speed of change in the modern world, as well as an abundance of information about these changes makes it extremely difficult to understand the general direction and trends of these transformations. Cultural sociology directs its attention to the life world, practices, forms of life, forms of labor and forms of leisure, art, and politics in order to discover the social logic that stands behind the multitude of heterogeneous processes. Social logic does not need either mystification or denunciation; it requires understanding and explication by concepts and heuristics that would allow us to comprehend the processes in which we, regardless of our desire, are involved, as well as to see the risks and opportunities that are hidden behind these processes. The goal of the course is to study and critically assess basic approaches to the analysis of modern society in cultural sociology. The syllabus of the course will include such approaches as the strong program in the sociology of culture by J. Alexander, the concept of the experience society by G. Schulze, the theory of emotional labor by A. Hochschild, the sociology of emotions by E. Illuz, the theory of the society of singularities by A. Reckwitz, as well as other influential programs in modern cultural sociology.