Introduction to Sociology
Code: 101275 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500256 Social and Cultural Anthropology | FB | 1 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Miquel Fernández González
- Email:
- Miquel.Fernandez@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Teachers
- Marta Simo Sánchez
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites to take this course
Objectives and Contextualisation
The main objective of the course is to offer discursive resources (theoretical and methodological) that allow you to start in the sociological imagination, helping you to analyze and understand how the structure of human interdependencies has changed (from modernity to the present day) and which have been the effects of these variations. In this analysis and in this understanding we will pay very special attention to the different forms of governance, control and social resistance, and in the forms of "sociality", "individualization" and "subjectivity" that they entail.
It is not intended to address all the implications of this discipline, but to offer the bases of the sociological perspective in order to analyze the basic aspects of the social structure and inequalities. After a brief introduction to the sociological perspective, a mark of the discipline, the program focuses first on the process of socialization and the implications it has on the individual-society dialectic relationship. Secondly, the key aspects for understanding the social structure are addressed, linking the question of power and social control. Third, it explains how the processes linked to the social construction of identity are immersed in social structures, power and control. Finally, the great current questions about the structure of inequalities in the global world are explored: the change in the class structure and the creation of new forms of identity, considering gender as those most suggestive of being understood in the present.
Competences
- Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
Learning Outcomes
- Analysing a contemporary fact and relating it to its historical background.
- Carrying out an individual work that specifies the work plan and timing of activities.
- Describing social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way, bearing in mind the complexity of the involved factors, its causes and its effects.
- Describing the structural framework of life in society.
- Engaging in debates about historical and contemporary facts and respecting the other participants' opinions.
- Explaining the elements that affect an individual's inclusion in society: family, education, media, culture, religion and ideology.
- Identifying main and supporting ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Identifying the main ideas of a subject-related text and making a diagram.
- Interpreting today's main events from physical, economic, social and cultural diversity.
- Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
Content
1.- The social character of human nature: culture and society.
1.1- Human animality: culture as a constellation of topoi.
1.2- Culture, cognitive architecture and structure of sensitivity: how we conceive (we engender, give birth, carry in the world, etc.) what there is, what happens, what we are and how we explain it to ourselves.
1.3- The human condition: the articulation of fundamental social relations. The love of life and the fear of death.
1.4.- The sociological imagination and the notion of habitus: beyond the individual / society dichotomy
1.5.- Sociology and critical thinking: the genealogy of the doxa
2.- From Modernity to Globalization: discipline, biopower, risk management and privatization of life.
2.1.- Beyond repression: discipline as the political anatomy of the body. The formation of individualized individuals.
2.2.- Beyond concealment and lies: biopolitics and the regulation of vital processes. The population object of knowledge and government: biopower.
2.3.- The normalization of society and the emergence of flexibility
2.4.- The Do it ideology
3.- Sociality, individualization and subjectivity in global society.
3.1.- The space-time compression and the construction of a new social geography.
3.2.- Globalization as the gestation of a weightless, extraterritorial and floating power.
3.3.- From risk management to the expropriation of peace: tourists and homeless or homeless.
3.4.- Internet and "social networks", between emancipation and domination.
Methodology
The teaching is articulated from two types of sessions in the classroom: lectures by the teacher and seminars, where practical exercises and readings by students are carried out.
The lectures are oriented to the presentation by the teacher of the concepts and central arguments of the subject in the different contents of the program. all classes will promote the active participation of students based on questions for the debate.
The seminars are workspaces on the contents of the subject based on readings and practical exercises that the students have to do. Thus, the training activities will be of different types
- Attendance to class and participation in debates
- Compulsory readings
- Individual and group work
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Master Class | 50 | 2 | 4, 3, 6, 9 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Group work | 24 | 0.96 | 1, 10, 3, 6, 9, 5 |
| Presentations at seminars | 1 | 0.04 | 6, 5 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Readings | 75 | 3 | 1, 10, 2, 8, 7 |
Assessment
The evaluation will be to give an account (and realize) of what has been learned with the materials worked during the course, that is, the readings announced in this program and the audiovisuals.
In the first class sessions, we will address the issue of how to do it and how to schedule our work schedule, both in the case of continuous assessment and in single assessment. The size and availability of the group will be inexcusable factors in closing these issues.
My proposal is that, in the continuous assessment modality, each student commits to attend the sessions regularly -both those dedicated to theoretical and practical credits- and to have a certain "presence" in them. From here, the work for the evaluation will consist of exercising intelligence to prepare a short essay (between 2 and 4 pages on "printed paper") for the three blocks of the program; I would set and announce the topic of reflection and the delivery date (with a minimum period of one week for the preparation of the work); Because the work makes compatible the subject, the deadlines and the delivery format for the final evaluation, they must be scrupulously respected.
Keep in mind that each essay will be asked to reflect on the readings done so far, that is, they must complement each essay with the preceding readings.
- The first delivery: 25% of the final grade
- The second 25%
- And the third 40%
Remember that each essay cannot exceed 4 pages except the last one, which can be up to 6 pages long.
The remaining 10% would be based on the contribution of each one to the class group. I believe that this weighting -which is not exactly foreseen in the DP of the subject- is justified taking into account the difficulty (and novelty) of what I have been calling how to exercise intelligence and, therefore, the methodology and work plan announced in this Program.
In the event that the average of the continuous assessment does not reach a grade of 5, the student willbe considered to have failed the assessment.
To participate in the recovery exam, students must have previously been evaluated in a set of activities, the weight of which is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade. The suspended student has the right to recovery if she has obtained a mark higher than 3.5 in the whole of the evaluation. The recovery of any of the suspended parts will consist of an examination. The maximum final mark that can be achieved, if the recovery exam is passed, will be a 5.
At the time of carrying out each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform the students (Moodle) of the procedure and date of review of the grades.
IMPORTANT
In the event that the student performs any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the rating of an evaluation act (such as plagiarism or similar), this evaluation act will be scored 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. . In the event that there are several irregularities in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
EVALUATION IN CASE OF NO-PRESENTIALITY:
In the event that the tests cannot be done in person, the format will be adapted (maintaining the weighting) to the possibilities offered by the UAB virtual tools. Homework, activities and class participation will be done through forums, wikis and / or exercise discussions through Teams, etc. The teacher will ensure that the student can access or offer alternative means, which are available to her.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.- First essay | 25% | 0 | 0 | 1, 10, 4, 3, 6, 5 |
| 2.- Second Essay | 25% | 0 | 0 | 1, 4, 3, 2, 6, 8, 7, 9, 5 |
| Final essay | 40% | 0 | 0 | 1, 4, 3, 6, 7, 9 |
| Presence and contribution of each one to the class group. | 10% | 0 | 0 | 10, 3, 2, 6, 8, 7, 9 |
Bibliography
Compulsory bibliography
- Block 1The social character of human nature: culture and society
De Sousa, B. (2001): "Las tensiones de la modernidad" en, Foro Social Mundial. Otro mundo es posible. Barcelona, El Viejo Topo, pp. 163-189.
Campillo, A. (1999): "Cuatro tesis para una teoría de la Historia" en, El gran experimento. Ensayos sobre la sociedad global. Madrid, Catarata, 2001, pp. 43-73.
Bourdieu, P. (1980): “Una ciencia que molesta” en, Cuestiones de Sociología. Madrid, Istmo, 2000, pp. 20-37.
Wacquant, L. (2001): “Pensamiento crítico y disolución de la dóxa” en, Archipiélago. Cuadernos de crítica de la cultura, nº 53, 2002, pp.83-88.
- Block 2 De la Modernitat a la Globalització: disciplina, biopoder, gestió de riscos i privatització de la vida
Foucault, M. (1975): “Los medios del buen encauzamiento” en, Vigilar y castigar,Madrid, Siglo XXI, 1976, pp.175-198.
Foucault, M. (1976): “Del poder de soberanía al poder sobre la vida” en, Genealogía del racismo, Madrid, La Piqueta, 1992, pp. 247-273.
Sennett, R. (2000). A la deriva. En La corrosion del caracter. Las consecuencias personales del trabajo en el nuevo capitalismo (pp. 13-31). Barcelona: Anagrama.
Peran, M. (2016). Do it en Indisposición general. Ensayo sobre la fatiga. Hondarribia: Editorial Hiru. pp.23-46
- Block 3 Sociality, individualization and subjectivity in global society
Bauman, Z. (1998): La Globalización. Consecuencias humanas, México, 2003 (2ªed.)
Crary, Jonathan (2016) Capítulo 2 a 24/7. El capitalismo al asalto del sueño. Barcelona, Ariel. pp. 41-68
Complementary bibliography
During the class sessions, "non-compulsory"reading bibliography will be offered depending on the most specific issues for which you express curiosity and / or desire to know. In any case, and although with a very general character, it advances some readings of interest:
Block 1:
-“Sociología crítica. Teoría y práctica de la libertad” a la revista Archipiélago, nº 53 (Nov. 2002) Aquí es recullen una entrevista amb G. Deleuze, una conversa amb Cl. Grignon, un relat autobiogràfic d'I Sotelo i dos textos (de R. Castel i F. Álvarez Uría) que, en conjunt, permeten al lector atent fer-se una idea d'algunes de les tensions que travessen la reflexió i la investigació sociològica contemporània.
-Arendt, H. (1958): La condición humana, Barcelona, Paidós, 1993.
-Bauman, Z.(1999): La cultura como praxis, Barcelona, Paidós, 2002.
-Bourdieu, P. (1984): Cuestiones de Sociología, Madrid, Istmo, 2000
-Bourdieu, P y Wacquant, L (1992): Una invitación a la sociología reflexiva, Buenos Aires, siglo xxi, 2005.
-Campillo, A.(1985): Adiós al progreso. Una meditación sobre la Historia, Barcelona, Anagrama, 1995.
-Castoriadis, C. (1996): El ascenso de la insignificancia, Madrid, Cátedra, 1998.
-Elías, N. (1970): Sociología fundamental. Barcelona, Gedisa, 1995.
-Elías, N. (1987): La sociedad de los individuos, Barcelona, Península, 1990
-Sennett, R. (2006): La cultura del nuevo capitalismo, Barcelona, Anagrama, 2006.
Block 2:
-Anders, G. (2002): La obsolescencia del hombre (Vol.I) Sobre el alma en la época de la segunda revolución industrial. Valencia, Pre-textos, 2011
-Anders, G. (2002): La obsolescencia del hombre (Vol. II) Sobre la destrucción de la vida en la época de la tercera revolución industrial. Valencia, Pre-textos, 2011.
-Bauman, Z. (1989): Modernidad y Holocausto. Madrid, Sequitur.
-Colectivo Situaciones (2003): Argentina. Apuntes para el nuevo protagonismo social. Barcelona, Virus. 2003
-De Giorgi, A. (2000): Tolerancia cero. Estrategias y prácticas de la sociedad de control, Barcelona, Virus, 2005.
-Foucault, M: Microfísica del poder, Madrid, La piqueta, 1991.
-Ibañez, T. (2005) Contra la dominación. Variaciones sobre la salvaje exigencia de libertad que brota del relativismo y de las consonancias entre Castoriadis, Foucault, Rorty y Serres. Barcelona, Gedisa (sólo la Parte II).
-López Petit, S. (2009): La movilización global. Breve tratado para atacar la realidad. Madrid. Traficantes de sueños. Mapas, 2009
-Morey, M.: Escritos sobre Foucault, Madrid, Sexto Piso, 2014.
-Sassen, S. (2007): Una sociología de la globalización. Buenos Aires, Katz Editores, 2007.
- Block 3
-Anders, G.: 2002, op. Cit., vol. I y II.
-Baudrillard, J. (1997): Pantalla total, Barcelona, Anagrama, 2000.
-Byung-Chul Han (2012): La sociedad de la transparencia, Barcelona, Herder, 2013.
-Foucault, M.: Hermeneutica del sujeto, Madrid, La Piqueta, 1994
-Lipovetsky, G. (1983): La era del vacío. Ensayos sobre el individualismo contemporáneo. Barcelona, Anagrama, 1986.
-Sánchez Ferlosio, R (1993): Vendrán más años malos y nos harán más ciegos. Barcelona, Destino, 1993.
-Sennett, R. (1998): La corrosión del carácter. Las consecuencias personales del trabajo en el nuevo capitalismo, Barcelona, Anagrama, 2006 (9ªed).
-Sennett, R. (2003): El respeto. Sobre la dignidad del hombre en un mundo de desigualdad. Barcelona, Anagrama, 2003.
-Tiqqun (2012): Primeros materiales para una teoría de la jovencita y “Hombres-máquina: modo de empleo”. Madrid, Acuarela, 2012
Software
You do not need to use any specific software. However, a basic knowledge of a bibliographic database manager such as Mendeley, is recommended.