ITB 215E - Topics in Hist.and Society

Course Objectives

To learn the basic concepts and theories in Historical Sociology
To gain familiarity with the epistemological and methodological aspects of Historical Sociology
To explore the context of the emergence of the historical study of modern societies
To gain analytical skills to explore history in light of sociological concepts
To adopt an interdisciplinary perspective to examine macro-social trends in historical and contemporary societies
To investigate how the ideas of historical sociologists have helped shape contemporary sociological analysis

Course Description

This course is an introduction to historical sociology, which focuses on the intersection of history and sociology. It examines the logic and methodological assumptions of historical sociology as a field of analysis through a survey of representative works and developments within the evolution of the field. Substantive paradigms of comparative and historical analysis are also illustrated through a discussion of major works, such as those of Michael Mann, Norbert Elias, Charles Tilly, Shmuel Eisenstadt, Theda Skocpol and Immanuel Wallerstein.