- Political Economy and Social Movements

Institution:

The Evergreen State College

Subject:

Description:

Faculty: Peter Bohmer (political economy), Dan Leahy (social movement theory and practice) Major areas of study include economics, U. S. social history, political economy, economics, studies in race, class and gender, theory and practice of social movements, globalization and Latin American studies. Class Standing: Sophomores or above; transfer students welcome. Political Economy and Social Movements is designed to introduce students to major concepts in neoclassical economics, Marxism and anarchism, and to provide a foundation for more advanced work in political economy and the social sciences. A central goal of this program is to gain a clear understanding of how the U. S. economy has been organized and reorganized over time, how it has been controlled and who has benefited from it, the nature of racism and sexism, and how social movements, particularly those based on race, class and gender, have resisted and shaped its direction. We will examine the historical construction of the U. S. political economy, the role social movements have played in its development and the future possibilities for social justice. We will also examine the current and future direction of U. S. society, and how various social movements are responding to the changing global order, nationally and globally. We'll look at key issues and economic trends and how they are being addressed in the context of the 2008 Presidential elections. In particular, our work will center on the interrelationship between the U. S. economy and the changing global system. We will study the causes and consequences of the growing globalization of capital, the role of institutions such as the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization, the meaning of various trade agreements and the resistance and alternative models being organized by international social movements and nation states, with particular attention paid to Latin America. Films will be shown throughout the program and there will be a substantial amount of reading in a variety of genres. There will be workshops throughout the program in economics and organizing for social change. Students will write a series of short, primarily analytical papers. Total: 16 credits. Enrollment: 50 Program is preparatory for careers and future studies in labor and community organizing, education, economics, politics, public policy, U. S. history, political economy, Latin American studies and labor studies.

Credits:

16.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.evergreen.edu

Phone Number:

(360) 867-6170

Regional Accreditation:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Calendar System:

Quarter

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