140.018 (20S) Introduction to Sociology
Overview
- Lecturer
- Course title german Introduction to Sociology
- Type Lecture
- Hours per Week 2.0
- ECTS credits 4.0
- Registrations 83
- Organisational unit
- Language of instruction English
- Course begins on 03.03.2020
- eLearning Go to Moodle course
Time and place
Course Information
Intended learning outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
- understand the various concepts and theories of sociology and apply them to business operations.
- understand important societal, cultural, and environmental issues and their relation to business
- evaluate the impact of the social institutions on business operations and human behavior: religion, education, politics, family, economics, and health care.
- apply multi-disciplinary knowledge to business operations in a local and global environment
- identify and assess demographic trends, technological developments, and considerations of social stratification in business operations
- apply the knowledge necessary for further advanced study on marketing, consumer behaviour, international management, and economics in general
Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools
Lecture, reading materials
Laptops for note-taking are permitted. Please refrain from browsing social media or watching videos while in class.
Course content
Course details
What is society? How can we understand it? What is the role of business in society, and how does society affect business operations? This course introduces students to the field of sociology. To get through the course it is crucial to understand what C. Wright Mills calls the "sociological imagination": the ability to think beyond our personal lives and to connect the experiences of individuals with large social structures. Students will apply these basic “ways of seeing” to substantive areas of culture, economics, politics, and history. It is hoped that students may learn to see the typically unquestioned or taken-for-granted world we live in from a more inquisitive, humanistic, yet critical vantage point. Through frequent international comparisons, we will see how markets and consumer cultures are structured and function differently in different societies. A specific purpose of the course is for students to acquire an understanding of major sociological concepts, theories, and approaches in order to develop a sociological stock of knowledge that is useful in both studying business management and international economics.
Aims
The principle aim of this course is to provide students with a sound knowledge and critical understanding of the sociological study of relationships between business, markets, consumption, and society. More specifically, the course aims to:
- explore historical, social, scientific and ethical perspectives on the role of business in the world
- explore the world through the use of the sociological perspective and imagination.
- study the impact of business on society and society on business
- analyse the non-market forces that managers encounter such as regulatory, social, and environmental forces and the impact of business operations on societies and environments in which they operate
- address major societal issues, consider trends and future implications for society and business, and discuss solutions, in light of moral and ethical concerns
- examine the evolution of the global economy as well as major institutions that have supported it, and interpret the proliferation of global markets and consumer cultures that accompanies it
- provide students with analytical tools necessary to study and research business and society
Prior knowledge expected
There are no required prerequisites for this course.
Curricular registration requirements
There are no required prerequisites for this course.
Literature
Required books, reading materials and additional reading assignments will be posted on the course Moodle site.
Link to further information
Moodle siteExamination information
Modified examination information (exceptional COVID-19 provisions)
Students will have a final exam online on Moodle (please contact elearning service elearning [at] aau [dot] at for more information), covering material from the entire semester
Examination methodology
Students will have a cumulative final exam at the appointed time and place, covering material from the entire semester and combining multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.
Examination topic(s)
Required books, reading materials and additional reading assignments will be posted on the course Moodle site.
Assessment criteria / Standards of assessment for examinations
Grading scale for course
90 - 100 % | A |
80 - 89 % | B |
70 - 79 % | C |
60 - 69 % | D |
0 - 59 % | E/F |
Grading scheme
Grade / Grade grading schemePosition in the curriculum
- Bachelor's degree programme Business Administration
(SKZ: 518, Version: 18W.1)
-
Subject: Soziologie
(Compulsory subject)
-
6.1 Einführung in die Soziologie (
0.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
- 140.018 Introduction to Sociology (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS) Absolvierung im 4., 5., 6. Semester empfohlen
-
6.1 Einführung in die Soziologie (
0.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
-
Subject: Soziologie
(Compulsory subject)
- Bachelor's degree programme Applied Business Administration
(SKZ: 518, Version: 14W.3)
-
Subject: Soziologie einschl. Empirische Sozial- und Wirtschaftsforschung
(Compulsory subject)
-
§9(1) Einführung in die Soziologie (
2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
- 140.018 Introduction to Sociology (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
-
§9(1) Einführung in die Soziologie (
2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
-
Subject: Soziologie einschl. Empirische Sozial- und Wirtschaftsforschung
(Compulsory subject)
- Bachelor's degree programme Information Management
(SKZ: 522, Version: 17W.1)
-
Subject: Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung
(Compulsory elective)
-
8.2 Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung (
0.0h XX / 8.0 ECTS)
- 140.018 Introduction to Sociology (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS) Absolvierung im 5., 6. Semester empfohlen
-
8.2 Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung (
0.0h XX / 8.0 ECTS)
-
Subject: Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung
(Compulsory elective)
- Bachelor's degree programme Information Management
(SKZ: 522, Version: 12W.1)
-
Subject: Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung
(Compulsory elective)
-
4.2.1 Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung 1 (
0.0h XX / 4.0 ECTS)
- 140.018 Introduction to Sociology (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
-
4.2.1 Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung 1 (
0.0h XX / 4.0 ECTS)
-
Subject: Soziologie und Technikfolgenabschätzung
(Compulsory elective)
- Bachelor's degree programme International Business and Economics
(SKZ: 516, Version: 19W.1)
-
Subject: Introduction to Sociology
(Compulsory subject)
-
4.1 Introduction to Sociology (
0.0h VO, VI / 4.0 ECTS)
- 140.018 Introduction to Sociology (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS) Absolvierung im 2., 3., 4. Semester empfohlen
-
4.1 Introduction to Sociology (
0.0h VO, VI / 4.0 ECTS)
-
Subject: Introduction to Sociology
(Compulsory subject)
Equivalent courses for counting the examination attempts
-
Sommersemester 2024
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2023/24
- 140.018 VO Introduction to Sociology (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Sommersemester 2023
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2022/23
- 140.018 VO Introduction to Sociology (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Sommersemester 2022
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2021/22
- 140.018 VO Introduction to Sociology (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Sommersemester 2021
- 140.018 VO Introduction to Sociology (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2020/21
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2019/20
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2018/19
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2017/18
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2016/17
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2015/16
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2014/15
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2013/14
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
-
Wintersemester 2012/13
- 140.018 VO Einführung in die Soziologie (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)