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Basic Principles of Sociology

Code: 106977
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Sociocultural Gender Studies FB 1

Contact lecturer

Name :
Catarina Isabel Alves Vieira Da Cunha
Email :
catarinaisabel.alves@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

None

Objectives

The general aim of the course is to introduce students to the sociological perspective, providing a critical understanding of society through the main classical and contemporary sociological theories. The course offers conceptual and methodological tools to analyze social phenomena in their complexity, historical context, and structural interrelations.

Specifically, the course aims to:

  • Introduce students to classical sociological thought (e.g. Durkheim, Weber, Marx) and contemporary perspectives, understanding how these theories explain the functioning of social institutions, norms, values, and social conflict.
  • Examine the main forms of social inequality (gender, class, race/ethnicity, sexuality, disability, among others) from a critical and intersectional perspective.
  • Develop students' ability to identify how these inequalities are produced, reproduced, and legitimized within social, political, cultural, and economic structures.
  • Focus on sociological contributions from a gender perspective, aiming to equip students with the tools to understand power relations, social roles, and forms of discrimination that permeate contemporary society.
  • Promote an analytical and reflective attitude that moves beyond common-sense interpretations, allowing students to approach social facts in a systematic and methodical manner.
  • Strengthen the capacity to observe, describe, and analyze social reality based on empirical data, discourse, and social practices, with particular attention to the tension between structure and agency.

Learning outcomes

  • CM11 (Incorporate the ethics of care when carrying out research, intervention projects and in professional practice in general.) Incorporate the ethics of care when carrying out research, intervention projects and in professional practice in general.
  • CM12 (Interpret current world events from an intersectional feminist sociological perspective.) Interpret current world events from an intersectional feminist sociological perspective.
  • CM13 (Evaluate the existence of inequalities based on sex, gender and sexuality in social problems by using sociological theoretical perspectives and data analysis.) Evaluate the existence of inequalities based on sex, gender and sexuality in social problems by using sociological theoretical perspectives and data analysis.
  • KM15 (Compare sociological theoretical approaches to social phenomena without applying a gender bias.) Compare sociological theoretical approaches to social phenomena without applying a gender bias.
  • KM16 (Contextualise the main processes of sociological knowledge generation and the androcentric sociological canon and its critique.) Contextualise the main processes of sociological knowledge generation and the androcentric sociological canon and its critique.
  • KM17 (Identify the basic sociological notions, especially those involving structuring, institutionalisation, socialisation, social change and dissidence for analysing social phenomena, and those specifically related to gender.) Identify the basic sociological notions, especially those involving structuring, institutionalisation, socialisation, social change and dissidence for analysing social phenomena, and those specifically related to gender.
  • KM18 (Identify the basic components of the methods and techniques used to analyse social phenomena from an intersectional feminist sociological perspective.) Identify the basic components of the methods and techniques used to analyse social phenomena from an intersectional feminist sociological perspective.
  • SM13 (Use social indicators to analyse sex, gender and sexuality inequalities during research and intervention projects.) Use social indicators to analyse sex, gender and sexuality inequalities during research and intervention projects.
  • SM14 (Use the basics of the main sociological concepts to analyse sex, gender and sexuality inequalities when conducting research and intervention projects.) Use the basics of the main sociological concepts to analyse sex, gender and sexuality inequalities when conducting research and intervention projects.

Contents

Unit 1: The Sociological Perspective


  • The sociological perspective
  • Classical sociological theories
  • Sociological perspective and gender perspective


Unit 2: Society as Norm and the Socialization Process

  • Social institutions, norms, and roles
  • Social identity and social roles
  • Primary and secondary socialization
  • Agents of socialization


Unit 3: The Analysis of Inequalities

  • Introduction to Inequality and Discrimination
  • Social Structure, Class, Status and Social Mobility
  • Social Class and Education
  • Ethnicity-Based Inequalities
  • Age-Based and education Inequalities
  • Inequalities Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
  • An Intersectional Perspective on the Analysis of Inequalities

Unit 4: Sociology of Gender

  • Key concepts
  • Gendered division of labor
  • Current gender inequalities


Cross-cutting theme: Sociological Methodology from a Gender Perspective

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Theoretical sessions 40 1.6
Research 55 2.2
Seminaries 15 0.6
Reading at home 12 0.48

Courses, reading at home

15' Survey


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

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Seminaries 10 6 0.24 CM11, CM12, CM13, KM15, KM16, KM17, KM18, SM13, SM14
Exam 40 2 0.08 CM11, CM12, CM13, KM15, KM16, KM17, KM18, SM13
Research 50 20 0.8 CM11, CM12, CM13, KM15, KM16, KM17, KM18, SM13, SM14

Assessment Breakdown:

  • 45% group project
  • 40% exam
  • 15% tests for each bloc

Minimum Requirements:

A minimum score of 4 out of 10 is required in both the group project and the exam for the final average to be calculated.

Resit Policy:

A resit of the exam and/or the group project is mandatory if:

  1. A minimum score of 4 is not reached in either component, preventing the calculation of the final average.
  2. The final average does not meet the minimum required to pass.

Single Assessment:

The course does not allow for single assessment, in accordance with the guidelines established by the Dean’s Office.

Non-Assessable Status:

Students will receive a grade of “Not Assessable” if they fail to submit more than one third of the assessed activities.

Academic Integrity:

If a student commits any irregularity that may significantly affect the grade of an assessment activity, that activity will be graded with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may follow.

In the event of multiple irregularities in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0.

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, or translations.

Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity.

Failure to be transparent about the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty in the activity’s grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.

Bibliography

T1_01Paradeda, D., Pintos Andrade, E. W., & Ríos, A. (2007). Sociología (2ª ed.). Ituzaingó: Editorial Maipue. 12-16

T1_02. Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (2001).La construcción social de la realidad: Un libro en la sociología del conocimiento. Amorrortu Editores. 21-24

T1_03. Portantiero, Juan Carlos.La sociología clásica: Durkheim y Weber. Estudio preliminar y selección de textos de Juan Carlos Portantiero. 2ª reimpresión. Buenos Aires: Centro Editor de América Latina (CEAL), 1987. 7-33

T2_04. Simkin, Hugo & Becerra, Gastón. (2013).El proceso de socialización. Apuntes para su exploración en el campo psicosocial. Ciencia, Docencia y Tecnología. 14. 119-142.

T2_05. Rivas, E. P. (s.f.). Socialización y aprendizaje social. En Fundamentos de Psicología Social (Cap. XXIV). Universidad del País Vasco. Recuperado de https://www.ehu.eus/documents/1463215/1504276/Capitulo%2BXXIV.pdf

T3_06. García López, E. (2024). La percepción social de la desigualdad en España: una aproximación. En VI Informe sobre la Desigualdad en España 2024 (pp. 167-181). Fundación Alternativas. Recuperado de https://fundacionalternativas.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IDES_2024-3.pdf 50-72

T3_07. Torrents Vilà, D., Merino, R., Garcia, M., & Valls, O. (2018). El peso del origen social y del centro escolar en la desigualdad de resultados al final de la escuela obligatoria. Papers. Revista de Sociologia, 103(1), 31-54.

10. Botia-Morillas, C. (2013). Cómo diseñar una investigación para el análisis de las relaciones de género. Aportaciones metodológicas. Papers. Revista de Sociología, 98(3), 437-468.

Software

Available on Moodle

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed