An Introduction to Contemporary Political Sociology

Politics is the group of societal activities that involve making decisions about the distribution of societal goods or status, or the allocation of scarce resources. The major division of this field is known as political science, and the major sub-disciplines of this field are applied political science, social science, political theory, public administration, and political psychology. The most famous discipline in this field, politics, has a long history going back to the time of ancient Athens. The major part of politics is concerned with the mechanisms by which groups of people make collective choices. Politics also involves the study of deliberative processes, legitimacy, representation, deliberative leadership, alternative institutions, alternative forms of governance, constitutional government, international relations, national institutions, human rights, and political action. Today there are numerous universities and colleges that offer courses on politics.

All the major subjects in Politics include political philosophy, political science, social science, and political psychology. All these subjects provide significant contributions to the study of politics and provide crucial insights into the workings of political systems. There are three major divisions in politics: majoritarianism, proportional representation, and democracy. Within each major category politics attempt to understand the origins of political authority, the institutionalized political systems, and the mechanism of political action.

The major aim of this course is to introduce students to the key concepts of contemporary political sociology and give them a broad overview of the methods used in studying politics. This course will also enhance students’ critical thinking skills, increase understanding of the social class structure and the representation of politics, develop the basic skills in communication, organize their ideas and support, improve their writing skills and improve their listening skills. Furthermore, this course will also provide students with the opportunity to reflect upon their own personal development and contribute to the field. Students taking up this course will also be able to examine the relationship between politics and mass media, examine the role of computers and digital technologies in politics, and explore alternative forms of governance such as participatory politics. Furthermore, this course will also provide students with a clear understanding of how the processes of globalization and the associated transformations affect politics.