| Politics 218 (Understanding Society MOI) |
Fall 2007 |
| Political Change in the Third World |
Robert C. Dash |
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to and overview of political
change in the Third World. The course surveys a variety of
political, economic, and social themes and topics, with special
attention directed to issues of the state and civil society, democracy
and human rights, and development and inequality. Students are
challenged to examine the historical forces that have contributed to
the shaping of the Third World, and to consider future possibilities
for greater democracy, development, and equity in the region.
Course Objectives
The objectives of the course include the following.
• To assess the utility of examining a great
variety of regional, national, and sub-national experiences through the
conceptual prism of the “Third World.”
• To examine how global forces—political,
economic, and social—influence and are influenced by the Third
World.
• To demonstrate the importance of theoretical,
comparative, and historical approaches to understanding political
change.
• To enable students to employ several
analytical perspectives in explaining human agency and the
“behavior” of social institutions.
• To provide the means for students to evaluate current developments in the Third World.
Required Course Materials
The following books are available for purchase at the Willamette
University Bookstore. If you purchase them elsewhere, it is
important that the same editions be obtained.
• Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (Anchor, paper)
• Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall, eds.,
Politics in the Developing World (Oxford University Press, paper)
• John Isbister, Promises Not Kept: the Betrayal
of Third World Development (Kumarian Press, 7th edition, paper)
• Benedita da Silva, Benedita da Silva: An
Afro-Brazilian Woman’s Story of Politics and Love (Food First
Books, paper)
Course Evaluation Criteria
The classroom format encompasses readings, lectures, and class
discussions. It is expected that students complete all assigned
readings before attending class. Also, students are to routinely
read a reputable national or international newspaper throughout the
semester. Much of the material that is covered in class is not
otherwise readily available to students and thus regular class
attendance is important to student success. Class attendance will
be tracked and course grades will be lowered when more than three
absences occur during the semester, unless they are caused by a
documented medical or family emergency.
Final course grades will be assigned on the following basis.
• My assessment of attentive, informed, and
thoughtful classroom participation constitutes ten percent of the final
course grade.
• The first midterm examination constitutes twenty percent of the final grade.
• The second midterm examination constitutes twenty percent of the final grade.
• The third midterm examination constitutes thirty percent of the final grade.
• A library-based paper constitutes twenty percent of the course grade.
Assignments that are turned in past the time and date they are due are
automatically marked down by a full letter grade—e.g., from
“A” to “B”—for every 24-hour period past
the due date that I receive them—no exceptions. I accept
assignments by email only with prior consent.
It is your responsibility to understand and conform to the
university’s policy on plagiarism, which the CLA Catalog defines
as:
Cheating
is any form of intellectual dishonesty or misrepresentation of
one’s knowledge. Plagiarism, a form of cheating, consists of
representing someone else’s work as one’s own. All members
of the Willamette University community are expected to be aware of the
serious breach of principles involved in plagiarism. Ignorance of what
constitutes plagiarism shall not be considered a valid defense. If
students are uncertain as to what constitutes plagiarism for a
particular assignment, they should consult the instructor for
clarification. (See pages 319-321)
Students requesting academic accommodations because of a disability are
to provide a letter of accommodation from Disability Services within
the first two weeks of class.
Office Time, Telephone, and email
My office is Smullin 317, my office telephone number is 370-6262, and
my email address is rdash@willamette.edu. My posted office time
this semester is: Monday and Wednesday, 11:30 to 12:30. I am also
available to meet with students at other times only by prior
appointment. While you are welcome to email concerns regarding
the course, I do not routinely respond to student email when I am off
campus and especially not at night and during the weekends.
COURSE SCHEDULE
August 29, Wednesday Introduction to course.
August 31, Friday. Read Isbister, Promises Not Kept,
Preface and Introduction, pp. ix-6; and Peter Burnell and Vicky
Randall, “Introduction” pp. 1-7 in Burnell and Randall, Politics in the Developing World.
Poverty and Inequality
September 5, Wednesday. Read Isbister, pp. 7-23; and Jenny Pearce, “Inequality” pp. 59- 73 in Burnell and Randall.
Case Studies
September 7, Friday. Read Rachel Sieder, “Guatemala” pp. 360-70 in Burnell and Randall.
September 10, Monday. Read Isbister, pp. 23-29; and Peter Ferdinand,
“South Korea” pp. 371-82 in Burnell and Randall.
The Use (and Abuse) of Social Science Theory.
Modernization and Dependency
September 12, Wednesday. Read Isbister, pp. 30-48; and Vicky Randall,
pp. 9-18 “Analytical Approaches to the Study of Politics in
the Developing World”
in Burnell and Randall.
Marxism and International Relations
September 14, Friday. Read Isbister, pp. 48-64; and Vicky Randall,
“Analytical Approaches to the Study of Politics in the Developing
World” pp 18-26 and
Stephen Hobden, “The Developing World in International Politics” pp. 42-59, both in Burnell and Randall.
Imperialism Causes and Cultures
September 17, Monday. Read Isbister, pp 65-86.
September 19, Wednesday. Read Isbister, pp. 86-100.
September 21, Friday. Read Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, pp. 3-62.
September 24, Monday. Read Achebe, pp. 63-125.
September 26, Wednesday. Read Achebe, pp. 129-209.
September 28, Friday. 1st Midterm Examination.
Nationalism and Independence
Origins
October 1, Monday. Read Isbister, pp. 101-121, 127-139.
Fundamentalisms and Religion
October 3, Wednesday. Read Isbister, pp. 121-27, 198-200; and Jeff
Haynes, “Religion” pp. 90-105 in Burnell and Randall.
National Identity
October 5, Friday. Read Isbister, pp. 138-145; and James Scarritt,
“Ethnopolitics and Nationalism” pp. 74-89 in Burnell and
Randall.
Case Studies.
October 8, Monday. Read Richard Robinson, “Indonesia” pp. 255-263 in Burnell and Randall.
October 10, Wednesday. Read Robert A. Schrire, “South Africa” pp. 264-274 in Burnell and Randall.
The State and Civil Society
October 12, Friday. Read Marina Ottaway, “Civil
Society” pp. 120-135 and Adrian Leftwich, “Theorizing the
State” pp. 137-54, both in Burnell and Randall.
Case Studies
October 15, Monday. Read Rob Jenkins, “India” pp. 275-285 in Burnell and Randall.
October 17, Wednesday. Read David Pool, “Saudi Arabia” pp. 286-296 in Burnell and Randall.
State Building
October 22, Monday. Read Brian Smith, “State Building” pp. 155-70 in Burnell and Randall.
Case Studies
October 24, Wednesday. Read Peter Siavelis, “Chile” pp. 297-307 in Burnell and Randall.
October 26, Friday. Read Martin Doornbos, “State Collapse
and Civil Conflict” pp. 171- 84; and Thomas M. Callaghy and
Marton T. Markovits, “The Democratic Republic of Congo” pp
308-318 in Burnell and Randall.
October 29, Monday. 2rd Midterm Examination
Democracy and Human Rights
October 31, Wednesday. Read Peter Burnell, “Democracy” pp 185-202 in Burnell and Randall.
November 2, Friday. Read Isbister, pp 210-216; and Michael
Freeman, “Human Rights” pp. 237-54 in Burnell and Randall.
Case Studies
November 5, Monday. Read David Taylor, “Pakistan” pp. 340-48.
November 7, Wednesday. Read Andreas Schedler, “Mexico” pp. 349-359.
Gender
November 9, Friday Read Kathleen Staudt, “Women and Gender” pp 106-119 in Burnell
and Randall.
November 12, Monday. Read Benedita da Silva, Chapters 1-3.
November 14, Wednesday. Read Benedita da Silva, Chapters 4-6.
November 16, Friday. Read Benedita da Silva, Chapters 7-10.
Economic Development
Concerning Economic Development
November 19, Monday. Read Isbister, pp. 146-57; and Tony Addison, “Development” pp. 203-212 in Burnell and Randall.
Failed Attempts at Development.
November 21, Wednesday. Read Isbister, pp 157-81; and Peter Newell, “Environment”
pp. 221-236 in Burnell and Randall.
Markets and Exports.
November 26, Monday. Read Isbister, pp. 181-88, 216-25; and Addison pp.
212-220 and Stephen Hobden, “The Developing World in the Global
Economy” pp. 27-41, both in Burnell and Randall.
November 28, Wednesday. 3nd Midterm Examination.
North and South: Past and Future
November 30, Friday. Read Stephen Wright, “Nigeria” pp. 319-328 in Burnell and Randall.
December 3, Monday. Read Isbister, 191-195, 200-210.
December 5, Wednesday. Read Isbister, pp. 226-39.
December 7, Friday. Conclusion of course.