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Political Research Seminar (395-0-29)

Topic

Nationalism and Ethnicity

Instructors

Danielle Aryn Gilbert

Meeting Info

Scott Hall 201 Ripton Room: Mon 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

What is nationalism? How did it become such an important force in world politics? And how does it relate to ethnicity, patriotism, populism, and political violence? In this research seminar, students will explore these and other questions about the origins, varieties, and consequences of nationalism. Through historical examples of national identity formation, students will debate competing explanations for the emergence and spread of nationalism around the world. Course readings and discussions will connect and compare related concepts, including the state, the nation, patriotism, identity, ethnicity, minorities, religion, class, race, gender, and multiculturalism. This course will explore the effects of nationalism and ethnicity on political identities, patterns of political violence, and state polities. Students will also learn how to craft a political science research paper. Bringing together new knowledge and skills, students will produce a research paper that explores an original question of their choosing relating to the causes, character, or consequences of nations and nationalism.

Registration Requirements

Majors/Minors Only
Juniors/Seniors Only

Learning Objectives

By the completion of this class, students should be able to:


  1. Define and explain major concepts in the study of nations and nationalism;

  2. Explain and critique competing theories for the emergence, spread, durability, variety, and consequences of nationalism;

  3. Analyze specific case studies of nationalist movements or events, considering their historical context, motivations, and outcomes;

  4. Produce a research paper on the causes, character, or consequences of nationalism, by: formulating an original question and argument; identifying and synthesizing relevant literature; collecting and critically assessing data; constructing a logical and effective paper structure; appropriately citing all sources, and presenting the research to a peer audience.

Teaching Method

Seminar

Evaluation Method

Final paper, class participation, reading responses, and small writing assignments that help build to the final paper.

Class Materials (Required)

Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. Fitzgerald. The Craft of Research, Fourth Edition. University of Chicago Press, 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0226239736;
Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalism. Second Edition. Cornell University Press, 2009. ISBN-13 978-0801475009;
Laitin, David L. Nations, States, and Violence. Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0199228232

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression