Sociology of Culture

Sociology 250, Spring 2006,9:05 - 9:55 MWF, A303 Old Mill Annex 

syllabus | online discussions | assignment checklist | term paper

Instructor: Thomas Streeter (thomas.streeter@uvm.edu); 656-2167; Office Hours: 1:30-2:30 MWF and by appointment in the Dept. of Sociology, 31 So. Prospect

What's this course about? The sociology of culture is as much an approach to sociology, a paradigm, as it is a particular subject matter within sociology, a "thing" to study. It's as much a way of thinking about social life, in other words, as it is a particular aspect of social life. This course will explore that way of thinking by exploring central themes and issues in the sociology of culture. It will focus on questions such as: What is the relation of the cultural forms studied by humanists to the social structures studied by sociologists and political scientists? What is the relation of experience, of subjectivity, to material life?

Prerequisite: A Taste for the Life of the Mind. You don't have to have taken other courses in the area of culture to take this course. But this course does assume some modest familiarity with a few things (e.g., the basic premises of Marxism, the meaning of "postmodernism," how to write a serious research paper). So to be comfortable in this course you either have to know those things or --even better -- be willing to learn a little about the things you don't know on your own initiative. (Sometimes this is as easy as simply asking a few questions in and out of class, or looking up words in a dictionary. Sometimes a little background reading is helpful; suggestions are sometimes listed in the appropriate places below.)

Assignments: class participation (including demonstrating that you've done assigned readings), the class email discussion list, a final research paper or project, and perhaps some additional assignments to be announced. I am usually happy to be flexible with deadlines if you notify me one week in advance; if you notify me later than that, I won't be. All assignments must be completed to pass the course.

Texts: Mukerji and Schudson (eds.),Rethinking Popular Culture: Contemporary Perspectives in Cultural Studies, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991) is available at the bookstore. The rest of the required readings are available on electronic reserve at the UVM library and/or via the course web site.