Face-to-face , first term, 30 hours of theory.

First term
Friday from 08:30 to 10:30 at 43 Botanique 1

French

The course is an in-depth introduction to sociology. Rather than surveying the field, it explores some of the field's classics and key-authors. By doing this, it aims at raising the students' awareness about the stakes that are at play in each one of the sociological undertakings. These stakes are not only theoretical nor practical; they are also political and even existential. Debates and divergences amongst sociologists will thus be emphasized. More generally, the course aims at giving the students the necessary reference points and meta-understanding of sociology for their future orientation in this field.

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The course is divided into two parts. The first part presents the founders of the discipline, i.e. those that are referred to today (Durkheim, Weber and the Chicago School). The second part presents the theories and authors that are at play on today's academic scene: critical sociology (Bourdieu, Passeron, Wacquant, and others); symbolic interactionism (Becker, Goffman, and others); actor-network-theory (Hennion, Latour, and others).

Each part will open up to recent publications and reflexions, so as to show the relevance of all theories and authors involved. For instance, Durkheim's work will be complemented by Schnapper's and Butler's work; Weber's by Boltanski & Chiappello's, and Senett's work; The Chicago School by Tarrius' work; Latour's by Sassen's work; etc. Moreover, documentaries' excerpts will be shown in course.

Lectures & compulsory reading (see compilation of texts). Students must take note during classes. Lecture notes will be enhanced by means of a summary (see syllabus) but that summary can by no means replace the lectures. As for the compulsory reading, students are advised to read throughout the semester, as soon as the lectures start, for the reading helps to understand the course, and vice versa.

Written closed-book exam. The exam assesses the student's capacity to render the course's material with nuance and attention for detail, as well as a basic understanding of the contents of the compulsory reading.

Compulsory reading:

Judith Butler, 2010, « Survivabilité, vulnérabilité, affect » dans Ce qui fait une vie. Essai sur la violence, la guerre et le deuil, éditions Zones,

Saskia Sassen, 1996, « La restructuration économique: une bipolarisation sociale et géo-graphique » dans La ville globale: New York, Londres, Tokyo, éditions Descartes et Cie, pp. 339-341, 383-398.

Daniel Cefaï & Edouard Gardella, 2011, « Introduction » dans L'urgence sociale en action: Ethnographie du Samusocial de Paris, pp. 13-37.

Loïc Wacquant, 2012, « Repenser le ghetto: du sens commun au concept sociologique », Idées économiques et sociales, 2012, vol. 1, n° 167, pp. 14-25.

Face-to-face , first term, 30 hours of theory.