No prior sociology course is required. Willingness to read challenging arguments and distinguish explanation from endorsement is helpful.
About this course
Questions about power, freedom, inequality and social order have shaped modern social thought. This free Yale course introduces influential arguments and places them in their intellectual and historical settings. It helps learners compare explanations of society rather than memorizing a list of famous theorists.
Course at a glance
| Provider | Yale |
|---|---|
| Instructor / Teaching team | Iván Szelényi |
| Platform | YouTube · YaleCourses |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Beginner · WikiFree audience assessment |
| Language | English |
| Lessons | 25 |
| Video duration | 19h 44m · allow extra time for reading and practice |
| Format | Self-paced video learning |
| Certificate | No certificate included with free YouTube viewing |
What you’ll learn
- Identify central questions addressed by major social theorists.
- Compare contrasting explanations of authority and social order.
- Connect an argument with its historical and conceptual context.
- Use theoretical vocabulary to frame a contemporary social question.
Skills you’ll gain
- Social analysis
- Critical reading
- Argument comparison
- Conceptual reasoning
Course Overview
The sequence begins with early modern accounts of authority, rights and political organization, then moves through major approaches associated with Marx, Weber and Durkheim. Lectures invite attention to the concepts each thinker uses and the problems their work attempts to explain. Reading alongside the videos makes the differences between these approaches easier to evaluate.
How the course develops
- Authority and freedom: investigate arguments about government, property, equality and dissent.
- Class and economic life: compare explanations of capitalism, exploitation and social divisions.
- Social organization: examine legitimacy, solidarity, anomie and social facts as different analytical tools.
The classroom contains all 25 videos in this official YaleCourses playlist. Use the lesson list to follow the course or search for a topic you want to revisit. Introductory segments, teaching examples and supplementary discussions remain available within this course.
Who is this for?
Social-science students, educators and readers interested in the foundations of sociology and political thought.
Before you start
No prior sociology course is required. Willingness to read challenging arguments and distinguish explanation from endorsement is helpful.
Put the lessons into practice
Select one social issue and outline how two theorists might frame it differently. Identify their key concepts, assumptions and the evidence each approach would emphasize.
This optional study activity is provided by WikiFree for independent reflection. It is not a graded Yale assignment. Keep a short record of what you can explain confidently and what you need to revisit; use that record to plan your next study session.
Certificate / Assessment
The public videos can be watched free of charge. This WikiFree listing does not include a Yale certificate, academic credit, a degree, graded assessments or feedback from the instructors. A similarly named course on another platform may have different enrollment, assessment and payment conditions.
The classroom’s Mark complete control records your personal progress. It does not assess your understanding or award a credential. Course examples reflect the recordings; check current sources whenever you need up-to-date professional information.
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Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Free Yale Course: Foundations of Modern Social Theory | Beginner | Social analysis · Critical reading · Argument comparison | 19h 44m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Black Studies: Culture, Neoliberalism and Social Change | Intermediate | 25. Neoliberalism and the End of History - Part 1: Introduction · 25. Neoliberalism and the End of History - Part 6: Populism & Big Data, Facebook Dark Posts · Political Context for the Course | 4h 13m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Creole Languages and Caribbean Cultural Identity | Intermediate | Guest lecture (2022): Unmaking and remaking community (part 1) · 7. Feedback to students who led class discussion · Ki sa ki enspire kou a (Inspiration for the Course) | 5h 31m of video; practice time is additional |
Frequently asked questions
Is this Yale course free?
Yes. This listing provides the official YaleCourses YouTube videos for free viewing. Textbooks, optional materials and separately enrolled programs may have their own costs.
How long does the course take?
The playlist contains 25 videos totaling approximately 19h 44m. Reading, note-taking, revision and independent practice add to that viewing time.
What background do I need?
No prior sociology course is required. Willingness to read challenging arguments and distinguish explanation from endorsement is helpful.
Will I receive a Yale certificate?
No. Watching these YouTube lessons or marking them complete on WikiFree does not earn a Yale certificate, degree or academic credit.
Can I watch on a phone?
Yes. Use the responsive lesson list and player on a phone, tablet or computer. A larger screen and a notebook may help with detailed examples, equations or software demonstrations.
What happens if a video becomes unavailable?
The lesson should remain visible in its place with its title and an availability notice. You can continue with the other lessons and report the problem through the correction link.
Provider: Yale. Videos play from the YaleCourses channel on YouTube.
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