Introduction to the meaning of sociological theory and the principle theorists, including Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Auguste Comte, and Herbert Spencer.  The concept of the ideological frame of theory is essential for understanding theory as developed in this course.  The course is an examination of sociological thought as developed in its socio-historical context.  While traditionally the focus of such a course is on male, European thought, this tradition is itself an object of study of the course.  Thus non-male, non-Europeans are also explored.   Theory is seen as as much pure knowledge as it is a reaction or reflection of present and past social forces.  While academe and theorists in general often glorify objectivity and the isolated, “ivory tower” in which the work of theorizing is done, the course will show that despite these claims, theory is itself surrounded and interwoven with the concerns of everyday life and is as much a political, social, historical, economic, and gendered product as is the most bold political platform or interest group treatise. While many have decried such a view of theory as an inevitable slide into the relativistic abyss, theory as explored here is seen as having important applications to the issues of the day. 

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1.  describe the process of theory development.
2.  understand the nature of micro, middle, grand, and meta-theory.
3.  the uses of theory in sociology, in other academic disciplines, and in everyday life.
4.  describe and apply the elements of theory, including concepts, variables, theoretical statements, and models.
5.  assess a theory. 
6.  formulate a theory.
7. explain how social change has come about as a result of population & other demographic changes, 
    urbanization, & the social movements.
8. explicate and critique the early years of sociological theory
9. explicate and critique the later years of sociological theory
10. explicate and critique the fundamental theories  of the classical theorists, including:  Montesquieu, 
       Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Hegel, Saint-Simon, Comte, de Tocqueville, Martineau, Harriet Taylor, 
       JS Mill, Pareto, Mosca, Michels, Mannheim, with an emphasis on Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.
11.understand the value of their own power of effective, reading.
12. understand the value of their own power of effective, written communication.
13. understand the value of their own power of effective, oral communication.
14. understand the value of their power of effective, creative thinking.
15. understand the value of their own power of making ethical choices.

Summarizes the manner is which the course is run:  The course is organized as a seminar, emphasizing the readings and discussion.  Students are expected to assist in creating a collegial, professional setting similar to one they will find in their career.  This may be done by completing all readings in advance and coming prepared to discuss and analyze the issues presented in the readings.   At times, formal discussion teams will be organized around specific issues as In-Class Projects.  After discussion and analysis, the teams report back to the class.  Students may be asked to perform as professionals in the roles of decision-maker, team leader, facilitator, editor and various resource specialists from a variety of disciplines.  When  an assignment is given by the Professor, the team is to solve the problem and present their solution to the class. 
       Presentations will be held on the social issues and problems examined in the course. You must complete a Draft Proposal and a Final Proposal, which essentially help you focus on a topic and a thesis, for the Presentation.  Details on this and other assignments can be seen below:  Other Assignments Overview
       Exams will be objective in nature:  multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, completions, short-answer. 
       Students are expected to take time to stay informed on the news and current events of the day in order to enhance their ability to analyze the social problems examined in class.
        Your writing assignments in this theory course are a Preface to your Capstone Project. Your written & oral assignments discussed below, are in effect, preparation for your Capstone Project in Sociology.  Thus, you are to pick a broad area of interest in sociology, and do basic background research in that area  so that you become an expert in that field. You are developing an area of expertise.      When you take the Capstone Course next term, you will incorporate this work into the development of your Capstone Project.  For the Capstone Project, you will start from your area of expertise and develop and implement a research project.  The focus will be on actual research, analysis of that research, and the reporting of that research.
        Thus, this theory based term project is to prepare you for doing actual research in the field.  To that end, you pick your topic, do academic/ library research on that topic, and analyze or discuss important questions or areas of concern that you find in the literature.   Each of these assignments is discussed below.  The topic may be drawn from the course work and should parallel the curriculum. Your proposals, term paper & presentation should be more than a description of an issue, merely listing facts and figures.  The objective is to analyze a situation in sociological terms and then demonstrate how a sociological perspective/theory explains the situations and offers a solution or direction for social change.
       See the other sections of this syllabus for further discussion of these course requirements.

The following book is available at the book store:  Zeitlin, Riving M. (2001) Ideology and the Development of Sociological Theory.  7th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. 
There are materials available on reserve in the library & on the internet in the Methods Webpage of the Supplements section of the Dr. W's Website.  These materials may assist the student in formulating her / his topic for their Senior Thesis Term Paper.  It is suggested that students retain & utilize several textbooks:   Intro to Sociology,  Social Problems, Statistics, & Methods. 
 

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See Also:  More Info on Methods Supplements Webpage under the Supplements Webpage:

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EXAMS:  There will be two chapter exams & the final exam.  The final will be comprehensive.  Exams may include any of the following types of questions:  multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, completion, and short-answer type questions.  Save all reviews, in-class projects, & other materials handed out in class since they are fair game for exams and the final.  Questions may be derived from any material presented in class.  Please include the Honor Code, in full, on all assignments, exams, in-class projects, EVERYTHING. 

5 writing & oral assignments are required for this Theory Course as a Preface to Your Capstone Project
   a. The Draft Proposal
   b. The Literature Review
   c. The Final Proposal
   d. The Term Paper
   e. The Term Presentation
Each is discussed in detail below & on related Webpages

In the Draft Proposal you are to pick your topic and make a proposal on what your topic, or area of interest is, as well as a research question developed from that area of interest.
Each student shall write a Draft Proposal 
Length:        3 pages for full credit; 4 max
Due Date:  See the syllabus section above:      6. Course Schedule, Test Dates & Other Assignment Due Dates 
Bibliography:  optional
In the Draft Proposal you are to pick your topic and make a proposal on what your topic, or area of interest is, as well as a research question developed from that area of interest. 
See the Webpage on the Draft Proposal for more information & requirements
While developing your Thesis in the Draft Proposal, the Final Proposal, & the Term Paper, you are to focus primarily on the Types of Analysis that are useful for Library Academic Research.  Thus, in the Theory Course Term Paper you are to write a Lit Review & utilize a Socio-historical Analysis & two other types of analysis such as a comparative or a SWOT analysis.  However, remember, this Thesis & Term Paper is a preface to your Sociological Capstone Course where you will add to the thesis as necessary to conduct Field Research in the Form of a Survey, an Interview & at least one other type of Field Research.  Thus, it is in your interest to write a Thesis, here, that is compatible w/ the goals of the Sociological Capstone Course & Field Research.   See the Sociological Capstone Course Syllabus for more details. 

The purpose of the Lit Review is to put together a narrative (a story)  that explains how the works you have read lead you to your research question,  & what questions are left unanswered by the literature. 

To do this you must be familiar w/ the literature in your area.

Length:       3/4 of a  page for each of the 10 resources you review for a total of 8 pages for full credit; 10 pages max.

Due Date:  See the syllabus section above:      6. Course Schedule, Test Dates & Other Assignment Due Dates 

Bibliography:  required

See the Webpage on the Literature Review for more information & requirements

In the Final Proposal you are to refine/revise your Draft Proposal in light of two areas of input:  first, from what you learned from your Literature Review and second, what you learned from the Professor's comments from your Draft Proposal
Length:        3 pages for full credit; 4 max
Due Date:  See the syllabus section above:      6. Course Schedule, Test Dates & Other Assignment Due Dates 
Bibliography:  optional
See the Webpage on the Final Proposal for more information & requirements

Each student shall write a term paper.  In the term paper you are to fully carry out what you proposed to do in the Draft & Final Proposals.  The Outline on the Term Paper, below, summarizes what is required on the Term Paper in this Theory Course, & what will be completed in the Capstone Course.  See the Webpage on the Term Paper for more information
Length:             25 pages in the body  (not including table contents, biblio, etc.)
Bibliography:  minimum  10 scholastic references from your Lit Review
Due Date:        See the syllabus section above:      6. Course Schedule, Test Dates & Other Assignment Due Dates

20. Outline on the  Term Paper Assessment	Indicates the Sections of the Term Paper that are Required for this Theory Course, & those Sections that will be completed in the Capstone Course	Approximate  Page Requirement
1. Title Page	Required	1
2. Table of Contents	Required	1
3. Thesis statement or hypothesis	Required	w/ Intro
4. Introduction & summary	Required	2
5. Body	NA	NA
5.1.  Literature Review	Required, but is 1st written as a separate paper,  then integrated into the Term Paper	10
5.2.  Methods	State in a concise paragraph  that you used library research	1/4
5.3.  Summary of Results/Data	Not Required Here:  Required in Capstone	0
5.4.  Analysis / Discussion	NA	NA
a. Other Subsections based on Topics       or	Required    or	6
b. Other Subsections based on Types of Analysis	NA	NA
i.  Socio-historical analysis	Required	3
ii. Other Type of Analysis:  Narrative, Descriptive,                              etc.  ( required )	Required to use 2 or more types of analysis	6
iii.  Data Analysis if Primary Data Collection                         was conducted    ( required in Capstone )	NA	0
a)  Statistical Analysis, if utilized	Not Required Here:  Required in Capstone	0
b)  Other type(s) of analysis, if utilized	Not Required Here:  Required in Capstone	0
iv.  Expectations for the Future  ( required )	Required	2
v. Recommendations of Social Policy ( required )	Required	2
6.  Summary & Conclusion	Required	2
7.  Appendices	Optional	Optional
8.   Bibliography	Required	10 + refs

In the Term Presentation you are to transform your Lit Review & Term Paper into an oral presentation,  & present it to the class. 
Length:  15-20-25  minutes  ( Does not include question & answer period )
Bibliography:    minimum  5 scholastic references
Due Date:          See the syllabus section above:      6. Course Schedule, Test Dates & Other Assignment Due Dates
See the Webpage on the Term Presentation for more information