- Spring 2023
Syllabus Description:
Course Description
State-society analysis privileges the interaction of state institutions and social forces in explaining political outcomes, ranging from revolution to provision of public goods. This mode of analysis stands in contrast to strictly state-centered or society-centered explanations of political phenomena. The course addresses state building, state capacity, class-based mobilization, contentious politics, social movements, civil society, revolutionary change, identity politics, and nationalism. Deep engagement with social theory and multi-method research are hallmarks of this literature.
The course provides graduate students with a foundation in relevant theory and methods. It is valuable for preparing for qualifying exams, identifying research questions, and developing your thesis (M.A. and Ph.D.).
Each week, an influential book—to be read strategically—will be the center of discussion, supplemented by short selections from relevant classical social theory and related work. Seminar sessions will explore several core questions, among others:
1) what are the roots of the work—the big question—from classical social theory,
2) how does each work build on, contribute to, and critique prior scholarship,
3) how does the author relate theory and method, integrating quantitative and qualitative data,
4) what is the scholarly identity and intellectual agenda of the author, and
5) what new research questions does each work inspire.
The goal is to both appreciate and critique assigned works.
Course Requirements
The focus of the seminar is reading, discussion, and writing. Students may choose between two options for course requirements. Option A includes 4 short response papers and a longer research paper. Option B entails 6 short response papers and a literature review essay.
The full syllabus is here.