B_Soc_1 Sociology 1

University of Finance and Administration
Winter 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Ondřej Roubal, Ph.D.
Subdepartment of Social Sciences – Department of Social Sciences – Departments – University of Finance and Administration
Contact Person: Dita Egertová
Prerequisites
There are no pre-requisites for this course.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
This study programme aims at leading students to forsake a laic (everyday) view on social reality and at directing them towards better informed, more qualified and more objective (scientific) levels of learning about society. Our goal is to present sociology as „the art of distrust“, to develop critical thinking, sociological imagination, empathy and intuition for social reality. We would like to present students with a study programme, methods and social functions of sociology and a paradigmatic structure of sociology as a typical multiparadigmatic socio-scientific discipline.
Our further goals are to present the history of sociological thinking in more detail and show it as a product of the crisis of transforming the traditional society into the modern one, to point out main ideological movements and the most important works of the founders of sociology, as well as to describe the foundations of the existence of human society as a result of natural and historical development and to present the dichotomy of biological and cultural determinism as paradigmatic ways of understanding the social reality.
The other aims of the course are to clarify basic anthroporacial theories and other biologizing concepts of a man, including the newest approaches in the sphere of sociobiology. Further on, as a counterpart of biological determinism, to show the significance of cultural anthropology, to explain the foundations and the function of culture, social institutions, social learning, socializing or importance of social roles in everyday life. Our objective is also to make students familiar with the issue of theory and research of the social structure of society, social differences and inequalitites, to show the relationship between social stratification and distribution justice – students will understand conservative, socialistic and (neo)liberal standpoints of the explanation. Students will be able to explain the development of the sociology of an organization and will learn about their basic concepts. Students will also be presented with the development of opinions on bureaucracy and its typology. Our objective is to explain to them what post-modern sociology means and to show current concepts of the latest society. We will draw their attention to topical sociological issues under the conditions of accelerating globalization and individualizing processess in society.
After the course students will be able:
1. To judge social reality phenomena from the critical perspective of someone who has studied sociology and thus who has pre-requisites to develop sociological imagination;
2. To understand basic sociological concepts, to know basic theoretical approaches and emphirical methods of learning about social reality;
3. To get oriented in and be sufficiently instructed about the discourse of the nature of problems of a society of later modernity;
4. To apply sociological studies in marketing practice.
Learning outcomes
Basic theoretical knowledge, orientation in problems and context of monitored topics. At the same time, the practical skills and skills of applying the acquired knowledge in a real environment of professional activities. The learning outcomes are the support and development of the profile of the educated practitioner.
Syllabus
  • 1. The importance of sociological knowledge, sociological thinking as "the art of distrust", sociological imagination. Subject, method and function of sociology. Paradigmatic structure in sociology. 2. The History of Sociological Thought - Historical conditions of sociology and its origins. Tradition and modernity. From classical sociology to the concepts of late-time societies. 3. Foundations of human society I. Man, society and nature. Contemporary biologizing concepts of man - sociobiology and genocentrism. 4. Foundations of Human Society II. Man, society and culture. Cultural determinism as opposition to biological concepts. 5. Sociology of inequalities - social structure of society, stratification, class, social and cultural capital. 6. Changes in the Social Structure of Late Modern Companies - Growth of inequalities, wealth and poverty. 7. Sociology of organization - organized modernity and paradoxes of bureaucracy. 8. Changes in the world of organizations. The emergence of the world by the network, between freedom and uncertainty. 9. Sociology of politics. Politics, authority, power. The concept of power and the historical conditionality of forms of politics. 10. Globalization and Society - Universalization, Particularization and Hybridization. 11. Postmodern sociology focusing on the problem of individualization: the era of uncertainty and the fluid times of modern times in Zygmunt Bauman's work. 12. Sociology and marketing communication - consumer culture, hedonism and human happiness.
Literature
    required literature
  • MAIELLO, Giuseppe a Ondřej ROUBAL. Média a kultura. Od primární orální kultury ke konstrukci kyber-prostorových identit v éře digitální komunikace. 1. vyd. Praha: VŠFS, 2020. 126 s. EUpress. ISBN 978-80-7408-179-8.
  • ROUBAL, Ondřej. Sociologie a pozdně moderní společnost. 1. vydání. Praha: Vysoká škola finanční a správní, 2014, s. 58. Edice EUPRESS. ISBN 978-80-7408-087-6
  • Koukolík, F. Břevno v oku. Lidé v roce 2022. Praha: Karolinum, 2022.
  • ROUBAL, O., F. ZICH. Marketingová sociologie. Marketingová komunikace a moderní společnost. Praha: Vysoká škola finanční a správní, 2014, s. 98. Edice EUPRESS. ISBN 978-80-7408-102-6
    recommended literature
  • ZICH, František. Úvod do sociologie. Praha: VŠFS, 2003. 105 s. ISBN 80-86754-06-5.
  • ROUBAL, O., P. MATĚJŮ. Pracovitost a požitkářství – spolu, nebo proti sobě? In. ZICH, F., P. ANÝŽOVÁ a kol. Konfrontace hodnot v pozdní modernitě. Česko a Hlučínsko v evropském kontextu. Praha: SLON, 2016, s. 205-227. ISBN 978-80-7419- 241-8 (50 %)
  • Giddens, A. Sociologie. Praha: Argo, 2013
  • ROUBAL, Ondřej. Média ve službách diktatury strachu. In https://blog.aktualne.cz/blogy/jan-hnizdil.php. Aktuálně.cz, 2020. s. 1. https://blog.aktualne.cz/blogy/jan-hnizdil.php.
  • ROUBAL, O., F. ZNEBEJÁNEK. Teorie modernity a modernizace. In Kubátová, H. a kol. Mezigenerační proměny způsobu života na Hlučínsku. Praha: SLON, 2015, s. 63-74. ISBN 978-80-7419-190-9.
  • Ridley, M.: Červená královna. Sexualita a vývoj lidské přirozenosti. Praha: Portál, 2007.
  • ROUBAL, Ondřej. Maximalisté vs. uspokojovači aneb proč méně může být více. Marketing & Komunikace. Praha: Česká marketingová společnost, 2019, XXVIV, č. 1, s. 12-13. ISSN 1211-5622.
  • ROUBAL, Ondřej. THE ETHICAL CONSUMER AND THE RELIGIOUS NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL THINKING. European Journal of Science and Theology. Iasi (Romania): Acad Organisation Environmental Engineering & Sustainable Development, 2022, roč. 18, č. 1, s. 113-124. ISS
Teaching methods
Lectures in a daily form of study, tutorials in a combined form of study. Thematic lectures and instructions for individual preparation and self-study on the basis of compulsory and recommeded literature. Compulsory tutorial participation is 50%.
Assessment methods
The prerequisite for obtaining credit is the presentation of a selected sociological topic / problem, using adequate professional resources. The presentation should be within 20 minutes. Presentation of the selected sociological problem takes the form of a defense followed by a critical discussion of opponents from among students. The course is completed with a written test consisting of 20 questions in total - answering minimally 15 questions (15 points) correctly, this means mastering 75% of test questions, is a pre-requisite for successful completion of an exam test. 15 points – E, 16 points / D, 17 points – C, 18 points – B; 19 – 20 points A.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 12 hodin KS/semestr.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2019, Winter 2020, Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023.
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