Dr. Werner Binder Spring 2022
Sociological Diagnoses of Our Times
Course
description
Sociological literature, especially in the writings of the classics, often contains a (more or less
explicit) diagnosis of the present time of the author (for example, Weber’s characterization of
modern capitalism as “iron cage”). In the 20th
century, “time diagnosis” emerged as a specific
sociological genre, exemplified by works such as Beck's "Risk Society", Bauman’s “Liquid
Modernity” or Castell's "Network Society". Time diagnoses offer a sociological interpretation
of contemporary society, often with a critical edge and the potential to reach broader
educated audiences beyond the confines of the discipline. This course focuses on recently
published diagnoses of our times, which we will read and discuss in their entirety, limiting
ourselves to one of two monographs per semester.
This year, two recent(ly translated) books by two German sociologists will be in the center of
our attention. Andreas Reckwitz, arguably the most influential sociologist in contemporary
Germany, develops in his "The Society of Singularities" (2020) the concept of singularization to
capture crucial features characterizing all fields of contemporary society, from economy and
work to culture, life-style and politics. In our class, we will tackle this novel take on late
modernity chapter by chapter. With his voluminous work "Resonance" (2019), Hartmut Rosa
offers a contemporary piece of German critical theory and a sociology of human-world
relations. In this seminar, we will read instead his recent "The Uncontrollability of the World"
(2020), a much shorter book that summarizes the argument of its predecessor and sharpens it
towards a critical time diagnosis.
Course
requirements
Regular attendance and participation, ten short response papers, presentation in class or final
essay
ECTS points 6
I Organizational Meeting
II Cultural Sociological Introduction – How Intellectuals Explain “Our Time”
Required
Readings
Alexander, Jeffrey C. (2003/1994): "Modern, Anti, Post, and Neo. How Intellectuals Explain
“Our Time” ". In: Alexander, Jeffrey C. (ed.), The Meanings of Social Life. A Cultural
Sociology. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 193-228.
III Society of Singularities – Introduction to the Book and the Author
Required
Readings
Reckwitz, Andreas (2002): “Toward a Theory of Social Practices. A Development in Culturalist
Theorizing”. In: European Journal of Social Theory 5(2), 243-265
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 1-15
Presentation Introduction of the author; Reckwitz, Andreas (2017/2012): The Invention of Creativity.
Modern Society and the Culture of the New. Cambridge; Medford: Polity.
IV Modernity and the Social Logic of the General and the Particular
Required
Readings
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 19-
78
Presentation Swidler, Ann (1986): “Culture in Action. Symbols and Strategies”. In: American Sociological
Review 51(2), 273-286.
V Post-Industrial Economy of Singularities
Required
Reading
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge: Polity; Medford. 81-
127
Presentation Karpik, Lucien (2010): Valuing the Unique. The Economics of Singularities. Princeton: Princeton
University Press.
VI Singularization of the Working World
Required
Reading
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge, Medford: Polity. 131-
160
Presentation Boltanski, Luc & Chiapello Ève (2018): The New Spirit of Capitalism. London; New York: Verso.
Reading Week
VII Digitalization as Singularization
Required
Readings
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge, Medford: Polity. 163-
195
Presentation Schwarz, Ori (2021): Sociological Theory for Digital Society: The Codes that Bind Us Together.
Cambridge; Medford: Polity.
VIII The Singularization of Lifestyles and the New Middle-Class
Required
Readings
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 199-
266
Presentation Beck, Ulrich (1992): Risk Society. London; Thousand Oaks: Sage. (In particular Part II)
IX Politics of Singularities – Differential Liberalism and Cultural Essentialism
Required
Readings
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge: Polity. 268-309
Presentation Reckwitz, Andreas (2021): The End of Illusions. Politics, Economy, and Culture in Late
Modernity. Cambridge; Medford: Polity.
X Conclusion and Criticism
Required
Readings
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge: Polity. 310-319
Wagner, Peter (2018): "Singularity: A New Key for the Sociological Diagnosis of the Present
Time?". In: European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie 59(3), 524-
532.
Presentation Brief overview of the reception of the work, reviews and citations
XI The Uncontrollability of the World I
Required
Readings
Rosa, Hartmut (2020): The Uncontrollability of the World. Cambridge; New York: Polity. 1-59
Presentation Introduction of the author; Rosa, Hartmut (2019/2016): Resonance. A Sociology of Our
Relationship to the World. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. Introduction + Part I
XII The Uncontrollability of the World II
Required
Readings
Rosa, Hartmut (2020): The Uncontrollability of the World. Cambridge; New York: Polity. 60-117
Presentation Rosa, Hartmut (2019/2016): Resonance. A Sociology of Our Relationship to the World.
Cambridge; Medford: Polity. Part II-IV
Requirements
for Passing
the Course
1. Participation in class – 20%
2. Ten short response papers – 60%
3. Presentation or Final Essay – 20%