Contemporary Social Theory

AY2021/2022 Semester 1

This course is designed to provide an overview of noteworthy recent - several decades of - theoretical perspectives derived from sociology, anthropology, science and technology studies and political theory. The course goal is to help students interrogate social and cultural phenomena in contemporary societies. After taking this course, students should be able to reflect on - and ask better questions about - the workings of culture, society, and individual and collective identities in the broader world and in their own lives. The course is organized into two broad themes. Part I, 'Millennial Sociological Theories,' interrogates how, in the late 20th century and recent years, various theorists have conceptualized the workings of culture, knowledge, social organization and governance in the state. Part II, 'Contemporary Conversations', surveys how more recent scholars and intellectual commentators are discussing problems in contemporary societies and societal transformations, particularly in the context of the fourth industrial revolution, the rise of identity politics, burgeoning online community formation, the eruption of podcast media, and moral panics in relation to gender identity and gender relations. By bringing the theories of previous decades to bear on contemporary concerns, students will gain an understanding of the contemporary relevance and practical utility of engaging with long-standing conversations in social theory.