Checking date: 02/04/2024


Course: 2024/2025

Comparative Sociology
(16617)
Bachelor in International Studies (2018 Study Plan) (Plan: 408 - Estudio: 305)


Coordinating teacher: FERNANDEZ GONZALEZ, JUAN JESUS

Department assigned to the subject: Social Sciences Department

Type: Basic Core
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:

Branch of knowledge: Social Sciences and Law



Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
Due to the fact that Comparative Sociology is an introductory class, no other class is necessary to enroll in it.
Objectives
To acquire knowledge and comprehension to: -Students will be able to know the main analytical approaches in comparative social science -Students will be able to know the main objectives of comparative sociology -Students will be able to know the main dimensions of contemporary societies. -Students will be able to distinguish between structural, economic, cultural and political approaches. -Students will be able to identify cross-national differences based on descriptive evidence. -Students will be able to link theoretical models and socioeconomic and political indicators. - To increase the capacity to deal with abstract concepts. - To improve the ability to formalize theoretically an economic problem. - To acquire agility in solving practical problems. - To foster teamwork ability. - To be able to perform critical analysis of arguments and theories. - To improve oral and written communication.
Skills and learning outcomes
Description of contents: programme
PART I: CONCEPTUAL INTRODUCTION Topic 1 - Week 1: What is Sociology? Wednesday September 6: Lecture: Introduction Friday September 8: Seminar: What is Sociology? Compulsory readings: Giddens, Anthony. 2006. Sociology. Cambridge: Polity, pp. 4-8. Wright Mills, C. 1959. The Sociological Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 3-18. Brym, Robert and John Lie. 2006. Sociology. Belmont: Thomson, pp. 2-3, 5-7. Topic 2 - Week 2: What is Comparative Sociology? Wednesday September 13: Lecture: What is Comparative Sociology? Friday September 15: Seminar: Debate on the ¿sociological imagination¿ Compulsory readings: Teune, Henry. 2014. ¿Comparing Societies around the World¿. Pp. 3-11 in Concise Encyclopedia of Comparative Sociology, edited by Masamichi Sasaki, Jack A. Goldstone, Ekkart Zimmermann and Stephen K. Sanderson. Leiden: Brill. Ragin, Charles. 1982. ¿Comparative Sociology and the Comparative Methods¿. Pp. 102-121 in Comparative Sociological Research in the 1960s and 1970s, edited by J. Michael Armer and Robert Mortimer Marsh. Leiden: Brill, pp. 102-107. Prezeworksi, Adam and Hentry Teune. 1970. The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry. Malabar: Krieger Publishing Company, pp. 31-39. Optional readings: Dogan, Mattei. ¿Strategies in Comparative Sociology¿. Pp. 13-45 in New Frontiers in Comparative Sociology, edited by Masamichi Sasaki. Rezaev, Andrey, Valentin S. Starikov and Natalia D. Tregubova. 2015. ¿Comparative Sociology as an Inquiry and as a Teaching Discipline: An Attempt of Comparative Analysis¿, Comparative Sociology, 14, 143-175. Topic 3 - Week 3: Theoretical Approaches in Sociology and Comparative Sociology Wednesday September 20: Lecture: Major Theoretical Approaches in Comparative Sociology Friday September 22: Seminar: Debate on the theoretical approaches of sociology Compulsory readings: Jones, Pip. 2003. ¿An Introduction to Sociological Theories,¿ in Introducing Social Theory. London: Polity, pp. 1-22. Brym, Robert and John Lie. 2006. Sociology. Belmont: Thomson, pp. 13-18. Optional readings: Apter, David E. 2005. ¿Comparative Sociology: Some Paradigms and Their Moments.¿ Pp. 103-125 in The SAGE Handbook of Sociology, edited by Craig Calhoun, Chris Rojek, and Bryan S. Turner. London: SAGE. Collins, Randall. 1985. Three Sociological Traditions. New York: Oxford University Press. Giddens, Anthony. 2006. Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press. Chapter 4. Topic 4 - Week 4: The Practice of Sociology Wednesday September 27: Lecture: Analytical Strategies and Data in Sociology Friday September 29: Seminar: Research Design in Sociology Compulsory readings: Brym, Robert, John Lie and Steven Rytina. 2010. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. Nelson. Chapter 2. Optional readings: Giddens, Anthony. 2006. Sociology. Cambridge: Polity, Chapter 2. PART II: DEMOGRAPHY AND MIGRATION Topic 5 - Week 5: Comparative Demography Wednesday October 4: Lecture: Comparative Demography Friday October 6: Seminar: Data Sources for the Essays Compulsory readings: Poston, Dudley ant Leon F. Bouvier. 2010. Population and Society: An Introduction to Demography. Cambridge University Press, pp. 265-266, 271-281. Fahey, Tony. 2011. ¿Population¿. Pp. 418-432 in Handbook of European Societies: Social Transformations in the 21st Century, edited by Stefan Imerfall and Göran Therborn. Springer. Optional readings: Kudo, Shogo et al. 2015. ¿Population Aging: An Emerging Research Agenda for Sustainable Development.¿ Social Sciences, 4, 940-966. Topic 6 - Weeks 6 and 7: International Migration Wednesday October 11: Lecture: International Migration Wednesday October 13: Holiday Wednesday October 18: Mid-term Exam Friday October 20: Seminar: Figures and Data Analysis Compulsory readings: Poston, Dudley and Leon F. Bouvier. 2010. Population and Society: An Introduction to Demography. Cambridge University Press. Pp. 166-177. Mau, Steffe and Roland Verwiebe. 2010. European Societies: Mapping Structure and Change. Bristol: Policy Press. Pp. 115-131. Optional readings: Eich-Krohm. 2013. ¿Twenty-first Century Trends in Highly Skilled Migration¿ in pp. 153-167 in Routledge International Handbook of Migration Studies, edited by Steven Gold and Stephanie J. Iawyn. Routledge. Lucassen, Jan and Leo Lucassen. 2013. ¿European Migration History¿ in pp. 52-64 in Routledge International Handbook of Migration Studies, edited by Steven Gold and Stephanie J. Iawyn. Routledge. PART III: CORE SOCIAL DIVIDES Topic 7 - Week 8: Social Class ¿ Concept and Class Structure Wednesday October 25: Lecture: Social Class Inequalities Friday October 27: Seminar: Debate on social class inequalities Compulsory readings: Rose, David and Eric Harrison. 2007. ¿The European Socio-Economic Classification: A New Social Class Schema for Comparative European Research¿, European Societies, 9, 459-490. Topic 8 - Week 9: Race and Ethnicity Wednesday November 1: Holiday Friday November 3: Lecture: Race and Ethnicity in US and France Compulsory readings: Wacquant, Loic. 2007. Urban Outcasts: A Comparative Sociology of Advanced Marginality. London: Policy. Pp. 229-233, 145-162, 169-185. Topic 9 - Week 10: Gender Inequalities Wednesday November 8: Lecture: Gender Inequalities Friday November 10: Seminar: Debate on gender inequalities; Introduction to academic writing. Compulsory reading: Esping-Andersen, Gosta. 2009. The Incomplete Revolution: Adapting to Women¿s New Roles. Polity Press. Chapters 1 and 2. Optional readings: Kimmel, Michael. 2001. The Gendered Society. London: Oxford University Press. PART IV: INTEGRATIVE STRUCTURES, CULTURE AND SYMBOLS Topic 10 - Week 11: Family Structures Wednesday November 15: Lecture: Comparative Sociology of the Family Friday November 17: Seminar: Debate on Family Structures Compulsory readings: Saraceno, Chiara. 2008. ¿Patterns of Family Living in the Enlarged EU¿. Pp. 47-73 in Handbook of Quality of Life in the Enlarged European Union, edited by Jens Alber, Tony Fahey and Chiara Saraceno. Routledge. Optional readings: Crouch, Colin. 1999. Social Change in Western Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 199-231. Mau, Steffe and Roland Verwiebe. 2010. European Societies: Mapping Structure and Change. Bristol: Policy Press. Pp. 103-114. Topic 11 - Week 12: Social Value Change Wednesday November 22: Lecture: Social Values in Comparative Perspective Friday November 24: Seminar: Debate n Social Values Compulsory reading: Inglehart, Ronald and Christian Welzel. 2005. Modernization, Cultural Change and Democracy: The Human Development Sequence. Cambridge University Press. Pp. 22-25, 37-38, and 115-134. Optional readings: Welzel, Christian. 2013. Freedom Rising: Human Empowerment and the Quest for Emancipation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Topic 12 - Week 13: Education Wednesday November 29: Lecture: Education Expansion in Comparative Perspective Friday December 1: Seminar: Review Compulsory reading: Müller, Walter and Irena Kogan. 2010. ¿Education¿. Pp. 246-282 in Handbook of European Societies, edited by Stefan Immerfall and Göran Therborn. Springer Optional readings: Mau, Steffe and Roland Verwiebe. 2010. European Societies: Mapping Structure and Change. Bristol: Policy Press. Pp. 173-193.
Learning activities and methodology
Lectures: In the lectures we will discuss the readings and the critical evidence needed to test the main theories. Reduced lectures: Each week we will have presentations, debates based on the readings and discussions of the essays. Students will have to participate actively in class.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 40
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 60

Calendar of Continuous assessment


Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • Alber, Jens, Tony Fahey and Chiara Saraceno. . Handbook of Quality of Life in the Enlarged European Union. Routledge. 2008
  • Brady, David. Poor People in Rich Countries: How Politics Explain Poverty. . Oxford. 2009
  • Immerfall, Stefan and Göran Therborn.. Handbook of European Societies. . Springer. 2010
  • Mau, Steffen and Roland Verwiebe. European Societies: Mapping Structure and Change. Policy Press. 2010
  • Sümer, Sevil. European Gender Regimes and Policies: Comparative Perspective. . Ashgate. 2011

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.