The Corpus Status of Literature in Teaching Sociology: Novels as “Sociological Reconstruction”

Carlin, Andrew P.

doi:10.1007/s12108-010-9096-8

Cited by 22 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…In the first, literature is used as a tool for teaching. Here, literary fiction, serving as an example or a case study, allows sociologists to relate abstract concepts and theories to real world situations, thus teaching “sociology through literature” (Coser, ; further see Jones, ; Hegtvedt, ; Carlin, ; Weber, ; Carter & Carter, ).…”

Section: Contemporary Debatementioning

confidence: 99%

More than just a product: Strengthening literature in sociological analysis

Váňa

2020

Sociology Compass

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Contemporary sociology of literature is predominantly shaped by the research of literary production, which approaches literary works as black boxes and subordinates them to social interactions and institutions. Even sociologists who recognize usefulness of literature for its inner quality often look at literary texts as mere passive objects to be translated into sociological discourse. In proposing a new sociology of literature, I first briefly outline the history of sociological studies of literature; second, I introduce “the state of the art” in the sociology of literature; third, I explore the relationship between sociology and literature in more general terms; and lastly, I discuss approaches and ideas with the potential to become components of a new research program, which would be a powerful alternative to the mainstream paradigms in sociological studies of literature. Such a program would make it clear that sociology can greatly benefit from cooperation with literature when sociologists are sensitive to the subtleties and (especially aesthetic) specificities of literary works.

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Section: Contemporary Debatementioning

confidence: 99%

More than just a product: Strengthening literature in sociological analysis

Váňa

2020

Sociology Compass

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“…Other varied pedagogies are particularly relevant, such as newspapers, films, etc., whose use seeks the growing informed participation of students [26,39], or even fiction [50], as well as, whenever possible, some empirical research in the learning of Sociology through empirical research [25]. This relevance is linked to the fact that the capacities in Sociology are attained and developed through concrete training and continuous exercise, bearing in mind that the training in Sociology exclusively focused on the theoretical and methodological knowledge does not privilege the "appropriate processes of the shift to practice"; rather, it promotes a "limited apprehension of contents, carried out only at the discursive level" [1] (p. 57).…”

Section: Guidelines On How To Teachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges in the Teaching of Sociology in Higher Education. Contributions to a Discussion

Ferreira

Serpa

2017

Societies

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Abstract:At a time when Sociology (either in its introductory or general dimension or in the form of specialised Sociologies) is acknowledged as a scientific discipline with important contributions in training at the higher education level, and not only for the future sociologist, there is a need to (re)think the problem of teaching Sociology in this context. This article seeks to contribute to this discussion on the teaching of Sociology in higher education, being a grounded reflection that is based on the authors' teaching experience in the Portuguese context. Sociology has specificities, which we put forward through four framing principles, namely the need to permanently mobilise sociological imagination, be multi-paradigmatic, the need to be receptive to a heuristic interdisciplinarity, and, finally, foster reflexivity at several levels. These principles should, from our standpoint, shape the teaching of Sociology, both delimiting what should be taught and fostering the way to teach while abiding by these principles. As a conclusion, this problem of teaching Sociology needs an in-depth investigation, in the search for a growing pedagogical quality in a context of increasing opportunities to reform the type of teaching provided in higher education, which is a permanent challenge.

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“…Despite the divide between sociology and literature, sociologists intuitively grasp the worth of fictional sources to illuminate non-fictional aspects of the social world, (Longo, 2016): page 2, but the use of non-sociological materials raises analytic paradoxes (Carlin, 2010). To cite a particular novel (e.g.…”

Section: Disenchantment and The End Of Magical Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking story seriously

Bradby

2017

Soc Theory Health

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In narrative approaches to health and illness, a distinction between narrative and story has been lost or occluded. This paper considers how the terms narrative and story are defined and how they are used in practice in order to focus on rehearsed or 'worked up' stories, including fiction, rather than minimally defined narrative fragments. Story-written, spoken and shared-is a powerful way of contextualising health and illness in a wider landscape of human values and interests and, as a form of enchantment in the face of scientific rationalization, a human necessity. Some reasons why sociology, and particularly medical sociology, has avoided defining fictional stories as part of its material and its method are explored. The reasons why a sociology of health, illness and medicine might want to include fictionalised story are sketched. Complex moments of human experience, including sick physicians' experience of alienation from both themselves and their medical treatment necessitate metaphor-laden and sometimes fictionalised writing to represent the subjective contradictions. Story, including fictionalised story, represents a means of including imaginative elements of human life in sociological view. 'People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact it's the other way round' (Pratchett, 2005). 'Sociologists tell stories as if they weren't storytellers, and as if storytelling were a less rigorous and honest pursuit than theirs' (Game & Metcalfe, 1996).

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The Corpus Status of Literature in Teaching Sociology: Novels as “Sociological Reconstruction”

Cited by 22 publications

References 74 publications

More than just a product: Strengthening literature in sociological analysis

More than just a product: Strengthening literature in sociological analysis

Challenges in the Teaching of Sociology in Higher Education. Contributions to a Discussion

Taking story seriously

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