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Classroom Materials College of Social and
Applied Human Sciences ( CSAHS ) SOC*4230: Comparative Sociology Instructor: J. I. (Hans) Bakker Winter, 2004 Syllabus Tues and Thurs 2:30-3:50 in Rozanski Hall 107 (ROZH 107) Goals: The main goal of this course is to illustrate Comparative Sociology through the study of Indic Civilization and Culture. The study of Comparative Sociology is closely related to what is called Comparative-Historical Sociology (CHS) and CHS will be in the background. But we will not attempt to review or even summarize all of the literature on CHS. (See www.comphistsoc.org for the CHS newsletter, etc.) Instead, we will simply focus on the study of Indic Civilization and Culture through the lens of the Gandhian Perspective on Human Rights and Development and the roots of the Gandhian Perspective in Gandhi’s interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita. In order to understand the Gita we will briefly examine some aspects of the rudiments of Sanskrit and Indian religious beliefs and philosophies. The key sociologist whose theory will guide this exploration is Max Weber. There will be lectures on Weber’s Religion of India and his CHS generally. Texts: There are two required texts. Both are also available on line. Bakker, J. I. (Hans). 1993. Toward A Just Civilization: A Gandhian Perspective on Human Rights and Development. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press. Gandhi, M. K. 1993. Gandhi and the Gita. Edited by J. I. (Hans) Bakker. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press. This is a translation of the Gita by Gandhi and Desai. The Desai-Gandhi translation is discussed by Bakker in the book. Recommended Texts (widely available) Weber, Max. 1958 [1920]. The Religion of India. Tr. Hans H. Gerth
and Don Martindale. New York: Free Press of Glencoe. London and
Toronto: Collier-MacMillan. [Also other books and articles by Weber,
e.g. Religion of China.] Smart, Ninian. 1989. The World’s Religions. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Grades: Your final grade will be calculated as a result of three exams. Exam I (33.33%) True-False & Multiple-Choice ( 50 questions, in class) Exam II (33.33%) same (This is the Mid-Term) Exam III (33.33%) same, plus one ESSAY (worth one third of the exam) FINAL There will not be any other essay requirement in this course. However, if you miss Exam I or Exam II for any reason you can make it up by writing a Critical Book Review of any book (or set of four articles) referenced in the texts. (Your CBR could also be of Weber 1958.) The CBR is not just a book report but must analyze a conceptual problem and have a “thesis statement” that is defended ( 12 pages or 3500 words, including all apparatus, e.g. bibliographical references). Office Hours: Wednesday 3:00-3:50 and by appointment Web: The web has many, many resources available. For example, much of Weber’s work is available in German and in translation. Also, use google to check Hans Bakker Guelph for Bakker’s web page and some publications. But please try to avoid the “spam” material that also appears in the form of popular opinion, unless you are able to take a certain critical distance from such writing. For example, popular press items are not the best source of information. Schedule of Classes (Syllabus in the narrow sense): Tentative! I have invited to Prof. O. P. Dwivedi to speak to the class in January. Week One Jan.06: Introduction to the Class; Syllabus handed out and choice of texts justified. Excerpt from Neuman 2003 on Comparative Method. 08: Introduction to “Indic Civilization” and “Culture”. Week Two: Toward A Just Civilization 13: Gandhian Values: Toward A Just Civilization ( B: I) Week Three: Swadeshi and Appropriate Technology (AT) 20: Gandhi’s Concept of Swadeshi ( B: III ) Week Four: Weberian Meta-Theory and Gandhi 27: Imaging and History ( B: V: 107-110) and Weber’s CHS Week Five: Heresy, Truth and “Development” Feb.03: Gandhi as Heretic & Eurocentric Human Rights ( B: VI:
123-132) Prof. Bakker will be going to Vancouver for the Couch-Stone Conference. Week Six: Gandhi and the Gita 10: The Bhagavad Gita: General Introduction to Mahabharata, etc. Week Seven: Winter Break! (There are no classes this week.) 17: Week Eight: Gita Study 24: Discourses I - IV Week Nine: Gita Study Mar.02: Discourses IX-XIII Week Ten: Gandhi a Scholar of Sanskrit? The Mahatma Ideal 09:Gandhi a Scholar? ( Bakker in G: 287-315 ) Week Eleven: CHS and the Case of Java 16: Comparative-Historical Sociology (CHS) & Inequalities Week Twelve: 23: Sanskrit 101 and the Indo-European Language Hypothesis (Jones) Week Thirteen: Telos or Utopia? 30: Utopian Societies in the Future? Is a classless society possible? Prof. Bakker will be going to Cleveland, Ohio, for the NCSA Conference (The North Central Sociological Association publishes Sociological Forum.) Week Fourteen: Exams Format of Exams: All Exams will have a number of True or False questions. Remember that a statement is only true if it is entirely true. Thus, for example, it is common for those who wish to make a rhetorical point to make a number of true statements before they make the statement which they want to convince others is true. True or False? You will immediately recognize that Toronto is not the capital of Canada. But that requires a certain amount of expertise. As a person living in Canada you are well acquainted with the capital region being Ottawa-Hull. But many Americans or Europeans would not necessarily know that. Is this a fair question? It is if you know some very basic facts about Canada. Multiple-Choice The correct answer is “d”. But knowing that the term “stratification” if often read to imply a Neo-Durkheimian Structural-Functional research paradigm ( Pr ) is a matter of detailed knowledge, a bit like knowing the capital city of Canada is not Toronto.
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