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Course 2018-2019 a.y.

30197 - SOCIOLOGY

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31

CLEACC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SPS/07)

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: ALEXANDER E. KENTIKELENIS


Class-group lessons delivered  on campus

Mission & Content Summary
MISSION

The purpose of this course is to expose students to the prevailing theories, methods, and research issues of contemporary sociology. The course links key research issues and debates in sociology with research methods and analytic strategies so that students can understand how a sociological perspective contributes to our ability to understand and explain both the macro- and micro-aspects of societies and social organization.

CONTENT SUMMARY

Key Concepts:

  • Status, Authority, Community.
  • Socialization, Family and Kinship.
  • Groups and Networks.

Inequality and Mobility:

  • Poverty and Inequality.
  • Social Stratification and Social Mobility.
  • Gender and Discrimination.
  • Global Stratification and Population Studies.

The Sociology of Economic Life:

  • The Economy as an Instituted Process.
  • The Sociology of Markets and Firms.

The State and Globalization:

  • The State and its Critics.
  • Welfare States in Comparative Perspective.
  • Globalization and Challenges to the State.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Think sociologically about world phenomena, differentiate sociological thinking from other discourses, and use conceptual tools from sociology to explain social dynamics.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Apply sociological reasoning and sociological tools such that they can formulate better explanations for social phenomena that offered by other social science discourses.
  • Interpret data in ways that problematize overly simply solutions and generate strong explanatory frameworks.

Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
  • Individual assignments
DETAILS

Exercises include evaluation of highly influential works in political science and political sociology to understand:

  • The assumptions underlying the work.
  • The empirical bases of the arguments.
  • The reasons for the works influence.

Individual assignments include:

  • A seminar report.
  • A short paper focusing on theoretical and methodological integration around a particular course theme.

Assessment methods
  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  •   x x
  • Individual assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
  • x    
    ATTENDING STUDENTS
    1. An exercise (25%)
    2. A short paper (25%)
    3. Two partial exams (50%)
    NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

    Final written exam (100%)


    Teaching materials
    ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

    Students are provided with a selection of readings on the course Bboard site.

    Last change 11/04/2019 12:10