Political sociology

Teacher(s)

Vanderborght Yannick;

Language

French

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

This introductory course aims at providing the students with a good overview of contemporary political sociology, of its main issues and currents of thought. The great authors and paradigms of this sub-discipline of sociology, which is closely connected to political science, will be dealt with. For each sub-field of political sociology, classic works and contemporary studies will be presented and analysed in some detail.

Content

After a general introduction to the key characteristics that make political sociology a hybrid discipline aimed at applying sociological methods to the study of political phenomena, the course is divided into sections that explore the great diversity of both classical and contemporary scholarship. Topics that may be covered (subject to change) include:

• the formation of States and Weberian political sociology;
• nationalism and imperialism;
• Marxist political sociology;
• elitist political sociology;
• the political socialization of children;
• electoral sociology;
• …

Teaching methods

Lectures are delivered in the form of presentations by the professor, supported by PowerPoint slides. The slides are made available on Moodle. Active participation by students is encouraged, and attendance is strongly recommended.
Presentations by guest speakers may also be organized during the semester. Where applicable, these presentations likewise form part of the examination material.
In addition, students may be required to read articles or a book related to one or more sections of the course. Where applicable, these compulsory readings constitute an integral part of the examination material.

Evaluation methods

The examination is a written exam. The examination covers all course material, including authors, theories, historical developments, and other topics discussed in class. Where applicable, it also encompasses the content of mandatory readings and any presentations delivered by guest speakers. For detailed information regarding the examination format and sample questions, students are required to consult the examination guidelines posted on Moodle.

Faculty or entity

> ESPB