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Syllabus
Description
Power and Politics introduces students to political sociology, and to the study of the production,
conservation and distribution of power. We are members of a democratic society: the political system is a
reflection of the social system and our collective construction of both legitimate authority and the just
exercise of power. For these reasons, the study of power and politics is important both as a way of gaining
useful knowledge and as a vehicle for deepening one’s understanding of political sociological theory.
Requirements
As a course focusing on the social dynamics necessary to the construction of power and authority in the
US and worldwide, the course counts as an elective in the Sociology major. And as a course employing a
systematic analysis of qualitative, quantitative and/or ethnographic information drawn from the human
world, SOC 210 satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Learning Outcomes
SOC 210 enables students to:
* Define power and analyze it empirically.
* Identify the different dimensions of power.
* Evaluate the presentation of the dimensions of power in current and historical contexts.
* Demonstrate the importance of authority legitimization in the existing power hierarchy.
* Infer potential applications of these theories in an increasingly globalized world.
1
Research Paper – 3 parts 30%
Final Review – During exam period (12/13-12/18) 25%
Participation 10%
Total – 100%
2
Grading
A 93-100 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 60-66
A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 F <60
B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69
Honor Code
Please refer to http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x8875.xml regarding THE HONOR CODE and THE
CODE OF RESPONSIBILITY. All students are expected to uphold these codes. You are allowed and
encouraged to work together throughout the semester, collaborating to understand readings and to study
for exams together. However, all work on exams and the research paper must be your own.
Attendance Policy
In line with the college’s attendance policy, students who miss 25% of course work, or 4.5 weeks, will
automatically get an F. In addition, students are allowed to miss 3 classes without penalty and will lose
one point from their final grade for any additional absences.
Diversity Statement
I am committed to creating a climate of mutual respect and full participation for all students, from all
backgrounds, with all of the various skills and perspectives that each of you bring to our classroom. I am
humbled and honored to be a member of an institution in which this commitment is shared and supported.
Our goal is to create learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If there
are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or accurate
assessment or achievement, please let me know.
The college welcomes requests for accommodations related to disability and will grant those that
are determined to be reasonable and maintain the integrity of a program or curriculum. To make
such a request or to begin a conversation about a possible request, please contact the Office of
Academic Access and Disability Resources, which is located in the Center for Teaching and
Learning in the E.H. Little Library: Beth Bleil, Director, bebleil@davidson.edu, 704-894-2129; or
Alysen Beaty, Assistant Director, albeaty@davidson.edu, 704-894-2939. It is best to submit
accommodation requests within the drop/add period; however, requests can be made at any time
in the semester. Please keep in mind that accommodations are not retroactive
Classroom Etiquette
I value your presence and encourage you to come to class often and on time. If you are not in class you
will fall behind and this may affect your academic performance and grade in the class. Please don’t talk
when I or another student is speaking. This is disrespectful and discourages others from maintaining a
respectful classroom environment. You are welcome to take notes as you wish, but do so with self-
knowledge and caution. When you are in class, as in life, be present.
I reserve the right to change the syllabus and class schedule if necessary.
If this is the case, an announcement will be made in class, on moodle, and via email.
Remember that the course syllabus provides a general plan for the course;
deviations may occur.
3
Questions to consider: What is Power?
9/5: Read “Bringing the State Back In” by Theda Skocpol (moodle)
Read “Paradigms of Relations Between State and Society” by Robert Alford (moodle)
Student discussant: “Bringing the State Back in: Strategies of Analysis in Current Research”
Student discussant: “Paradigms of Relations Between State and Society”
Questions to consider: Where did the nation state, as we know it, come from?
Student Discussant: “Measuring The Effects Of Televised Political Advertising In The United States”
9/12: Read “Ideas, Politics, and Public Policy” by John Campbell (moodle)
Read “What is Ideology” by John Levi Martin (moodle)
Questions to consider: What is the connection between the state, politics, and everyday life (culture)?
Student Discussant: “Student Loan Relief Programs: Implications for Borrowers and the Federal
Government”
Questions to consider: How does capitalism relate to the state and civil society?
Where did the welfare state come from, and what kinds are there?
4
Student Discussant: “Welfare Reform: How do we Measure Success?”
Questions to consider: Who are the “elites” and “rulers,” and how would we know?
Student discussant: “Learning to be Illegal: Undocumented Youth and Shifting Legal Contexts in
the Transition to Adulthood”
10/8: No class- professor at a conference–– use the extra time to work on Part I of research paper
10/10: Review of weeks 1-6
10/24: Read “Nonprofits and the Promotion of Civic Engagement: A Conceptual Framework for
Understanding the “Civic Footprint” of Nonprofits within Local Communities” by Micheal
L. Shier, Femida Handy, and Lindsey M. McDougle (moodle)
5
Student discussant: “Nonprofits and the Promotion of Civic Engagement: A Conceptual Framework for
Understanding the “Civic Footprint” of Nonprofits within Local Communities”
Questions to consider: How is political participation used to enact power/ a form of power?
How has social media changed political participation?
Student Discussant: Citizenship, Democracy, and the Civic Reintegration of Criminal Offenders
Student discussant: 6 Million Votes: State-Level Estimates of Felony Disenfranchisement, 2016
Questions to consider: When should voting be stripped from citizens? Should only U.S. citizens be
allowed to vote? How do U.S. elections compare to international elections?
11/7: Read “Collective Identity and Social Movements” by Francesca Polletta1 and James M. Jasper
(moodle)
6
11/14: Read “Does State Failure Cause Terrorism? An Empirical Analysis (1999-2008)” by Bridget L.
Coggins (moodle)
Read “Terrorism Research: Past, Present, and Future”
11/21: Read chapters from Cinzia Solari’s book, “On the Shoulders of Grandmothers: Gender,
Migration, and Post-Soviet Nation-State Building” by Cinzia Solari