Reading Seminar

Recommended Prerequisites

Contemporary Theoretical Debates I

Contemporary Theoretical Debates II

Teaching Methods

The sessions will be structured around the debate about one or more texts that will always be subject to an oral presentation. However, all the students should participate in the sessions. In order to achieve that kind of participation previous reading of the texts discussed is necessary.

Learning Outcomes

Objectives: a) to achieve a deeper knowledge about important and/or recent theories and researches in the domain of the social sciences, particularly in the sociological field; b) to promote a critical reflexion about the selected texts; c) to promote the knowledge and recognition of the contextual and comparative issues concerning the bibliography studied;

Competencies: a) to be able to read in a ordered and dense way in order to develop synthesis skills concerning both the contents and the structuration process of the bibliography studied; b) to develop the ability to compare and contextualize the different texts discussed; c) to be able to make a critical, rigorous and creative appropriation and use of the elements provided by the readings in the context of the elaboration of written works and oral presentations and commentaries.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The Reading Seminar is a course unit centred in the discussion and reflexion concerning both contemporary sociological bibliography and specific texts connected with the research themes that the students will develop in the context of their own master theses. The first sessions of this seminar will be an occasion for discussing two books written by Richard Sennett: A Corrosão do Carácter e A Cultura do Novo Capitalismo. The following sessions will be an occasion for discussing several texts proposed by the students themselves. However, the texts in discussion need to be considered of interest for all the students. That assessment will be made by the teacher using these criteria: the status of the proposed bibliography in the social sciences domain (foundational, innovative or updated characteristics will be considered); the ability of the proposed text to deal with general theoretical and analytic questions or to deal with the problems of putting a research at work.

Head Lecturer(s)

Carlos André Brito Correia

Assessment Methods

Assessment
An oral presentation of one text (25%); a written report with a synthesis and critical approach about the text presented in class (25%); a written report with a synthesis and critical approach about a text present by another student in class (25%); participation in the debates occurring in class (25%): 100.0%

Bibliography

Primeiras sessões / First sessions:

SENNETT, Richard - A corrosão do carácter: consequências pessoais do trabalho no novo capitalismo. Lisboa: Terramar, 2000.

SENNETT, Richard - A cultura do novo capitalismo. Lisboa: Relógio d'Água, 2007.

Sessões seguintes / Following sessions:

Textos a sugerir pelos estudantes (tendo em conta os seus interesses em termos da elaboração das suas teses de mestrado), cabendo ao docente validar essas mesmas propostas tendo em conta critérios já anteriormente mencionados / The following sessions will be an occasion for discussing several texts proposed by the students themselves. However the texts in discussion need to be considered of interest for all the students. That assessment will be made by the teacher using the criteria already presented previously.