Term Paper Guidelines Sociology 430: Sociological Theory

Topics.

Please choose one of the following topics to write about.These topics ask you be creative in applying the course material you have learned.IMPORTANT:You must identify what topic number you choose on the title page of your term paper!

1.Define and briefly explain both the Enlightenment and counter-Enlightenment. Explain how sociology’s founding fathers’ work(choose three figures)relates to both movements.

2.Describe Hegel’s dialectical process. Explain its significance in relation to Karl Marx’s theory of history. Also explain its significance on Marx’s basic theoretical orientation.

3.Discuss Karl Marx’s notion that the establishment of a communist economy would create a more humane and egalitarian society. What are the benefits to a Marxist society? What are the problems of such a society? How can the creation of an egalitarian society be reconciled given Marx’s critics’ 4notionthat humans are self-interested,“status maximizers”at their core.Is capitalism inherently unable to foster true equality within a society(as Marx believed)?If Marx’s conception for society works why haven’t modern attempts at communism produced a more humaneor egalitarian society (e.g. the U.S.S.R., China, and Cuba)? Lastly, take a position for or against Marx and defend your position. If you agree with Marx,explain why he was correct and why his conception of an egalitarian society is possible. If you disagree with Marx, explain why he was incorrect in his conception of society. You may be creative in the presentation of your essay, but be sure to directly address the concepts Marx identified in his critique of capitalism and his vision of a better society(i.e. directly address Marx and Engels’ statements in Capital and The Communist Manifesto).

4.Compare and contrast Émile Durkheim’s basic theoretical orientation to that of Karl Marx. For example, you might choose to compare Durkheim’s concept of anomie with Marx’s definition of alienation. Or, you might compare Durkheim’s understanding of the division of labor with that of Marx, and discuss how mechanical and organic solidarity are connected to this concept. Also, explain the errors or assumptions you feel Durkheim or Marx make(if any) in their conception of the division of labor in society.

5.Discuss Émile Durkheim’s work ,Suicide. Describe the various forms of suicide defined by Durkheim and how the general social processes of integration and regulation relate to each. What patterns did Durkheim discover regarding who is likely to commit suicide? How do natural causes (e.g. climate) factor into Durkheim’s suicide model? After presenting Durkheim’s general theory of suicide and its elements, critique it—do you find his theory convincing, or is his explanation insufficient? Explain your position. Lastly, explain why Durkheim’s work Suicide is significant for the discipline of sociology as a whole.

6.Discuss Émile Durkheim’s work,The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. Explain in detail the connection between social life and religion as outlined by Durkheim. What does Durkheim see as the main functions of religion in society? How does religion emerge and come to define a society? Be sure to include and define key terms introduced within The Elementary Forms of Religious Life(e.g.collective effervescence, the sacred, the profane, totems, etc.).After discussing Durkheim’s theory of religion, explain contemporary religious practices using Durkheim’s framework: do religions today operate similarly to how Durkheim conceived, or differently? Do you think religion will always be part of human societies, or can you conceive a society without religion? Explain your position.

7.Discuss Max Weber’s ideas in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. What reasons does Weber cite to explain the emergence of capitalism in Europe and America? How does the “worldly asceticism” of Protestants relate to the spirit of capitalism?This essay basically asks you to summarize Weber’s theory of the Protestant religion influencing modern capitalism. You may be creative in how you develop your summary of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,but be sure to present an organized essay that clearly describes the process as Weber conceived it.After summarizing his work, provide your opinion regarding Weber’s argument of religious ideology impacting economic change.What do you think has a greater effect on social change, idealistic causes/conditions (a la Weber) or material causes/conditions (a la Karl Marx). Explain and defendyour position.

8.Compare and contrast Max Weber’s types of legitimate domination(i.e. traditional authority, rational-legal authority, and charismatic authority)with Weber’s types of social action(instrumental-rational action, value-rational action, affective action, and traditional action). First, define each type as Weber conceived them, and discuss any specific conceptual elements that correspond to each type (for example, how does the “routinization of charisma” relate to charismatic authority?). Provide contemporary examples of each type of domination and action. Lastly, discuss how each type relates to one another, i.e. which type(s)of social action corresponds to each type(s)of legitimate domination?Explain why you think each type corresponds to one another.

9.Discuss Max Weber’s ideas on ideal types, rationalization,and bureaucracy. Explain the term “ideal type” and why Weber felt ideal types were necessary in sociological analysis. Next, explain Weber’s notion of“rationalization.” What does Weber mean by rationalization and how did he feel society had become more and more rationalized? Next, discuss Weber’s work on bureaucracy. What specific components (or elements) did Weber believe define all bureaucracies (i.e. how is a bureaucracy an ideal type)? How is the reliance on bureaucratic structures an example of the rationalization of society? Discuss the positive and negative attributes of relying on bureaucratic, rationalized systems. For example, what is bureaucracy’s role in Weber’s concept of the “iron cage.”Apply Weber’s idea of the “iron cage” to contemporary American society. What are the costs and benefits of living in a rationalized society that relies heavily on bureaucracy?

10.Compare and contrast Max Weber’s theoretical orientation with that of Karl Marx. You may be creative regarding what elements of Marx and Weber’s theories you compare and contrast, but be sure to present an organized essay that clearly identifies the similarities and differences between each figure. Possible themes for your essay include discussing Marx’s and Weber’s differences regarding their definition of “social class,” or the role of “material”vs. “ideological”causes of social change.You may choose any combination of themes to compare, but be sure to be thorough and clear in your presentation.

11.Construct an essay on the work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. For example, you might wish to discuss Gilman’s social Darwinist influences and how some of her beliefs based on this type of theory diminish her otherwise strong feminist perspective. Or, you could discuss some of the limitations inherent within Gilman’s particular feminist perspective. According to Gilman, what determines the economic (in)dependence of an individual? How are sex-distinctions related to one’s economic status and equality? You might discuss Gilman’s discussion of the division of labor, and how much you feel this division of labor has changed in contemporary times. Or, you could summarize Gilman’s main points on gender inequality and discuss the attributes of Gilman’s theory which you feel make her a feminist scholar, then compare and contrast her feminist perspective to contemporary feminist perspectives. Are they similar or different? Explain how and provide examples to support your argument.This topic allows you to be creative in your presentation of the work of Gilman, but be sure to be clear and organized in how you develop your essay.

12.Construct an essay on the work of Georg Simmel. Simmel wrote essays on such topics as fashion, conflict,and flirtation. You may wish to discuss the common denominator or central theme in Simmel’s work, and the general theoretical issues that this theme raises.Use concrete examples from Simmel’s work as well as your own original examples to explain. You may wish to discuss Simmel’s philosophy of money, specifically the role interaction plays in establishing the value of objects or goods(i.e. what roles do the quality of objects and the scarcity of objects play in establishing value)? You may wish to discuss Simmel’s work on the metropolis. According to Simmel, what effect does the metropolis have on the psychology and intellect of individuals?How do these effects, in turn, impact the expression of individuality?What role does money play in these processes? You may be creative in your presentation of Simmel’s theories and ideas, but be sure to be clear and organized in your essay.

13.Construct an essay on the work of W.E.B. DuBois. Summarize the main points from DuBois’s The Souls of Black Folk.Discuss DuBois’s concepts of the color line, the veil, and double consciousness using concrete examples. What theoretical issues do these concepts raise? If you wish you may compare and contrast DuBois’s theory of the oppression of black Americans with Gilman’s theory of 6the oppression of women. What are some of the similarities (if any) and differences (if any) between these two perspectives?You may be creative in how you discuss DuBois, but be sure to be clear and present an organized essay.

14.Construct an essay on the work of George Herbert Mead.For example, you could discuss the three central themes found in Mead’s work: mind, symbols, and language, and define the role each plays for an individual in a society. You also could discuss how the essence of meaning plays into these three central themes. You might choose to discuss how Mead defines “self-consciousness.” For example, what role does language play in the development of self-consciousness? What role does self-consciousness play in social interaction? You could explain Mead’s notion of the “I” and the “me.”You could discuss Mead’s view of the relationship between self-control and social control. Or, you might want to discuss his understanding of the stages of human development (the play, game, and generalized other stages). You may be creative in how you construct your essay, but be sure to be organized and focused in your presentation of Mead’s ideas you choose to discuss.

15.Compare and contrast the work of George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley. What are the main ideas/key concepts of each and how have both influenced micro- sociology? How do both conceive the self? How does each believe the self is constructed? How does each believe the self is related to society? What are the similarities between Mead and Cooley? Are there any differences you can detect between their philosophies of the self and its relation to society?