Nuance, Ignorance & Failure 1600-SZD-SPEC-NI-SOC
The course explores the latest tendencies in sociological theory regarding nuance, ignorance, and failure. A focus on nuance, knowledge, and success dominates theory and research in social science. However, recently, reflection on what is omitted or left in the shadow of such an asymmetric view of social reality has been developing intensively. The seminar aims to orient doctoral students to the critical use of social science theories and methodologies, especially about asymmetries: nuance - abstraction, knowledge - ignorance, success - failure. By reading together and critically discussing these concepts, we will look for other asymmetries and "other sides" that are important for the doctoral projects of the seminar participants
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge | The graduate knows and understands:
WG_01 - to the extent necessary for existing paradigms to be revised - a worldwide body of work, covering theoretical foundations as well as general and selected specific issues - relevant to a particular discipline
within the social sciences
WG_02 - the main development trends in the disciplines of the social sciences in which the education is provided
WG_03 - scientific research methodology in the field of the social sciences
WK_01 - fundamental dilemmas of modern civilisation from the perspective of the social sciences
Skills | The graduate is able to:
UK_05 - speaking a foreign language at B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages using the professional terminology specific to the discipline within the social sciences, to the extent enabling participation in an international scientific and professional environment
Social competences | The graduate is ready to
KO_01 - fulfilling the social obligations of researchers and creators
KO_02 - fulfilling social obligations and taking actions in the public interest, in particular in initiating actions in the public interest
KO_03 - think and acting in an entrepreneurial manner
Assessment criteria
Description of requirements related to participation in classes, including the
permitted number of explained absences: command of English
Principles for passing the classes and the subject (including resit session): Active participation in classes, writing of reaction papers
Methods for the verification of learning outcomes: Continous, evaluation of reaction papers
Evaluation criteria: Progress in mastering the knowledge, skills and competences provided during the course
Practical placement
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Bibliography
Alexander, C. (2023). Writing failure: knowledge production, temporalities, ethics, and traces. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 29(S1), 8-30.
Appadurai, A. (2016) Introduction. Social Research: An International Quarterly, 83(3), xxi-xxvii.
Carroll, T., Jeevendrampillai, D., & Parkhurst, A. (2017). Introduction: Towards a general theory of failure. In The Material Culture of Failure (pp. 1-20). Routledge. Halberstam, J. (2011). The queer art of failure. Duke University Press.
Healy, K. (2017). Fuck nuance. Sociological Theory, 35(2), 118-127.
Malpas, J., & Wickham, G. (1995). Governance and failure: on the limits of sociology. The Australian and New Zealand journal of sociology, 31(3), 37-50.
McGoey, L. (2012). The logic of strategic ignorance. The British journal of sociology, 63(3), 533-576.
McGoey, L. (2016). Strategic unknowns: Towards a sociology of ignorance. In An introduction to the sociology of ignorance (pp. 1-16). Routledge.
Mica, A., Pawlak, M., Horolets, A., & Kubicki, P. (2023). FAIL! Are We Headed towards Critical Failure Studies?. In A. Mica, M. Pawlak, A. Horolets & P. Kubicki (Eds.). Routledge International Handbook of Failure (pp. 3-21). Routledge.
Proctor, R. N., & Schiebinger, L. (2008). Agnotology: The making and unmaking of ignorance. Stanford University Press.
Scott, S. (2018). A sociology of nothing: Understanding the unmarked. Sociology, 52(1), 3-19
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: