Vision and Method in Historical Sociology

SOC 453                                                        Spring 2000

Dr. Gonzalo Santos

Office:DDH - AA205

Office Hrs: 2:00 - 4:00 pm, Tu.Th., or by appointment 

Phone: (661) 664-2191 

Web site & Email:

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http://www.csub.edu/~gsantos/

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santos_class@csub.edu

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Textbooks

Course Content

The course explores the vision and methodological questions posed by a variety of nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholars working at the intersections of social theory and history viewed on a grand scale. We examine the research agendas that they followed, the basic theoretical assumptions about society, history, and the purposes of scholarship they made; and how these assumptions informed the questions that they asked and the kinds of answers that they offered. Specifically, we seek to understand how these scholars used various sources of evidence and ways of thinking about the past to pursue case studies or comparisons among social groups, periods & eras, nations, or world civilizations.

The course has three parts: First, we analyze and evaluate the theoretical framework, research designs and methods used by nine well-known contemporary historical social scientists in their most important works, following the Skocpol book. Then we take a deep detailed look at the vision and method of one of the latest great works of historical social science, the collaborative effort embodied in the Arrighi & Silver book. Lastly, we look back at the vision and method of four classic social thinkers of the second half of the nineteenth century and early half of the twentieth, following the selections found at the website of the "Dead Sociologists' Index" created by Professor Larry R. Ridener, currently at Radford University, and graciously made available to all scholars.

Course Structure

Class Presentations: The course will be run as a seminar. Students will be grouped in groups of three and assigned, on a rotational basis, specific dates to make class presentations. Each time the class meets, a group will make its three class presentations, followed by Dr. Santos comments and open class discussion. Dr. Santos will therefore expect everyone to come to class prepared to discuss the readings assigned for each session. Please be on time, especially the presenters. Presenters should bring enough copies of an outline (1 page per student) of their presentations to hand out to all in class. Each presenting student must also turn in to Dr. Santos a 3-to-5-page-long fuller analysis paper.

For the scholars covered in the Skocpol book and for the Dead Sociologists' Index, the three student presentations will be divided into three areas, namely, describing and critically assessing (a) the nature and spatial-temporal scope of the subject matter studied by the scholar in question, (b) the theoretical framework used, and contributions made, by the scholar, and (c) the research design followed by the scholar and the methodological issues raised by his/her work. For the Arrighi & Silver book, we will follow another approach: each group will present a chapter, dividing up the sections of the chapter three ways.

Group Research Project: There will be one group research project, consisting of three individual student term papers that seek to deepen considerably the analysis and critical evaluation of the work, vision and method of a major selected scholar, along the lines of the earlier class presentations (though probably all integrated in each individual paper, based on one major work by the scholar). Students must discuss with Dr. Santos their choice of scholar and major works, and seek his approval in a timely fashion. Students will be expected to have thoroughly reviewed the critical literature related to the scholar's works as well as some of his/her original texts. The group research volumes are due Thursday, June 8th, before 2:00 pm.

Each individual paper must be no less than 15 pages inlength (excluding bibliography, etc.), double-spaced, font 10 or 12, one-inch margins. For the specific citation and other guidelines to follow in the papers, please consult Dr. Santos' information placed on the web at http://www.csub.edu/~gsantos/Guide-Paper.html.

Grading: The class presentations are worth 40% of the grade, as a whole. The research term paper is worth the other 50%. Class participation is worth 10%.

Office Hours/E-Mail to Dr. Santos: All students are encouraged to visit the instructor regularly during posted office hours (see above, or by appointment), especially to ensure their individual presentations and research papers are well chosen and organized, or to discuss any question they may have from the seminar or the textbooks. Private but brief and to the point e-mail messages to Dr. Santos (NOT a substitute for office visits, please) may be sent to: santos_class@csub.edu.

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Schedule of Reading & Presentation Assignments


Week & Days
Assigned Readings
Student Group Presenters
1

March 28
 
 

March 30

Introduction to the course

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Skocpol: Chap. 1

No presentations
2

April 4
 

April 6

Skocpol: Chap. 2: Marc Block

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Skocpol: Chap. 3: Karl Polanyi

_________________________ 
 

_________________________ 

3

April 11
 
 

April 13

Skocpol: Chap. 5 Reinhard Bendix

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Skocpol: Chap. 6 Perry Anderson

_________________________ 
 

_________________________ 

4

April 18
 
 

April 20

Skocpol: Chap. 7 E.P. Thompson

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Skocpol: Chap. 8 Charles Tilly


_________________________ 
 

_________________________ 

5

April 25
 
 

April 27

Skocpol: Chap. 9 Immanuel Wallerstein

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Skocpol: Chap. 10: Barrington Moore


_________________________ 
 
 

_________________________ 

6

May 2
 
 

May 4

Arrighi & Silver: Introduction

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Arrighi & Silver: Chap. 1

Dr. Santos
 

_________________________

7

May 9
 
 

May 11 

Arrighi & Silver: Chap. 2

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Arrighi & Silver: Chap. 3

_________________________ 
 

_________________________ 

8

May 16 
 
 

May 18

Arrighi & Silver: Chap. 4

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Arrighi & Silver: Conclusion


_________________________ 
 

Dr. Santos 

9

May 23
 
 

May 25 

Dead Sociologists' Selection by Group 

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Dead Sociologists' Selection by Group

_________________________ 
 

_________________________ 

10 

May 30
 
 

June 1

No class today due to holiday on Monday

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Dead Sociologists' Selection by Group

No presentations




_________________________ 

11 

June 6 

[last day]

Dead Sociologists' Selection by Group

 
 

_________________________ 

June 8
Research Term Papers due before
2:00 pm at Dr. Santos' office

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My Group number: ____________

Presentations dates:____________________________________________________

Other members in my group:

    Name                                 Phone                     email

1.__________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________________________


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