Bulletin

Critical Social Thought

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dean: Joseph Julian

Critical Social Thought Program
HSS 382
415-338-2055
Director: Richard Busacca

Faculty

Professors—Heather, Stolz

Associate Professors—Busacca, Caulfield, Rivera

Lecturers—Drescher, Keller, M.

Program

Minor in Critical Social Thought

Program Scope

Critical Social Thought is an intellectual tradition which takes a critical posture toward both society and the very act of thinking about society. It is holistic and consciously self-critical. It emerges from society in order to criticize that society, and in the process, is itself transformed. This critical tradition began with the philosophical critiques of Kant, Hegel, and Marx. In the twentieth century, it has been further developed by various colleges such as critical structuralism, existentialism, feminism, Frankfurt critical theory, etc., and by various thinkers such as Arendt, Lukacs, Gramsci, Habermas, Sweezy, Baran, Braverman, etc.

The Critical Social Thought Minor seeks to acquaint the student with both the theoretical development of critical social thought and its practical, analytical application in different social, historical settings.

MINOR IN CRITICAL SOCIAL THOUGHT

Each student shall, in consultation with a faculty adviser, develop an individual program of 21 to 24 units around a coherent theme and/or methodology.

Courses for this program are listed in alphabetical sequence (see Critical Social Thought discipline in the "Announcement of Courses" section).

						Units
Introduction—comprehension of the tradition of 
Critical Social Thought, required of all minors
CST 300	Introduction to Critical Social Thought	    3
Theoretical Core—courses concerned with the 
theoretical development of critical social 
thought; depending on student qualification, 
each person shall elect six to nine units from 
this segment; courses elected here must be 
thematically integrated with those elected from 
the Analytical Core. Courses which might fulfill 
this requirement upon adviser approval include 
the following:					  6-9
	HIST 312	Capitalist Hegemony and 
			Third World Resistance
	HIST 348	European Intellectual 
			History II
	PLSI 351	Political Theory: The 
			Classical Tradition (4)
	WOMS 530	Women Studies and Social 
			Theory
Analytical Core—courses concerned with the 
practical application of critical social thought 
in different social, historical settings; each 
student shall elect nine units from this segment; 
courses elected must be thematically integrated 
with those elected from the Theoretical Core. 
Courses approved for this core vary from semester 
to semester. Program advisers have lists of 
currently approved courses. Students must consult 
an adviser before selecting courses for these 
requirements. Approval of an adviser is 
mandatory.					    9
CST 680	Integrative Seminar in Critical Social 
	Thought					    3
		Minimum total			21-24

Bulletin 1994-96 Table of Contents, SFSU Home Page

last modified June 1, 1995