Module 30-M-Soz-M6a Organizational Sociology a

Non-official translation of the module descriptions. Only the German version is legally binding.

As part of the General Competence Concept for the MA Sociology (see https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/fakultaeten/soziologie/studium/master/pdf/Kompetenzkonzept_Masterstudiengaenge.pdf), students acquire basic theoretical and empirical knowledge based on the latest findings in organisational sociology.

Students acquire the ability to work on organisational sociological issues. The module enables theoretical reflection and methodically controlled empirical analysis of organisational sociological problems.

Organisational sociology describes organisations - such as companies, administrations, universities, schools, hospitals, political parties, sports clubs or armies - as special social systems. It recognises these social systems in their structures and modes of operation, makes their internal processes transparent and at the same time examines the forms of their interaction with relevant social environments. In addition to the processes of organisation and organisational change, organisational sociology is particularly interested in the significance of organisations in modern society, the historical conditions under which organisations emerged and their precursors, as well as the subsequent problems associated with them.

Courses may focus on specific types of organisations and the associated structural problems, theoretical concepts and theories or specific issues in organisational sociology. In more theoretically oriented seminars, students learn a critical and reflective approach to different approaches in organisational sociology as well as a theory-based examination of subject-related questions. In more empirically and/or methodologically oriented seminars, students develop organisational sociological questions and carry out their own empirical studies.

The module programme is always completed with a written assignment. This always takes the form of a term paper.

Basic knowledge of organisational sociology at the level of introductory literature is generally assumed for students of this module. See for example:

Bonazzi, Giuseppe (2008): Geschichte des organisatorischen Denkens. Hrsg. von Veronika Tacke. Wiesbaden: VS.
Kühl, Stefan (2011): Organisationen. Eine sehr kurze Einführung. Wiesbaden: VS.
Apelt, Maja / Tacke, Veronika (Hg.) (2012): Handbuch Organisationstypen. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

—