SOC 800

The sociological tradition includes many different theories of society. Ranging from micro- to macro-level, from modernist to postmodernist and postcolonial, theories have conceptualized power, inequality, conflict, solidarity, community, communication and ideology in varying ways. Contemporary theories highlight diversity, relativism, pluralism, subjectivity and the body, reflecting the vitality and relevance of sociological thought in a constantly changing world. This course explores sociological theory form Adam Smith and Vilfredo Pareto to Dorothy Smith and bell hooks, focusing on these themes.