Time Schedule:
Adrian C. Sinkler
POL S 273
Seattle Campus
How to understand and explain relationships of power. Readings from Marxism, Weberian sociology, anarchism, classical political philosophy, and contemporary political science. May also include works of fiction.
Class description
"Power" is a concept we all use in our common discourses and it is undeniably one of the central concerns of those who study political, economic, and social phenomena, but there is much less consensus concerning what the word "power" actually means. In what way is power different from violence? Is there a difference between political power and other forms power, like economic power? Who (if anyone) has power, and how does it operate? This course invites students to seek their own answers to these questions, both through the consideration of different conceptualizations of power as they operate in texts by Karl Marx, Max Weber, Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault, and John Gilliom, and through the analysis of selected contemporary events.
Student learning goals
Gain an understanding of some of the main conceptualizations of power and its operation (e.g., the conception of sovereign power, the idea of economic power, rationalization, communicative power, and disciplinary power).
Learn the ways in which these differing conceptualizations of power direct different types of empirical inquiry.
Gain a general historical knowledge of the main events of the modern period, particularly the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution.
General method of instruction
Lecture and Discussion.
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
