2020/2021
Sociology of Knowledge
Code: 101131 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500262 Sociology | OT | 4 | 0 |
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.
Contact
- Name:
- María Esther Fernández Mostaza
- Email:
- MariaEsther.Fernandez@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Prerequisites
There is none.
Objectives and Contextualisation
Objective and subjective reality at the same time; society is a human product, while the human being is a social product. From this basic dialectical perspective, the sociology of knowledge considers the analysis of the processes of institutionalization, legitimization and internalization of reality, questioning what in a given society passes through knowledge, beginning with the knowledge of reality Primordial that is the world taken for granted of everyday life.
After a first introductory part about the origins and the evolution of the sociology of knowledge as a discipline, the theoretical work of Berger and Luckmann The social construction of reality will be thoroughly studied.
Competences
- Applying the concepts and approaches of the sociological theory, specially the explanations of social inequalities between classes, between genders and between ethnic groups, to the implementation of public policies and to the resolution of conflict situations.
- Demonstrating a comprehension of the approaches of the sociological theory in its different aspects, interpretations and historical context.
- Describing social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way, bearing in mind the complexity of the involved factors, its causes and its effects.
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Developing self-learning strategies.
- Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
- Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
- Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
- Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
Learning Outcomes
- Comparing the different theoretical approaches about culture.
- Comparing the reading of cultural phenomena from several ideologies of the social reality of Spain and Catalonia.
- Defining the sociological concepts that interpret the cultural phenomena.
- Defining the underlying social phenomena of cultural policies and conflicts.
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Developing self-learning strategies.
- Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
- Explaining the social interpretations of culture according to these approaches.
- Expressing the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to culture.
- Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
- Relating the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to culture, with the historical context in which they emerged.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
- Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
- Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
Content
I. Introduction. The sociology of knowledge
1. The theoretical background of the sociology of knowledge
2. The contributions of Max Weber and Emile Durkheim
3. Karl Mannheim: Ideology and Utopia
4. Alfred Schütz: phenomenology and sociology of knowledge
II. The theorization of Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann: The social construction of reality
5. The foundations of knowledge in everyday life
6. Society as an objective reality: institutionalization, symbolic universes and legitimation
7. Society as a subjective reality: internalization, socialization process and identity theories
III. Current current debates on the institutionalization of knowledge
8. The sociology of scientific knowledge
9. Gender, power and knowledge
Methodology
The subject will be divided into three major thematic blocks that will be explained and discussed in class:
I. A brief introduction to the sociology of knowledge
II. The social construction of reality: a treaty
III. Approach to the sociology of knowledge through a research proposal
As the course progresses, a written test centered on the book (mandatory reading) The Social Construction of Reality will follow.
Finally, towards the end of the semester, there will be group work that will consist of the presentation, not necessarily written, of a proposal of research around the main ideas of the subject.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Explanation of the historical background and origin of the Sociology of knowledge | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 3, 4, 8 |
| The Sociology of Knowledge today | 20 | 0.8 | 14, 13, 1, 7, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 15, 11, 12 |
| The social construction of reality | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 3, 8, 11 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Debates in class on the thematic axes, preparation of the individual writings and of the final project | 30 | 1.2 | 14, 13, 1, 3, 4, 6, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading and commentary of the texts corresponding to the three major blocks of the subject | 60 | 2.4 | 14, 13, 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 6, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 11, 12 |
Assessment
The evaluation will be continuous
Block I: 40% of the final grade.
a. This introductory part will be evaluated in class with two reading controls with material for consultation, each of which represents 10%, and
b. Two conferences, at the classroom or virtual, with the obligation to submit a comment, representing the remaining 20%.
Block II: 40% of the final grade. It will be an individual written test on the content of the book The Social Construction of Reality and an 8-minute previously recorded oral presentation.
Block III: 20% of the final grade. Corresponds to group work, which should not necessarily be written.
The course includes recovery systems if a minimum grade of 4 has been obtained in block II. This recovery is individual.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous evaluation through individual writings that includes class attendance, lectures and subsequent debates | 80 | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12 |
| Preparation of a research project related to the topics covered in the subject | 20 | 0 | 0 | 14, 13, 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 6, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 11, 12 |
Bibliography
General bibliography
Berger, P. L.; Luckmann, T. (1988), La construcció social de la realitat, Barcelona, Herder.
Lamo de Espinosa, E; González García, J.M.; Torres Albero, C. (1994), La sociología del conocimiento y de la ciencia, Madrid, Alianza.
Löwy, M. (2000), ¿Qué es la sociología del conocimiento?, México, Fontamara.
Horowitz, I.L. (1964), Historia y elementos de sociología del conocimiento, Buenos Aires, EUDEBA.
Mannheim, K. (1987), Ideologia i Utopia, Barcelona, Ed.62.
Medina, E. (1991), Conocimiento y sociología de la ciencia, Madrid, CIS.
Merton, R.K. (1965), Estudios sobre sociología de la ciencia a R. K. Merton, Teoría y estructuras sociales, México, FCE.
Pfadenhauer, M. (2013), The New Sociology of Knowledge: The Life and Work of Peter L. Berger, New York: Routledge
Searle, John R. (1997), La Construcción de la realidad social. Barcelona, Paidós
Schütz, A. (1974), Estudios sobre teoría social, Buenos Aires, Amorrortu
Siegel, K. (2001), Women's Autobiographies, Culture, Feminism, Nova York, Peter Lang.