POWER and AUTHORITY: COURSE SCHEDULE

click on underlined section titles below
for more detailed information and assignments

Wednesday, January 21, 2004
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

An introduction to the instructors, an overview of the syllabus, the objectives of the course of study, the course web site and the approach to the subject matter of the course plus an extended consideration of basic concepts to be considered during the semester and a set of three inaugural case studies.

A NOTE ABOUT DOING THE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Ocassionally you will be assigned some assignment. It is expected that all students will complete these assignments prior to attending that class. Some assignments ask you to view slides or graphics. Others ask you to do an exercise and submit it Material to be submitted will be posted on the What's New page.
Still others ask you to do readings. In most instances the reading is available on the electronic reserve for this course and you can access it directly through this syllabus. For further information on using the electronic reserve click here. You will be asked to have access to other material.

Friday, January 23, 2004
APPROACHES TO THE CONCEPTS OF "POWER" AND "AUTHORITY" - DISTINGUISHING AND DEFINING THE "NONWESTERN"

How and why did the concept of the "nonwestern" emerge? Is it a useful concept? What can the term itself tell us about ourselves as "westerners?" What can it tell us about the assumptions we make with regard to the rest of the world?

Reading:

Howard Wiarda, Non-Western Theories of Development, pp vii-viii.
Marion J. Levy, Modernization and the Structure of Societies, pp. 89-92
Kautsky, The Political Consequences of Modernization,pp. 15-17 and pp. 49-59.

Monday, January 26, 2004
SPEAKER: Prof. Maghan Keita, Villanova University
"Social History and the African City"
University Center Auditorium UC6 (NOTE CHANGE IN ROOM)

Wednesday, January 28, 2004
HOW IS THE NOTION OF NON-WESTERN ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER CONCEPTIONS
We often associate "non-western" with other ideas such as "Third World," "Traditional," or "Underdevelopment." How do we form these associations? Are they valid and/or useful?

SLIDE SHOW: Click here to go to the "The Third World" Slide Show

Friday, January 30, 2004
APPROACHES TO THE CONCEPTS OF "POWER" AND "AUTHORITY"
How do professionals from Anthropology, Political Science and History think about the notions of "power" and "authority?" Can they be usefully distinguished? How are they generally understood in modern Western culture (Weberian influence)?

READING ASSIGNMENTS:

Robert Dahl, Modern Political Analysis, pp. 32-34.
Peter Bachrach and Morton Baratz, Power and Poverty, pp. 21-38.
Bourdieu, http://137.148.11.38/2/hoff/hoffda.pdf

Monday February 2, 2002
DISCUSSION OF PHILOSOPHY OF COURSE : POWER, AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CLASSROOM
A discussion of basic concepts undergirding the course and the classroom environment.

Reading assignment: You are to read Tom Heaney's analysis of the ideas of Paulo Freire. We will use those ideas as a starting point for the discussion. If you can not access this site, go to Mark Smith's site on Freire.