Teaching forms and offerings
In the B.A. Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences degree program, which exists since WS 23/24, the Chair of Sociological Theories and Cultural Sociology is responsible for the following modules:
1st and 2nd major subject Sociology:
Sociological Theories (PHF-BA-Soz-Theorie)
(two-semester module, starts every summer semester, PL Komplexe Leistung)
Courses are also offered in the following modules:
Special Sociologies I: Culture, Knowledge, Media, Globalization
Special Sociologies II: Work, Education, Gender and Family
Special Sociologies III: Environment, Technology and Science
Sociological Methods
2nd major subject Social Sciences:
Theories of Society and Sociality (PHF-BA-Soz-Theorie-GS)
(every winter semester, PL written exam)
History of social theories (PHF-BA-Soz-Theorie-Gesch)
(every summer semester, PL written exam)
Courses are also offered in the following modules:
Special Sociologies I: Culture, Knowledge, Media, Globalization (WPB II)
Special Sociologies II: Work, Education, Gender and Family (WPB II)
Specialized Sociologies III: Environment, Technology and Science (WPB II)
Specialization Interaction and Organization (WPB IV)
Specialization in Structures and Theories of Society (WPB IV)
Specialization Sociological Analyses (WPB IV)
Sociology Project (WPB IV)
In the MA Sociology , the Chair of Sociological Theories and Cultural, Sociology is responsible for the specialization Cultures of Modernity (together with the Chair of Comparative Cultural Studies and Cultural Sociology), which includes the following modules:
Advanced module Cultures of Modernity (VM KM)
Research project Cultures of Modernity 1 and 2 (FP KM 1 and 2)
The Chair of Sociological Theories and Cultural Sociology is responsible for the following modules in the discontinued BA Sociology:
BA Sociology:
Sociological Theories I and II (GM2 and AM2)
Culture and Knowledge (SM1)
The research colloquium (see current program) serves to discuss final theses (primarily diploma and master's theses), dissertations and research work carried out at the Chair or presented by guests. It takes place on Thursday evenings in the 7th double period of the semester in room FAL 235 (18:30, see program). Current or simply interesting topics can also be discussed, initiatives are welcome. All Master's and Diploma theses worked on at the Chair will be presented in the colloquium, you will receive valuable advice on the strengths and weaknesses of your project and tips on how to proceed. Regular attendance during the processing phase of these theses is strongly recommended, but the colloquium is also open to all other interested parties who are not yet at that stage. By attending, one can gain inspiring insight into the ongoing work of others and participate in always constructive discussions in an atmosphere that is not dependent on a seminar program or study regulations, but on the desire to understand and strengthen the presented project.
Teaching in the field of sociological theories consists of seminars and two lectures, namely "The Discovery of Society" on the history of sociology in the summer semester and "Theories of Society and Sociality" in the winter semester, as well as various seminars. The concept of the first lecture is to convey the historical-social preconditions of modern society and sociology on the basis of the problem references of early social theories (Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, etc.). The history of sociology then goes back further than the founding of the discipline: it is itself a moment of those processes which, since the 17th century at the latest, have led to the emergence of the modern society in which we live today and which sociology claims to analyze. The second lecture "Theories of Society and Sociality" is dedicated to selected sociological theories since the 20th century and focuses on the one hand on their immanent reconstruction and on the other hand on the social transformations relevant in the 20th century, which give rise to these theories and are reflected in them. Both lectures can be attended independently of each other. Even if the lecture "The Discovery of Society" begins chronologically earlier, you can also start with the lecture "Theories of Society and Sociality".
Cultural sociology is part of the specialization module "Culture and Knowledge" in the old Bachelor's degree course in Sociology, in the B.A. GKS it is taught in the specialization modules. In the Master's degree program in Sociology, cultural sociology is taught as part of the specialization module "Cultures of Modernity".
The dominant form of seminars in both areas is the reading seminar, in which theoretical problems and empirical questions of application are explored on the basis of a thematic or author-related text selection. While the author seminar offers students the sense of achievement of having penetrated a key work or a certain theoretical perspective at the end of a semester, the advantage of the thematic seminar is that it provides an overview of the variety of possible interpretative perspectives in a problem area. Furthermore, a distinction must be made between more theory-centered seminars - in which the classification and comparison of different schools of theory and traditions are in the foreground - and more problem-centered seminars, in which, for example, culturally and historically divergent concepts of time, forms of political rule, theories of mass and popular culture, approaches of consumer sociology or concrete problem contexts - such as the change in technology and the world of work with the change in consumer cultures, political forms or class and gender relations - are examined in depth.