There are countless ways and traditions to think about social and communal life, with academic social theory being just one of them. This course explores social theorizing developed after World War II, particularly within Western Europe and the United States. We will engage with the established "canon" while also addressing critiques and challenges that seek to revise or fundamentally question it.
This course provides a broad overview of important debates that have deeply influenced social theory and resonate in current theoretical discussions. We will explore paradigms such as Structural-Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, Critical Theory, Structuralism, Post-Structuralism, Science and Technology Studies, Postcolonial and Subaltern Studies, Feminist and Affect Theory.
Rather than training you to “apply” a particular theoretical framework, this course emphasizes thinking critically about theories themselves and finding your own way of engaging with them.
- Instructor: Anna Lea Berg