SOCb1021 Current Issues in Sociology

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Iva Šmídová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Iva Šmídová, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 8 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course introduces students to current research issues that today's sociology deals with, namely through presentations of research studies conducted by members of the department. The aim of the course is to provide practical ways to connect theoretical and conceptual approaches in sociology (which they gradually acquire in theoretically focused courses) with the practice of implementing specific research projects and studies aimed at handling relevant sociological problems. The course thus teaches students to apply conceptual knowledge to a specific researched field; they are motivated to reflect on the choice of appropriate methodology and specific methods of current research studies at the department, resulting in different outputs. Current Issues in Sociology present concepts and profile research studies of the department members (and contemporary sociology), such as family, education, social stratification, social movements, intersectional inequalities, health, aging, gender, globalization, or technology.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to: • understand the application of concepts to the chosen research topic • reflect on the progress of the research process in specific current topics • connect the theoretical framing of social and sociological problems (reading) with a specific research procedure (in the presented research) • become familiar with current approaches to selected sociological topics and problems • reflect on the impact of the chosen conceptual framework and method on the research findings • apply the knowledge gained in the discussion to a selected relevant area (problem) of contemporary sociology
Syllabus
  • An introduction to current issues in sociology Family Education The state and individual actors Stratification of society Social movements Gender Aging Intersectional inequalities Health Borders and migration Globalization and climate change Technologies
Literature
  • Leiulfsrud, H., & Sohlberg, P. (Ed.). Concepts in action: Conceptual constructionism. Brill. 2018.
  • McGann, K. (Ed.). SAGE readings for introductory sociology (Third Edition). SAGE. 2022.
  • Leiulfsrud, H., & Sohlberg, P. (Ed.) Constructing social research objects: Constructionism in research practice. Brill. 2021.
  • Grusky, David B.; Szelényi, Szonja. The inequality reader : contemporary and foundational readings in race, class, and gender. Boulder: Westview Press, 2011.
  • GIDDENS, Anthony. Sociologie. Edited by Philip W. Sutton, Translated by Tereza Jiroutová Kynčlová - Blanka. Aktualizované a rozšířen. Praha: Argo, 2013, 1049 stran. ISBN 9788025708071. info
Teaching methods
lectures presentation of research studies group discussions of thematic research application of concepts in practice
Assessment methods
two written tests presentation of final group projects
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
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