welcome!

So this is our weblog for Classical Sociological Theory at Hunter College, Summer Session One. As most of you know, blogs are pretty easy to understand. The newest post will be on top, and then the older ones will flow from below. There will be plenty of stuff on here, including little questions to help guide your reading, writing, and discussion, and articles that you should check out. Along the side (to the left) is a series of links, most are related so sociology, but a few are just nice little sites that I highly recommend (like the internet radio station 'soma fm'). Comment on the questions and topics by clicking on 'comments' directly below each post!

sociological theory study guide

Here are a series of questions that ought to assist you when reading any of the assigned texts:

1. What concepts are the most important here? List, define, and explain.
2. Is this theory a ‘macro’ or a ‘micro’ theory? Why and how do you know? What is the significance and ramifications of this?
3. What does the theory assume about the social world? What are the implications of these assumptions?
4. Is this theory ‘deterministic’ or does it have a notion of the free and unpredictable? Explain.
5. Does it include a theory of emancipation? If so, for whom? How? What should society look like? Or is the theory focusing on what is?
6. How does the theory deal with change? Is change good or bad? Is change inevitable or not? What are the stages or what is the process of social change?
7. What does the theorist say regarding the role of social structures and institutions?
8. How does the theorist see individual behavior?
9. What is the relationship between individuals and society?
10. What are the influences on individuals and larger society?
11. What is the basic nature of individuals and society?
12. What is the relationship between theory and research? Is it inductive or deductive? Does it encourage qualitative or quantitative methodologies? Is there a notion of truth (or Truth)?
13. What is your reaction to this theory? Does this jibe with your everyday life and experience? Why or why not?
14. How is this similar and different to other theories? What are the relationships and traditions that it is a part of? Where do the main concepts and points come from?

micro-----macro
subjective-----objective
theoretical-----empirical
abstract-----grounded
structure-----agency
normative-----descriptive