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Course Criteria
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3.00 Credits
How is social change possible? This is one of the central questions for the study of social movements, as well as the organizing theme of this course. In this course, we will consider the ways in which different sociological theories of social movements have asked and answered this question, paying particular attention to theories of identity, emotion, and networks.
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3.00 Credits
This course introduces students to the vast, complex and exciting dimensions of black Chicago politics. First, institutional structures, geographic distribution and population characteristics will inform students about the sociodemograpic background of the African American population in the city. Second, the course explores varying types of political expression that have developed over more than a century, inclulding electoral politics, mass movements, partisan politics; it will also examine the impact of the Chicago machine, and of the Washington era on the political and economic status of African Americans in the city. Third, public policy developments in housing, education and criminal justice will be discussed. Fourth, the course also compares black political standing with other racial and ethnic groups in the city. Finally, the course will introduce students to the long tradition of social science research centered on the city of Chicago.
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3.00 Credits
This course explores the core elements associated with black politics in the US: the role of black institutions such as the black church, the importance of the civil rights movement in challenging barriers to black political participation, the mid 20th-century legal framework created to open access to the political system, and the development of black political participation in northern cities. Competition for leadership roles and public resources from the increasing numbers of Latinos, Asians and other immigrants will also be addressed. Since the course will be taught in spring 2010 at the beginning of the second year of the Obama administration, we will also have the chance to explore the impact of the "first black" President on national politics, and to consider the impact of the President and his administration on African American Politics itself. The course incorporates political science concepts, but the readings and other materials are accessible to students from a variety of disciplines and levels of knowledge.
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3.00 Credits
The United States is the wealthiest nation in the world, yet poverty remains a persistent concern. In this course, we will study the sources of poverty and economic inequality and what has and can be done to address the problem. We begin by discussing different theories on to what extent citizens' income and wealth should be equal in a society and the government's prescribed role, if any, in the process. We then trace the history of poverty in the United States and various government efforts to address the problem through social welfare programs. Finally, we will closely study the different forms poverty takes on today and enter the ongoing debate over what public policies should be implemented in response. Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the decidedly political dimension of poverty in America.
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3.00 Credits
A principal tenet underlying democratic governance is the belief that public opinion or the "will of the people" should dictate governmental behavior. To the extent this belief is a realistic consideration; difficult questions remain concerning the capacity for citizens to develop reasoned opinions and how to conceptualize and measure opinion. This course explores the foundations of political and social attitudes and the methodology used to observe what people think about politics. The course is structured around four key questions: 1). How reliable is the methodology of public opinion polling? 2). How do people acquire, organize, and change their political beliefs and attitudes? 3). What factors in the political world influence and shape public opinion, including the effects of the media, political events, and social forces? 4). What are the main lines of cleavage in American public opinion? How polarized is the American public and on what issues is there a consensus?
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3.00 Credits
This course focuses on the key state of the region--the Republic of South Africa. After outlining the political history of apartheid, the phenomenon of Afrikaner nationalism, and the rise of African nationalism and the liberation movements, attention turns to the country's escalating turmoil of the 1980s and resulting political transition in the 1990s. South Africa's political and economic prospects are also examined. The semester concludes with a survey of the transitions that brought South Africa's neighboring territories to independence, the destabilization strategies of the apartheid regime and United States policy in that region.
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3.00 Credits
Following an introduction to traditional political institutions, the colonial inheritance, and the rise of African nationalism, the course concentrates on the current economic and political problems of tropical Africa. This includes case studies of political organizations, ideologies, and government institutions in Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
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3.00 Credits
This course examines the politics of monarchies in the Middle East and North Africa. The course examines how these regimes developed and their effect on politics in these regions, and explores the prospect for democratization in such countries.
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3.00 Credits
This course will focus on the causes and consequences of political change in sub-Saharan Africa since the late 1950s and early 1960s. Special attention will be focused on the relationship between political change and economic/human development. The key quest ions this course will address include the following: (1) What explains the rise of post-colonial authoritarian regimes? (2) What explains the demise of post-colonial authoritarian regimes? (3) What might affect the variation in the extent to which Africans participate in politics, engage in protests, and join movements devoted to promoting democracy? (4) What explains the variation in the extent of democratization that has taken place across sub-Saharan Africa since the late 1980s and early 1990s? (5) Should it matter to the rest of the world that sub-Saharan African countries become more developed and democratic? (6) If it should matter, can/how can the United States and other countries promote development and democratization in the region?
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3.00 Credits
Muslim radical movements are not new to the Middle East. They made their debut in the 18th century Arabian Peninsula paving the way for the first Saudi Kingdom. However, the use Islam by individuals, movements and nation states for political purposes has become common since the mid-1970s. Many of the contemporary Muslim actors use religious terminology in their ideology and activities but are active as political actors per se. This course is studying the roots of the political Islam, its current political activities and their implications, the distinction between mainstream Islam and radical Islam, and finally the phenomena of religious terror used by several of these movements.
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