comparative politics

PLSC 300C: Catholic & Islamic Perspectives on Democracy
Professor Tezcur
TTh 10:00am / LSC

This newly designed course explores how Catholic and Muslim actors become advocates of democratization and expansion of political rights. It focuses on 1) how these actors argue for and justify democracy and rights on religious grounds; 2) under what conditions these actors have historically been transformed from bastions of authoritarian status quo into supporters of progressive political change. The course has an interdisciplinary and interregional approach. The cases come from a variety of settings including Western Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The religious actors include the Catholic Church, local bishops, Muslim clergy, Catholic and Muslim non-governmental organizations, social movements, and political parties.

PLSC 300C: Ethnicity, Identity, Nationalism & Politics
Ms. Lebamoff
TTh 11:30am / LSC

This course explores the concepts of ethnicity, identity and nationalism (EIN)  from a comparative perspective. The course focuses on why, how and where ethnicity, identity and nationalism are defined, how they may become politicized (or not) and how they are manifested, what this means to states, regions and internationally, and related issues. We will examine how states, societies and others use these concepts for, among other things, nation and state-building, social structures and relationships, political activism and entrepreneurship, and resource distribution and accessibility. What theoretical approaches have dominated the study of EIN, and how have those affected construction and understanding of these concepts? Case studies from developed and developing countries/regions and from various time periods are used to compare theoretical approaches and empirical evidence so as to more fully comprehend these critical forces shaping today’s world. 

PLSC 347: European Union
Ms. Lebamoff
TTh 1:00pm / LSC

This course examines the development, institutional structure and policies of the European Union (EU), along with critical domestic political and international dimensions of it and its member and non-member states (such as the United States). The EU today is also heavily involved in foreign and security policy development and implementation, and in justice issues through its various Courts and related bodies. Areas of focus include the regional integration experience not only from the viewpoint of Brussels and the original and newer member-states, but also relations between the EU and others, especially with the U.S., and enlargement questions, particularly those related to Turkey and the developing Eastern/Central European states.

PLSC 355C: Women & Politics: A Cross-National Perspective
Ms. Sholar
MWF 11:30am / LSC

This course examines the role of women in international political life.  Our goal is to understand how and why women throughout the world participate in politics.  We will examine a set of inter-related questions:  What strategies have women used to gain political power?  Besides women’s participation in the traditional spheres of what is considered politics—women as voters and politicians—are there other, informal ways that women have become “political” actors?  How do different political systems and political cultures influence women’s status and power?    How does the presence or absence of women from decision-making power affect public policy and the quality of women’s lives?  What barriers continue to exist to women’s full political participation and representation, and what (if anything) can be done to overcome these obstacles?  Students will reflect upon similarities and differences amongst women both across societies and within a single society, using the experience of American women as a reference point.

PLSC 394: Comparative Family Policy
Ms. Sholar
MWF 1:40pm / LSC

This course examines the changing structure of the family and the implications for family policy.  We will compare and contrast social policy intended to address family issues in a variety of nations primarily—but not exclusively—in the Western democratic world.  In this way, we can observe the effects of changing political and socio-economic contexts on both the process of policy formation and the impact that government policies have on family life.  During the course we will explore key issues such as the changing definition of family, the conflict between work and family obligations, policies for working parents, marriage, divorce, welfare, and population decline.  With the knowledge that we gain, we will attempt to design social policy recommendations that could better serve the needs of contemporary families.