Topics:

1. What is sociology? More than opinion polls. Object of sociology, place of sociology among other social sciences, historical and epistemological roots of sociology, plurality of sociological theories and methods (multi-paradigmatic character), sociology and common sense, sociological imagination.

2. Culture, socialization, social roles. Gender. Sociology of family (traditional and modern family, selected theories) and demographic reproduction of the society (first and second demographic transition, ageing, Thomas Malthus and his critics).

3. Deviation and social control: anomie (Durkheim, Merton), social pathology, theories of suicide (Durkheim and his critics), corruption.

4. Social stratification (casts, classes etc.) and social mobility, inconsistent social status, theory of elite. Sociology of city.

5. Theories of social needs, interests, attitudes and values (postmaterial values). Social groups (typology): small and large, formal and informal, primary and secondary, reference and member; mobs and publics.

6. Sociology of education: inequalities and their social reproduction, hidden curricula, knowledge society theory, scenarios of schools for the future.

7. Sociology of religion: secularization theory and its critics, Weber and Durkheim, clash of civilizations debate (S. P. Huntington), contemporary religious terrorism (M. Juergensmeyer).

8. Sociology of bureaucracy and social organizations: Weber, Merton, Crozier and Goffman.

9. Sociology of media: historical and social context, influence of media, empirical evidences.

10. Sociology of conflict and social change, reform and revolution, globalization and its consequences, social movements, democratization, global problems.

11. Theoretical sociology: classical sociology (Marx, Durkheim, Weber) and modern sociology.

12. Methodology of sociological research: Quantitative and qualitative (and examples).

The compulsory textbook:

Fulcher, J. and Scott, J.: Sociology, 4rd Ed. Oxford: 2011.

Bibliography (other recommended textbooks):

Anthony Giddens: Sociology, 6th Edition. Cambridge: Polity, 2009.

Bauman, Zygmund: Thinking Sociologically, 2^nd Edition. 2001.

Georg Ritzer: Introduction to Sociology. Sage: 2012