ANSO 305
Social Theory Fall 2024
Division II

An introduction to social theory in anthropology and sociology, with strong emphasis on enduring themes that cut across disciplinary divides. How does social theory help us critically analyze the world in which we find ourselves? How do social thinkers construe “society” and “culture,” and have these constructions withstood challenges over time? What role does human agency play in the unfolding of social life, and where does that sense of agency come from in the first place? What are the forces that animate social interaction on the level of individuals, social groups and complex units like nation-states? What are the possibilities and limits of systematic approaches to the study of human social experience? The course emphasizes differences between interpretive frameworks as well as the common elements that contribute to a deeper understanding of the social world.