ABOVE CLASS COLL INTENSIVE WRITING SECTION
ABOVE CLASS OPEN TO SENIOR MAJORS ONLY

In this course, we will examine the thoughts, ideas, and theories of
some of the greatest thinkers in history—Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile
Durkheim, George Herbert Mead, and many more.  We will see how these
social theorists explained their own social worlds, and we will ask
whether their theories have any relevance to social life today.  The
social theories we will examine provide excellent models for critical
thinking.  They will, therefore, serve one of the most important goals
of this course –to develop strong writing skills.  As we will see,
social theorists are adept at processing, organizing, and making sense
out of large amounts of information.  They show us how to think in
abstract ways and how to recognize patterns of relationships among
different variables.  By reading and studying these masters of social
theory, students will develop skills that are highly valued in
American society today