Soc 208 Spring 2003

Contemporary Theory and Research

T 2-4, 601 WJH

This class will survey the work of major post-Parsonian

theorists, both European and American. In addition to Instructor: David Gibson
familiarizing students with the content of this work, the class dgibson@wjh.harvard.edu
will focus on questions related to the nature and purpose of 536 William James Hall
theory, the relationship between theory and evidence, and long- 5-3825
standing theoretical problems of the connections between Office hours: Mon. 2:30-
micro and macro, structure and agency, and subjectivity and 4:00 or by appointment
behavior.

Course web page: www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~soc208/

Texts available at the Coop:

Pierre Bourdieu, Distinction (Harvard, 1984).
James Coleman, Foundations of Social Theory (Harvard, 1990).
Michel Foucault, The Foucault Reader. Ed. Paul Rabinow (Pantheon, 1984).
Niklas Luhmann, Social Systems (Stanford, 1995).
Alfred Schutz, Phenomenology of the Social World (Northwestern, 1967).
Out of stock:
Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (Free Press, 1968 ed.) available from
Barnesandnoble.com. Were not reading much of this book, but its a must-own if youre a
sociologist.
Arthur Stinchcombe, Constructing Social Theories (Chicago, 1987) available from
Barnesandnoble.com.

Other readings can be found under Readings on the course web site, or will be on reserve in
the WJH library. The password for online pdf files will be given in class.

Recommended theory overviews : There are several good theory textbooks; however, some are
out of print, and the rest are grossly over-priced. But they are worth keeping an eye out for,
especially if you can purchase them used:
Randall Collins, Theoretical Sociology (Harcourt, 1988). Out of print.
Richard Mnch, Sociological Theory: Developments since the 1960s (Nelson-Hall,
1994). Out of print. Were be reading selections from this book during the semester,
which will be put on reserve.
George Ritzer, Modern Sociological Theory (McGraw-Hill, 1999). In-print, but
expensive ($65 new).
Jonathan Turner, Structure of Sociological Theory (Wadsworth, 2002). In-print but
criminally expensive ($92.95 new). Older versions of the book may be available used,
though these books become quickly outdated.
Requirements:
Attendance and participation will count for 20% of your grade. Each of the two short papers will
count for 20%. The final paper will be worth 40%.
Participation: I will try to guide each weeks reading with some questions given out in advance
(in the prior class or shortly thereafter). Your participation will be partly tied to your ability to
speak to these questions in class. Note that I may call upon students at random for their thoughts,
or to summarize the readings. Failure to do the reading will likely result in acute embarrassment,
on which see Erving Goffman, Embarrassment and Social Organization.
Short papers: Half paper, half take-home exam, these will be assigned two weeks before they are
due. I anticipate that average length will run 6-8 double-spaced pages, but I grade for content,
not length. I also place a high premium on logic and clarity.
Final paper: Write on some empirical phenomenon using one or more of the theories/theorists
surveyed. While not all theories are directed tested by evidence, be explicit about how the
theory helps you pose questions and organize facts, and what counts as evidence for or against
the theory. Note that it is okay if the paper concludes with directions for future research; indeed,
if this paper can point to your dissertation (or QP) research, all the better. Expected length is
between 15 and 20 double-spaced pages, but again, I grade for content and not for length, and am
always happy for a paper which is concise a virtue when it comes to sociological writing.

Schedule o
Online
r
Feb. 4: Introduction WJH reserves
c
Coop
Feb. 11 Conceptions of sociological theory
Jeffrey C. Alexander, The New Theoretical Movement, ed. Neil Smelser, Handbook of
Sociology (Sage) pp. 77-101.r
Donald Black, The Purification of Sociology, Contemporary Sociology 29:5 (2000):
704-709.o
Arthur Stinchcombe, Constructing Social Theories, pp. 15-56.
Eric Leifer, Denying the Data: Learning from the Accomplished Sciences, Sociological
Forum 7:2 (1992): 283-299.o

Feb. 18: Bourdieu

Mnch, ch. 8. r
Pierre Bourdieu, Distinction (Harvard) pp. 1-168.c

Feb. 25: Foucault

Mnch, ch. 2. r
 Michel Foucault, The Foucault Reader, pp. 124-213. c (Not easy reading leave enough
time!)

March 4: Habermas
Mnch, ch. 15.r
Jrgen Habermas, Remarks on the Concept of Communicative Action, ed. G. Seebass
and R. Tuomela, Social Action.r

Short paper #1 assigned.

March 11: Luhmann

Mnch, ch. 16.r
Niklas Luhmann, The Differentiation of Society (Columbia University Press, 1982) ch.
10.r
, Social Systems (Stanford University Press, 1995), pp. 103-123, 278-290.c

March 18: Merton and middle-range theory

Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (Free Press, 1968 Enlarged Ed.),
chs. 2, 4, 5, 6.

Short paper #1 due.

March 5: Spring break

April 1: Social behaviorism and exchange

George Homans, Bringing Men Back In, American Sociological Review 29 (1964):
809-818.o
, Social Behavior: Its Elementary Forms (Harcourt, Brace and World, 1961), ch. 4.r
Peter Blau, Exchange and Power in Social Life (Transaction, 1986), ch. 4.r
, Inequality and Heterogeneity, chs. 1-2.r

April 8 Rational choice theory

James Coleman, Foundations of Social Theory (Harvard, 1990), chs. 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 19.c

Short paper #2 assigned.

April 15 Phenomenology and Ethnomethodology

Alfred Schutz, The Phenomenology of the Social World (Northwestern, 1967), chs 1-4. c

April 22 Goffman and ethnomethodology

 Erving Goffman, On Face-Work. Pp. 5-45 in Interaction Ritual (Pantheon, 1967).r
Erving Goffman, "The Interaction Order." American Sociological Review (1983) 48:1-
17.o
Harold Garfinkel, Studies in Ethnomethodology (Polity, 1967), ch. 2.r

Short paper #2 due.

April 29 Fusing theory and methods (readings are tentative)

Andrew Abbott, Transcending Linear Reality, Sociological Theory 6:2 (1988) 169-86. o
Stovel, Katherine, Michael Savage, and Peter Bearman. 1996. "Ascription into
Achievement: Models of Career Systems at Lloyds Bank, 1890-1970." American Journal
of Sociology 102:358-99.o
Larry Griffin, Narrative, Event-Structure Analysis, and Causal Interpretation in
Historical Sociology, American Journal of Sociology 98:5 (1993) 1094-1133.o
Granovetter, Mark. 1985. "Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of
Embeddedness." American Journal of Sociology 3:481-510.o
Network analysis reading #2 TBA.

FINAL PAPERS DUE MAY 14TH BY 5:00 P.M.