Social Theory and Analysis
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this survey of social theory running from the seventeenth century to the present. The course traces the historical contexts that produced major theoretical traditions, examines how well older frameworks explain contemporary conditions, and asks students to build new theoretical arguments out of current social circumstances. Materials include a full syllabus, weekly reading lists drawn from foundational and contemporary theorists, and writing assignments that ask students to apply theory to present-day cases. The course sits within MIT's Anthropology and Science, Technology, and Society offerings and is aimed at students who already have some grounding in social science. As with other MIT OpenCourseWare subjects, all lecture notes, readings, and assignments are freely available online, with no certificate offered, since OCW publishes course materials rather than a credentialed enrollment track.