ABSTRACT

Sociology is neither general knowledge nor an aggregation of facts. It is characterized by a critical way of analyzing and interpreting social and cultural facts so that their meaning becomes clear. The way of analysis and interpretation is theoretical, for which the term ‘sociological theory’ is used. It is both a procedure to move from particular to general and a method of arranging the empirical facts in a manner where their inter-relationship becomes clear, which answers the questions of genesis, function, process, and meaning. Human society has dazzling diversity. In spite of the externally generated processes that have tried to homogenize ways of living, it has been found that cultures are resilient. Sociological theory has to grapple with this diversity of living and the underlying unity of humankind. Because of its concern with generality, sociological theory is abstractedly conveyed, with an array of concepts that require a clear understanding. The problems exist at the levels of learning, grasping, and teaching. This chapter is an account of the struggles faced whilst teaching courses on sociological theory to undergraduate students.