Aims

To have the tools and landmarks for finding one's way around contemporary production in sociology and anthropology.

Main themes

To situate the theories and fields of investigation of human sciences, with particular attention being drawn to sociology and anthropology, and the historic epoch of their emergence and development. To put off-shoots and breaks among the various actors into perspective, and to lead to a systematisation of the main paradigms of sociology.

Content and teaching methods

Content
1. Introduction: The introduction will seek to situate the approach adopted, and to put it into perspective in relation to other possible approaches.
- Discussion on the concepts of the theory of science (e.g. theory, paradigm and issues), and to specify their use in human sciences compared with other sciences.
- A presentation of theories relating to the development of sciences, and an investigation into their use for the purposes of producing a history of human sciences.
- Questions relating to the historiographical and systematic methods of sociological theories; to determine the choice made during the course; and to put the course choice in relation to those made by other writers into perspective.
2. Emergence and historical development of sociological theories.
- A presentation of sociological issues, theories and methods based on an approach that seeks to contextualise sociological theories in relation to their period from a cultural, socio-political and economic point of view.
- The development of sociological theories will also be set alongside other human sciences (e.g. history, ethnology, economics and psychology) and the development of natural and physical sciences to demonstrate transfers and conceptual or paradigmatic loans.
- Bearing these criteria in mind, the following periodisation might profitably be adopted:
. a discourse on society up to, and including, the Enlightenment;
. at the heart of industrial society and the 19th century;
. the turn of the century, and the founding moments in Europe and the United States;
. the inter-war period and the immediate post-war period;
. the 1960s;
. the sociology of the last 20 years.
3. The systematisation of sociological paradigms and theories and analytical implications.
- The production of a systematic framework of sociological paradigms and theories to accompany the review of the previous stage.
- To demonstrate their involvement in learning social facts.
Methodology
A professorial course together with additional reading (history of sociology, the taxonomy of theories, and texts by sociological writers).

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Frameworks of reference concerning the social, political and economic history from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
The basic concepts of sociology.
An oral examination and a group exposition.
Reference books.
A study room and supervision.