Political Sociology - Syllabus

Syllabus Sociology 233: Foundations of Political Sociology
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/roy/syl233.htm

Week 2 Weber Weber, Max: Economy and Society (Roth and Wittich, ed), Introduction + Chap 9-11
Week 3 Marx Marx, Karl. The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonapare
Week 4 Making States Mann, Michael. The Sources of Social Power. Vol. II. Chap
Week 5 State Regimes Moore, Barrington, Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy
Week 6 Democracy and Development Rueschemeyer, Dietrich, Evelyne Huber Stephens, and John Stephens. 1992. Capitalist Development and Democracy.
Week 7 Nationalism Anderson, Benedict. 1983. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso.
Week 8 Collective Action and social movements Tarrow, Sidney. 1994. Power in Movement: Social Movements, Collective Action and Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Week 9 Social Policy Skocpol, Theda. 1992. Protecting Soldiers and Mothers: The Political Origins of Social Policy in the United States. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Week 10 The Politics of Meaning Quadagno, Jill. 1994. The Color of Welfare: How Racism Undermined the War on Poverty.

Sociology 182: Political Sociology
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/roy/S182NDX.HTM
Required Text:
William A. Gamson. Talking Politics
Sidney Tarrow. Power in Movement: Social Movements, Collective Action and Politics
Peter Evans. Embedded Autonomy: States and Industrial Transformation
Alan Wolfe. Whose Keepers? Social Science and Moral Obligation
Date Topics Chapters
June 24 Political consciousness and media discourse Gamson: Chapters 1 and 2
June 26 Collective action frames Gamson: Part I
July 1 How people negotiate meaning Gamson: Part II
July 3 The birth of the national social movement Tarrow: Chapter 1 and Part I
July 8 The powers of movement Tarrow: Part II
July 10 Movement dynamics Tarrow: Part III
July 15 States and third world development
Midterm Examination due IN CLASS
Evans: Chapters 1-3
July 17 States and technology Evans: Chapters 4-7
July 22 States and internationalization Evans: Chapter 8-10
July 24 States and markets Wolfe: Introduction and Chapters 1-3
July 29 States as moral agents Wolfe: Chapters 4-6
July 31 State and society Wolfe: Chapters 7-9

Soc. 2900 – Politics, Economy & Society Dr. Satya Pattnayak

Have you ever thought about who rules America? Is there a small ruling elite? If there is a ruling elite, does that group primarily consist of the leaders of the most prominent corporations, such as Microsoft, General Electric, and Exxon? Do political leaders have any autonomy from the economic powers in America? Are political leaders constrained by others from behind the scene? If the above is really true, then, how can this occur in a democratic society? In an era where so much emphasis is put on globalization of the economy and culture, can American politics continue to be sensitive to the demands of the American people, yet at the same time help sustain American competitiveness in the global marketplace. Politics, economy, and society attempts to deal with these general questions in one semester.

Through an integration of theories and empirical facts, students will learn about the major power holders in America. Roughly how many are there? Where do these people come from? How do they get there? Have there been changes in the composition of this powerful group over the past 100 years? Is the process of recruiting to the top leadership relatively open? The course will examine about ten to twelve specific sectors (the list includes the economic, political, and civic sectors) in America to determine the power holders in each sector. What mechanisms do we have to make that power accountable to the will of the people? Are these political mechanisms sufficient as the US enters the next century under serious economic competition from Europe, China, and Japan? What shapes and forms will these popular movements take to address societal inequities in the US in an era characterized by increased mobility of finance, political, social, and cultural capital?