Theory of Social Change and Modernization Processes

This part of the Final state Exam is designed for those students who have completed all of the courses from the optional block ‘The Theory of Social Change and Modernization Processes’.

1. Fundamental Concepts of Social Change in the Conception of the Philosophy of History

- The mythical versus the historical understanding of time (Eliade, Bultmann).

- The concept of time in ancient Israel versus in ancient Greece.

- Ancient historiography (Herodotus, Thucydides, Tacitus, Livy).

- Colingwood's features for Christian historiography (universal, providential, apocalyptic, periodization).

- Milenarism and chiliasm (Joachim di Fiore).

- Differences between medieval, renaissance and modern (Cartesian) historiography/

- Progress in theory (Bossuet, Condorcet, Turgot).

2. Classical Evolutionism and its Approach to the Issue of Social Change

- The general features of: organic metaphors, metaphoric embryos, differences between classical evolutionism and Darwinism.

- Auguste Comte’s conception and evolution of human knowledge, law of three stages, social statics versus social dynamics.

- Morgan Lewis’ three stages of development of human history: barbarism, savagery and civilization.

3. Neo-evolutionism in 20th Century Anthropology

- Neo-evolutionism versus classical evolutionism.

- Uni-linear versus multi-linear evolution.

- General versus specific evolution.

- Leslie White’s role of energy.

- Julien Steward.

- Marshall Sahlins.

4. Neo-evolutionism in Sociology after World War II

- Neo-evolutionism versus classical evolutionism.

- Gerhard Lenski’s typology and developmental stages, hunters and gatherers, agricultural and industrial companies.

- Talcott Parsons, types of companies, evolutionary universals, the evolution of cultural innovation, integration processes and differentiation, adaptive upgrading.

5. Reactions to Neo-Evolutionism in Sociology from the Late 20th Century

- The theory of structural differentiation (Smelser).

- Criticism of the theory of differentiation and division of labor (Ruescheymer,) the relationship of power and the division of labour, de-differentiation processes.

- The shift in biologic neo-evolutionism in sociology: variation, selection, stabilization.

- The role of systems theory, sources of variability within process variations, in power, structure and material.

- Eisenstadt's coalescing in theory, partly coalescing and non-coalescent changes.

6. Theory of Modernization

- The relationship between modernization theory and classical evolutionism.

- Classical theories of modernization in the 1950s, definitions of modernization: historical, relativistic, analytical...

- Western-centrism in classical modernization theory, in the context of the Cold War.

- Convergence theory.

- Neo-modernist and neo-convergence theories - transitology.

- Multiple modernities.

- Huntington's critique of modernization theories, the concept of political order.

7. Cyclical Theory of Social Change.

- Giambatisto Vico.

- Ibn Khaldun.

- Pareto.

- Sorokin.

- Danilevskij.

- Spengler.

- Toynbee.

8. Concepts of Social Change in Historical Materialism

- Karl Marx and historical materialism.

- Socio-economic formations.

- Dependency theory (Cardoso).

- World-systems theory.

- Marvin Harris’s theory of cultural materialism.

9. The Theory of Revolution

- Etymology of the term revolution.

- The classics: Marx and Tocqueville.

- Theda Skocpol's structural conception of revolution.

- Jean Baechler’s analysis of the phenomenon of revolution: the classification of marginal groups and anti-societies.

- The difference between political and social revolutions.

- The difference between revolutions and coups.

- Jaroslav Krejci: vertical versus horizontal revolutions.

- Shmuel Eisenstadt: revolution and the theory of coalescing changes.

Historical Sociology of Politics and International Relations

This part of the Final State Exam is designated for those students who have completed all of the courses from the optional block ‘Historical Sociology of Politics and International Relations’.

1. Forms of pre-state organization of power. Bands, tribes, chiefdoms.

2. Theory of the origin of the early state. The early states of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Central America.

3. Oriental despotism, comparison of ancient China and India

4. Muslim empires, institutions of military slavery

5. Patrimonialism and feudalism according to Max Weber

6. Development of parliaments

7. Realist, idealist and constructivist theories of international relations.

8. Geopolitical theories

9. Types of international systems in history according to Buzan and Little

10. Hobbesian, Kantian and Grotian paradigm of the international order according to Hedley Bull

Historical Sociology of Culture and the Quotidian

This part of the Final state Exam is designated for those students who have completed all of the courses from the optional block ‘Historical Sociology of Culture and the Quotidian’.

1/ Definition of the term experience. Phenomenological view. Alfred Schutz and Victor Turner.

2/ Definition of everyday life. Explaining of terms practice, habitus, strategies, tactics. "Making Do". Pre-modern, modern and post-modern everyday life.

3/ Social typology. Postmodern personal patterns: flâneur, tourist, pilgrimer, player, collectioner, handyman (amateur), photographer etc.

4/ Definition of play. Johan Huizinga and Roger Caillois. Philosophy of play. Present trend: a gamification in all areas.

5/ Spatial turn in historical sociology. Concept of place as defined by Michel de Certeau and Marc Augé. Heidegger´s hut by Adam Sharr. Transitive places; places and non-places.

6/ Everyday life and material culture. Thing as artifact, product, gift, fetish and commodity. Consumption as a significant component of culture. Fashion studies. Referential books: for example by Roland Barthes.

7/ Historical sociology of sport. Development of sport. The problem od defining risk and adventure. Sport heroism (celebrities and stars).

8/ Anthropological keys for historical anthropology: bricolage, liminality, fetishism.

9/ Lifestyle and ludic behaviour of marginal groups and subcultures.

10/ Historical sociology of mobility. Sociology of traffic. Moving in a space.