SSC 501 - Social Theory

Graduate standing(3)

Study and comparison of theorists of significant influence on the social sciences and public intellectual discourse in the past half century. Survey of key writers on modernity, political economy, inequalities, post-modernity, post-colonial, feminist and queer theory. Deeper examination of several theoretical orientations articulated by major writers from different periods. Discussion of positivist and functionalist theories, critiques of idealism and materialism, essentialism and identity politics, structuralism and post-structuralism, deconstruction.