SOCIOL 740

Modern Times, Modern Crimes

Description

This course stands at the confluence of social theory and the sociology of systematic suffering and science studies. Sociology sees itself as being centrally concerned with the question of modernity. However, until recently, it has avoided active scholarly engagement with modernity’s underbelly - war, genocide and torture. Why has Sociology refused to face these brute facts? Why the disciplinary mixture of denial, repression and dissociation? In this course we argue that rather than appearing as peripheral aberrations extreme violence is central to the project of modernity. Special attention will be paid to the roles played by science and technology in the production of inhumanity.

Availability 2025

Not taught in 2025

Lecturer(s)

Coordinator(s) Professor Steve Matthewman

Points

SOCIOL 740: 30 points