Critical Social Thought

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dean: Joel Kassiola

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

Faculty

 Professors--Heather, Stolz

Associate Professors--Busacca, Caulfield, Rivera

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 (consult Index for page reference).

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 qualifica-

tion, 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 require-

ment 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)

WOMS530	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