Modern Social Theory

This course aims to give students an introduction to contemporary trends in sociological theory. At its core, the course examines a range of theoretical debates that have acquired international prominence in recent years. Sociological theory unavoidably has to be approached from an international perspective. This is due to, on the one hand, the universalising claims inherent in many contemporary theoretical approaches and, on the other hand, the proliferation of sociology, sociologists, and sociology departments throughout the world. At the same time, however, questions remain as to the scope of relevance of internationally dominant theories that emanate from leading sociology departments and publishing houses in Western Europe and North America. The present course addresses this tension by introducing students to a broad range of contemporary theories and interrogating their importance to social research in the Caribbean.