History of Thought in Social Sciences in the Contemporary World
Code: 107227 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Social and Cultural Anthropology | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Maria Esther Fernandez Mostaza
- Email:
- mariaesther.fernandez@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course aims to introduce Anthropology students to the sociological perspective, working on its main characteristics and basic conceptual and theoretical tools through an innovative methodology that integrates visual thinking, social theater, and collaborative learning. The basic objective is to facilitate critical reflection on the social condition of human beings and the understanding of social phenomena and their dynamics of permanence and change, promoting a sociological gaze that enriches anthropological training and allows students to analyze social reality in a rigorous and creative way from an interdisciplinary perspective.
The course seeks to develop solid theoretical competencies that allow students to master the fundamental concepts of sociology and understand the main theoretical perspectives that have shaped contemporary sociological thought, establishing conceptual bridges with cultural and social anthropology. Simultaneously, critical thinking is fostered to develop the sociological imagination that connects individual experiences with broader social structures, questioning social evidence and critically analyzing the processes of social construction of reality, power dynamics, inequality, and social transformation in different cultural contexts.
The innovative methodology integrates Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed as a tool for learning and social transformation that connects with participatory ethnographic practices, visual thinking through mind maps and character creation to organize sociological and anthropological content, and collaborative dynamics that foster intercultural dialogue and collective knowledge construction. These pedagogical strategies seek to develop effective communicative competencies, skills for ethnographic fieldwork, and the ability to create social narratives that give voice to different perspectives and human experiences from respect for cultural diversity.
Finally, the course promotes social consciousness and transformative action, recognizing the potential of sociology as a complementary tool to anthropology for social change and developing sensitivity toward contemporary social problems, human diversity, and globalization processes that affect local communities. These aims are developed through a participatory methodology that places students at the center of the learning process, turning the classroom into a space for critical reflection, creativity, and active commitment to building a more just and equitable society that values cultural diversity and universal human rights.
Learning Outcomes
- CM02 (Competence) Apply theoretical knowledge of related disciplines to the study of local and global problems, incorporating the gender perspective.
- KM02 (Knowledge) Recognise and integrate the basic concepts of related disciplines in the analysis of social phenomena.
- KM03 (Knowledge) Give information about anthropological topics to general and specialised audiences using ICT.
- SM01 (Skill) Describe social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way from related sciences, taking into account the complexity of the factors involved, their causes and effects.
- SM04 (Skill) Adequately use the basic language of related sciences in both oral and written expression.
Content
Block 1. The classics of the discipline
The great European classics: Marx, Durkheim, Weber. The main themes include social class and alienation; power and authority; labor and the division of labor; urban life and modernity.
Block 2. Social Relations and Cultural Practice
The main themes include: the presentation of the person in everyday life; cultural and social capital; and social trust in the context of globalization and transformation.
Block 3. Identity, inequality and discrimination
Key themes include: Identity and diversity in the context of globalization; The construction and inequality of: gender, religious diversity and new educational inequalities.
Block 4. Citizenship and belonging
Key topics include: migration and integration; memory and, especially, socialization processes.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Debates, seminars and theory | 90 | 3.6 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Essay and visual thinking | 44 | 1.76 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Presentations | 9 | 0.36 |
The methodology of this course combines different didactic strategies to promote meaningful and participatory learning, integrating innovative teaching methodologies that promote student autonomy and collaborative knowledge construction.
Methodological strategies
(a) Lectures delivered by the faculty responsible for the course, oriented toward presenting the central concepts and arguments of the subject following the content of the academic program. These sessions do not necessarily follow a chronological order, but are structured to facilitate conceptual and thematic understanding.
(b) Participatory workshops that combine autonomous learning with public presentation of results. In this area, the Theater of the Oppressed (A. Boal) will be prominently deployed as an innovative teaching methodology for learning, a transformative pedagogical strategy that allows students to explore complex social realities through critical theatrical practice.
(c) Practical exercises based on the lessons taught and assigned readings, which consolidate theoretical learning through practical application.
Development of formative activities
Lectures
Theoretical sessions actively promote student participation through questions for debate and critical discussion. Visual thinking will be implemented as a learning tool through:
- Development of mind maps to structure and visualize content
- Character creation as a strategy for understanding and identifying with sociological concepts
Workshops
Workshops constitute collaborative work spaces on course content, starting from theoretical classes and previously assigned readings. They are structured in three specific dynamics with an agreed calendar:
-
Debates in "Book club" format around specific readings, which foster critical analysis and exchange of ideas among students.
-
Group presentations through theatrical pieces (approximately 5 minutes) in Forum Theater format, a modality of Theater of the Oppressed that allows active audience participation in resolving conflicts presented scenically.
-
Integrative group or individual work that synthesizes:
- The conceptual map developed
- Critical reflection around the theatrical piece
- An approach to a contemporary female sociologist linked to the central theme of the theatrical script developed
Innovative teaching methodologies implemented
This course incorporates various innovative methodologies to enrich the formative experience:
- Theater of the Oppressed (A. Boal): Transformative methodology that combines art and critical pedagogy
- Visual thinking: Through mind maps and character creation
- Collaborative learning: Through workshops and group work
- Book club: To foster critical discussion and textual analysis
These methodological strategies favor active, critical, and participatory learning that connects sociological theory with reflective practice and creative expression.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 40 | 1 | 0.04 | CM02, KM02, KM03, SM01, SM04 |
| Exam | 40 | 4 | 0.16 | CM02, KM02, SM01, SM04 |
| Presentations and visual thinking | 20 | 2 | 0.08 | KM02, KM03, SM01 |
The course is evaluated through a continuous assessment system that integrates different instruments and formative and summative assessment strategies, coherent with the innovative teaching methodologies implemented and oriented toward competency-based assessment of students.
Continuous assessment system
1) Continuous participation and group presentation through portfolio (20%)
Activity description: Active participation in sessions and collaborative presentation of concepts or texts through the creation of a group portfolio that documents the learning process.
Characteristics:
- Assessment criteria will be explained in detail in class and disseminated through the virtual campus
- Evidence will be returned with formative feedback and comments to facilitate continuous improvement
- Submissions are made in teams with a minimum of three deliveries distributed throughout the academic year
- Weight in final grade: 20%
Competencies assessed:
- Active and reflective participation
- Collaborative and cooperative work
- Oral communication and public presentation
- Synthesis and organization of content
2) Original integrative essay (40%)
Activity description: Development of an original academic essay that integrates assigned readings, theatrical practices carried out, and critical reflections developed throughout the course.
Characteristics:
- Will be developed from a list of guiding questions provided during the course
- Assessment criteria will be explained in class and disseminated through the virtual campus
- Evidence will be returned with comments to promote learning
- The work is not necessarily group-based, although collaborative work is encouraged
- Weight in final grade: 40%
Competencies assessed:
- Critical analysis and conceptual synthesis
- Academic writing and argumentation
- Theory-practice integration
- Cooperative work and group management
3) Written tests (40% total)
Activity description: Two individual written tests distributed temporally to assess progressive assimilation of theoretical content and practical application capacity.
Characteristics:
- Mid-course test:Individual and non-memoristic assessment centered on conceptual understanding and practical application of content worked on during the first half of the course
- Weight in final grade: 20%
- Final test:Individual and non-memoristic assessment that integrates content from the entire course, with special attention to synthesis capacity and conceptual relationships
- Weight in final grade: 20%
- Tests follow the Faculty's official test calendar
- Assessment format based on understanding, critical analysis, and application of content rather than memorization
Competencies assessed:
- Conceptual and theoretical understanding
- Analysis and synthesis capacity
- Practical application of knowledge
- Academic written expression
Assessment criteria
General considerations of the assessment system
This assessment system operates exclusively through continuous assessment, without contemplating the option of single assessment. Students must necessarily participate in the complete follow-up of the assessment process to achieve the course objectives.
The assessment is structured in coherence with the innovative teaching methodologies implemented —Theater of the Oppressed, visual thinking, and collaborative learning—,prioritizing formative assessment with constant feedback return that facilitates progressive learning. The system actively promotes collaborative learning and social construction of knowledge, assessing both learning processes and results obtained to guarantee comprehensive training.
Recovery regulations
Students may access recovery provided they have completed a minimum of 66% of continuous assessment activities. The maximum grade in recovery is not limited, except in specific cases justified in the teaching guide. To access recovery, a minimum grade of 3.5 points may be established as a requirement, without this threshold being able to be higher.
Conditions of non-assessability and academic irregularities
Students will be considered non-assessable when they have not submitted more than 30% of programmed activities. In cases of plagiarism or fraudulent conduct, a grade of 0 points will be applied to the affected activity, and if various irregularities are detected, the final course grade will be 0 points, without possibility of recovery.
Regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), this is restricted and requires explicit identification of tools used, accompanied by critical reflection on their use. Lack of transparency in AI use is considered plagiarism.
Final grade distribution
| Assessment instrument | Weight | Modality |
|---|---|---|
| Participation and group portfolio | 20% | Group |
| Original integrative essay | 40% | Group/Individual |
| Mid-course written test | 20% | Individual |
| Final written test | 20% | Individual |
| TOTAL | 100% | Mixed |
This course does not provide for a single assessment system.
Bibliography
Bauman, Zygmunt (2006). Modernidad y Holocausto (3ª. Ed.). Madrid. Sequitur. (selections).
Berger, Peter L. (1986). Invitació a la sociologia: una perspectiva humanística. Barcelona. Herder.
Boal, Augusto (2009). Teatro del oprimido. Alba Editorial.
Bourdieu, Pierre and Wacquant, Loïc J. D. (1994). Per a una sociologia reflexiva. (selections)
Cardús, Salvador (1999). La mirada del sociòleg: què és, què fa, què diu la sociologia. Barcelona. Proa.
De Cisneros, Juan Carlos (2024). Teatro Social en la Educación: Metodología Innovadora y Participativa. Blog Personal. Retrieved from https://jcdecisneros.com/2024/05/16/teatro-social-en-la-educacion-metodologia-innovadora-y-participativa/
Dennis, Kingsley L. (2022), Asalto a la realidad, Barcelona, Blume.
Despret, Vinciane (2022). A la salud de los muertos: Relatos de quienes quedan. La Oveja Roja.
Frazer-Carroll, Micha (2024). Món de bojos: Les polítiques de la salut mental. Tigre de Paper.
González, María, Pareja, Diego, & Gea, Miguel (2022). El pensamiento visual a través de los mapas mentales en la formación de maestros de Educación Primaria. ArtsEduca, 32, 147-160.
Gracia, Carla (2022), Amb ulls de dona, Barcelona, Univers.
Marx, Karl and Engels, Friedrich (1997) Manifiesto comunista. Madrid. Akal. (selections)
Portes, Alejandro et al. (2006). La asimilación segmentada sobre el terreno: la nueva segunda generación al inicio de la vida adulta. Migraciones. (19):7-58 (selections)
Putnam, Robert D. (1995). Bowling Alone: America's declining social capital. Journal of Democracy. 65-78 (selections)
Putnam, Robert D. (2003). El declive del capital social: un estudio internacional sobre las sociedades y el sentido comunitario. Barcelona. Galaxia Gutenberg.(selections)
Ritzer, George (1996). La 'McDonalización' de la Sociedad: un análisis de la racionalización en la vida cotidiana. Barcelona. Ariel. (selections)
Roy, Olivier (2010). La santa ignorancia: el tiempo de la religión sin cultura. Barcelona. Ediciones Península. (selections)
Sorvari, Marja (2022). Travelling (Post)Memory: Maria Stepanova's In Memory of Memory. 10.1007/978-3-030-95837-4_5.
Stolcke, Verena and Wolfson, Leopoldo (2000). La 'naturaleza' de la nacionalidad. Desarrollo Económico, 40 (157), 23-24.
Weber, Max (1994). L'ética protestant i l'espirit del capitalisme. Barcelona. Edicions 62. (selections)
Software
It will be discussed in class at the beginning of the course.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |