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2022/2023

Sociology of Knowledge

Code: 101131 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500262 Sociology OT 4 1

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

  1. Comparing the different theoretical approaches about culture.
  2. Comparing the reading of cultural phenomena from several ideologies of the social reality of Spain and Catalonia.
  3. Defining the sociological concepts that interpret the cultural phenomena.
  4. Defining the underlying social phenomena of cultural policies and conflicts.
  5. Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  6. Developing self-learning strategies.
  7. Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
  8. Explaining the social interpretations of culture according to these approaches.
  9. Expressing the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to culture.
  10. Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  11. Relating the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to culture, with the historical context in which they emerged.
  12. Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  13. Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  14. Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  15. 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. Some current current debates on the institutionalization of knowledge
8. Beyond ordinary knowledge: The sociology of "hidden" knowledge
9. Between religion and science

Methodology

The subject will be divided into three main thematic blocks that will be explained and debated in class:
I. An introduction to the sociology of knowledge, based on theoretical classes
II. Discussions based on the (mandatory) reading of Berger and Luckmann's work, The social construction of reality: a treatise
III. Approach exercises to the sociology of knowledge through exercises in class and a research proposal.

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      
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:

to. A reading control with material for the consultation (20%)

b. A conference, face-to-face or virtual, with the obligation to submit a comment (10%)

Block II:

to. A writing on the book of The social construction of reality (40%), not rote

b. An exercise based on a Concept Map based on one or more relevant concepts from the book (10%)

Block III:

Corresponds to group work (20%), which does not necessarily have to be written and includes an oral presentation

The subject 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

Berger, P. L.; Luckmann, T. (1988), La construcció social de la realitat, Barcelona, Herder.
 
Dennis, Kingsley L. (2022), Asalto a la realidad, Barcelona, Blume.
 
Gracia, Carla (2022), Amb ulls de dona, Barcelona, Univers.

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.

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.

 

Software

There is no specific one.