The goal of this seminar is to introduce you to problems sociologists study and to methodological tools they use to look for answers. You will learn to develop a sociological perspective on problems that interest you personally by getting to know influential and interesting studies in your field. We will read about the birth and breakdown of the German state, social movements, boarding schools, earlier migration to and from Germany, economic inequality, how to become a great chess player, why women fail to get into the inner circle of companies, and many other topics. While we discuss these readings we will make use of approaches developed by major thinkers like Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and others. We will also carefully look at the methods sociologists have used to tackle the specific problems that sparked their interest.