Contemporary Theory and Research in Comparative Politics (450-0-1)
Instructors
Jeffrey A Winters
Scott, #403
Meeting Info
Scott Hall 201 Ripton Room: Thurs 2:00PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
This seminar exposes students to some of the most influential works in Comparative Politics. We will read Karl Marx, Max Weber, Perry Anderson, Karl Polanyi, Joseph Schumpeter, Barrington Moore, Theda Skocpol, Samuel Huntington, Ellen Wood, James Scott, and Benedict Anderson. The focus is on the generation and architecture of major theories in the field. The concepts and analyses contained in these readings provide essential building blocks for you to pursue further reading on your own and in other courses in comparative politics and political economy. Key topics include the formation of capitalism and the modern nation-state, revolutions, the role of structure and agency in major political change, materialist versus ideational and institutionalist interpretations of politics, political economy, nationalism, dictatorship and democracy, and oligarchs and elites. Students across all subfields of political science have found this seminar useful, as have students of history, sociology, and anthropology. It offers an important first step toward preparing for the qualifying exam in Comparative Politics.
Learning Objectives
Students will explore important arguments and theories in comparative politics. They will also learn how to approach the reading of texts to discern a book's architecture. The readings will be brought into conversation with each other throughout the term so that students learn to juxtapose and integrate theories and arguments.
Teaching Method
Seminar
Evaluation Method
Seminar performance will be based on participation in weekly discussions of the readings, a one-page thought piece on the readings each week, and an essay examination at the end modelled on the Comparative Field Exam.
Class Materials (Required)
Acquire the latest edition of these books:
Robert Tucker. The Marx-Engels Reader.
A. Gerth and C.W. Mills. From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology.
Perry Anderson. Lineages of the Absolutist State.
Barrington Moore. Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy.
Theda Skocpol. States and Social Revolutions.
Ellen Meiksins Wood. The Origin of Capitalism.
Joseph Schumpeter. Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy.
Karl Polanyi. The Great Transformation.
Samuel Huntington. Political Order in Changing Societies.
Benedict Anderson. Imagined Communities.
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Graduate Students.