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Complete Course Listing

*Courses listed below are a reflection of the course catalogue at the time it was printed. For updates, please refer to the Mount Holyoke College Course Catalogue or the Five College Course Catalogue.

Complete Course Listing

100 Level Politics Courses



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200 Level Politics Courses


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300 Level Politics Courses


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Fall Semester 2008

100 Level Politics Courses
106 Comparative Politics


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200 Level Politics Courses
209 Russian Politics
225 Winners and Losers
228 East Asian Politics
233 Invitation to Feminist Theory
237 Western European Politics
243 Latin American Politics
250 Politics of Black Urban Reform


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300 Level Politics Courses
344 Social Movements
350 Revolutions


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Spring Semester

100 Level Politics Courses

104 American Politics

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200 Level Politics Courses
252 Topics in Urban Studies


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300 Level Politics Courses


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Speaking Intensive/Enhanced Courses

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Writing Intensive/Enhanced Courses

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Speaking Intensive/Enhanced Courses

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101fs Fundamentals of Politics: Concepts and Controversies
(Writing intensive course) This course examines three contrasting conceptions of freedom and of what threatens or denies or enhances freedom, in light of selective controversies in American politics and society. We explore concepts related to "freedom" such as "community," "equality," and "the common good"; and we acquaint ourselves with competing political perspectives on contemporary America. We also consider some pressing issues such as the role of government and the future of public goods; the social limits to economic growth; the character and ramifications of economic inequality; racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination; and affirmative action. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
J. Cocks

2 meetings (75 minutes); Conducted in small sections, with students submitting short essays throughout the semester.;
4 credits


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104fs American Politics
Offers an overview of the American political system and the theories of those who celebrate it and criticize it. Focuses on the institutions of American politics, including the Constitution, the presidency, Congress, the courts, parties and elections, interest groups, and movements seeking political change. Also includes a theoretical focus: a critical examination of the notions of liberalism, pluralism, and democracy that inform the practice of American politics. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro,
D. Amy,S. Marusek, C. Pyle, P. Smith

2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits


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106f Comparative Politics
(Writing intensive course)
Introduces the study of comparative politics, with particular focus on democratization, economic development, globalization, states, nd civil society. Comparison of political institutions, parties, gender systems, and national and ethnic conflicts. Relevant case studies. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
L. Jimenez

2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits ; enrollment limited to 25

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111f Confessions, Novels, and Notebooks: The Self and Political Thought
(First-year seminar; writing-intensive course) What is the relationship between personal experience and political theory? How do political thinkers grasp and articulate the connections between self and political order? Our first-year seminar will probe the links between heart and mind in political philosophy by exploring the lives and writings of three illustrative figures who together span the history of olitical thought. This coming year those figures will be Saint Augustine, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Simone de Beauvoir.Social Sciences III-A: requirements.
J. Cocks

2 meetings; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 20

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112f Speaking and Arguing: The Rhetoric of Peace and War
(Speaking intensive course) The art and mechanics of persuading a polity to support either war or peace through oral argument. How speeches frame issues, mobilize public opinion, and persuade individuals to support or resist decisions to go to war. Students will be expected to deliver speeches, lead discussions, and critique their own and others' presentations. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
V. Ferraro

Prereq. fy; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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116fs World Politics
This course is a survey of contending approaches to the study of conflict and cooperation in world politics. Examines key concepts--including balance of power, imperialism, collective security, deterrence, and interdependence--with historical examples ranging from the Peloponnesian War to the post-Cold War world. Analyzes the emerging world order. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc. Social Sciences III-A requirement.
V. Ferraro S. Hashmi K. Khory

2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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207f Women and the Law
This course is an assessment, in terms of political power, of how the legal order impinges on women in American society, with an examination of the legal rights of women in a number of areas of substantive law: equal opportunity in education, employment, and credit; selected aspects of the law governing marital status, the family, and property. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
W. Stewart

1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits

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208s Chinese Politics
This course examines the politics of contemporary China. Beginning with an assessment of the origins of the Chinese Revolution, the course then examines core institutions and events in the People’s Republic, including the Great Leap Forward. Cultural Revolution, post-Mao reforms, and the Tiananmen Incident. In addition, the course analyzes the changing nature of state-society relations, the emergence of new social and political identities, and China’s role in the international arena. Meets Social Sciences III-A requirement.
C. Chen

Prereq. Politics 106 or permission of instructor;
2 meetings (75 minutes), 4 credits; enrollment limited to 24

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*210s Minorities and the Law
Focuses on the interrelationship of law and the distribution of political power as they impinge on members of disadvantaged ethnic and racial minorities. Examines the legal status of Native Americans, African Americans, Chinese, Japanese, and Latino/Hispanic groups in historical perspective together with the impact of ethnic and racial stratification on the contemporary exercise of police and the operation of jails as social institutions. Assesses the contemporary status of minority groups under the U.S. Constitution in the areas of "equal protection" and "due process," and legislation purporting to eliminate racial discrimination in housing, banking, and employment. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
W. Stewart

Prereq. soph, jr, sr, or fy with permission of instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits


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211s Ancient Medieval Political Thought
(Writing-intensive course) Through the writings of thinkers such as Sophocles, Plato, Aristole, Thucydides, and Plutarch we will explore the broad themes of ancient political thought. Recurring issues include the obligation to obey and disobey, tyrannicide, the role that different kinds of knowledge or reason ought to play in politics, distributive justice, who ought to rule and who ought not to rule, alternative classifications of political societies, and the uses of arguments by analogy in politics.
J Wolf

Prereq. soph, jr, sr, or fy with permission of instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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212s Modern Political Thought
(Writing intensive course)
The political writings of Hobbes, Locke, Mill, Rousseau, Burke, Hegel, and Marx in the context of a sustained critique of liberal individualism (natural rights and utilitarianism) and an examination of radical egalitarian, conservative, and revolutionary alternatives. Recurring issues include law and liberty, the fragility of the good life, "human nature" arguments in politics, contrasting understandings or justifications of "private" property, and the claims by Hobbes, Rousseau, Hegel, and Marx, after having dismissed all predecessors as mistaken or superficial or both, to have refounded and then completed the enterprise of political theory. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
Joan Cocks

Prereq. soph, jr, sr, or fy with permission of instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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213f African Political Systems
Offers a comparative study of selected political systems, emphasizing political conflict in southern Africa. Examines African participation in regional and universal international organizations. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
W. Stewart

Prereq. soph, jr, sr, or fy with permission of instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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*221f Marx and Marxism
On theoretical and practical questions at the heart of the nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Marxist tradition. These questions include the master/slave relation, the movement of history, the inner logic of capital, alienation and mystification, and the making of the revolutionary subject. While focusing on Marx's own writings, we also inspect Marx's intellectual debt to Hegel, as well as Lenin's and Luxemburg's intellectual and political debt to Marx. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
J. Cocks

Prereq. soph, jr, sr, or fy with permission of instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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228fs East Asian Politics
This course examines the dramatic rise of East Asia in the post-World War II period in comparative perspective. The focus will be on understanding the process and consequences of rapid development in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. Assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the "East Asian model of development" and explores how different developmental experiences and policies affect state-society relations, social and political identities, and prospects for peace and cooperation throughout the region. Meets multicultural requirement; meets Social Sciences III-A requirement
C. Chen

Prereq. Politics 106 or Politics 116 recommended, or permission of instructor.4 credits; enrollment limited to 25; 2 meetings (75 minutes)


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233f Invitation to Feminist Theory
( womst 233 ) On the complex ties and tensions between sex, gender, and power. We explore the overlapping dualities of the feminine and the masculine, the private and the public, the home and the world. We examine different forms of power over the body; the ways gender and sexual identities reinforce or challenge the established order; and the historical forces behind upheavals in sexual relations. Finally, we probe the cultural determinants of "women's emancipation." This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
L. Markovits

Prereq. soph, jr, sr; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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235f Constitutional Law: The Federal System
This course presents the effect of U.S. constitutional law on the distribution of power. Topics include judicial review and congressional control of court jurisdiction; the rise of federal regulation of the economy; and the relative powers of the president, Congress, and the courts in national emergencies, foreign relations, and war. Case method. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
C. Pyle

Prereq. Politics 104; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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236s Civil Liberties
This course presents the federal Constitution and civil liberties. Topics include the authority of the courts to read new rights into the Constitution; equal protection of the laws (and affirmative action) for racial minorities, women, and others; and freedom of expression. Emphasis on the appropriateness of different methods of interpreting law. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
C. Pyle

Prereq. Politics 104; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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237s European Politics
(Writing enriched course) This course explores domestic, regional, and international political issues in contemporary Europe, including an introduction to political institutions, political participation, and public policy in several European states. Special attention to the European and democratic transformation in Central Europe. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Gill

Prereq. 4 credits in department, Politics 106 recommended; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

4 credits

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240f International Political Economy
Examines the interaction of politics and economics in the global economy. Topics include the development of the capitalist economy and its critics, the politics of trade and investment, and the phenomenon of global poverty.
V. Ferraro

Prereq. Politics 116 or permission of instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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243f Latin American Politics
This introductory course in the politics of Latin America combines lecture and discussion. The first part provides a historical overview of the major economic and social trends that shaped the region's political institutions and the distribution of power among societal groups. The second part examines democratization, major theories and policies of economic development, political ideology, the military, social movements and the rule of law. Finally, the course looks at the impact of institutions such as political parties, electoral rules, the executive and legislatures.
L. Jimenez

Prereq. soph, jr, sr; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits


*244f Urban Politics and Policies
This course examines the political character of contemporary American cities, giving particular attention to the relationship between urban politics and policy making. The course investigates the historical, structural, and ideological factors--economic development, race, ethnicity, gender, governmental forms, federal aid, pluralism--that constrain policy making and shape the sharing and contesting of urban space. Case studies demonstrate the interplay of political and economic factors in urban development. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Smith

Prereq. soph, jr, sr; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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*245s Policy Making in America: Congress and the Bureaucracy
( comorg 245 ) This course examines power, politics, and policy making in both Congress and the federal bureaucracy. The section on Congress focuses on such questions as the following: How is policy made in Congress? Are there political biases in congressional procedures? Which political groups exert the most influence? How? In the section on bureaucracy, we consider such questions as the following: Why is there so much bureaucracy in the modern state? How do administrators make decisions? What are the sources of bureaucratic power? What is an "iron triangle?" Can bureaucracies be made more responsive and democratic? This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
D. Amy

Prereq. soph, jr, sr; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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246s American Political Thought
This course explores limited government, popular sovereignty, representative institutions, checks and balances, republicanism, liberty, equality, democracy, pluralism, liberalism, and conservatism, and how these concepts have developed during three centuries of American politics and in contrast to European thought. The focus is not on the writings of the "great thinkers" but on the "habits of thought" of the American people and on ideas implicit in laws and institutions that affect the allocation of authority and power within the constitutional order. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
C. Pyle

Prereq. Politics 104, or History 170, 171, or 270, or permission of instructor; 1 meeting (3 hours); 4 credits

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247f International Law
This course presents international norms and institutions for regulating conflict including civil strife, promoting economic well-being, protecting human rights, exploring and using outer space, and controlling exploitation and pollution of the oceans. International agreements, problems of lawmaking, interpretation, and compliance; nationality and the status of foreigners and their investments; the principle of self-determination. Interests of postcolonial states as they impinge on the international legal order. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
W. Stewart

Prereq. soph, jr, sr; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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250f Politics of Black Urban Reform
Examines how African Americans have shaped, and been shaped by, the modern American metropolis. Explores the impact of migration, residential segregation, changing economic conditions, and political incorporation on black urban life chances. Investigates the efforts of African Americans to deal with cities through organizations, movements, and traditions of black reform. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Smith Ii

Prereq. soph, jr, sr; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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*252s Topics in Urban Studies
This course draws on both historical and contemporary sources to address critical issues and problems facing cities. Topics are organized around the following questions: How have cities come to take their shape and character over time? How are economic and social inequalities mapped onto the urban landscape? How are differences of race, class, and gender negotiated through urban institutions and community struggles? Assignments for the course will utilize empirical data to explore conflict and change in a local city through different historical periods. This course will be taught simultaneously at two campuses. Students will be taught alternately by faculty from both institutions. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Smith

Prereq. soph, jr, sr, introductory course in American history or social sciences or permission of instructor; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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256s The International Protection of the Environment
The politics of the transnational regulation of the environment--domestic linkages of international efforts by states and international governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The relationship between environmental protection and sustainable development and its rationale--the impact of an increasingly globalized economy upon the environment. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
Mr. W. Stewart

Prereq. Politics 116; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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*266f Environmental Politics in America
This course offers a critical investigation of the questions of power, politics, and principles surrounding environmental issues in the United States. Topics include a history of U.S. environmental policy and an analysis of the workings of our major environmental policy-making institutions: Congress, the executive branch, the courts, and private corporations. A variety of approaches to environmental activism are also examined, including mainstream environmentalism, grassroots activism, deep ecology, and ecofeminism. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
D. Amy

Prereq. soph, jr, sr; 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits


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295fs Independent Study

This course does not satisfy a distribution requirement.
The department
Prereq. soph, jr, sr, permission of department; 1 to 4 credits

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313 The Politics of Poverty
This course is an analysis of economic inequality in America and an exploration of the power relationships, interests, and ideological conflicts surrounding this problem. Topics include the distribution of income and wealth in the United States; the relationship of poverty to race, sex, and class divisions; conservative, liberal, and radical perspectives on poverty and poverty policy. This course satisfies equirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
D. Amy

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department including 101 or 104, and permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits

 

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332 Seminar on Electoral Systems
This course examines the American electoral system, analyzes its strengths and weaknesses, and considers whether alternative systems used in other democracies are superior. Can American elections be made fairer, more representative, and more democratic? Can voting become a more meaningful and effective political act? Among the topics: theories of representaAion, campaign finance, term limits, winner-take-all vs. proportional voting systems, gerrymandering, and representation of women and racial minorities. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
D. Amy

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department including 104, and permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits

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333 Cultural Politics
This course looks at key intersections of culture and power. Drawing on novelists, essayists, and theorists, we probe the cultural aspects of nationalist revolts, the situation of diaspora populations, the making of postcolonial subjects, the class significance of aesthetic style and taste, the paradoxes of particularism and universalism, and the repressive and creative tensions between dominant and marginal groups. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
J. Cocks

Prereq. jr, sr, permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits
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334f Legal Spaces
Everyday local places, such as the mall, war memorial, pub, cinema, park, coffeehouse, sidewalk, dormitory, or courtroom, are actually critical sites of power. Semiotics, or the study of signs and symbols, is a visual approach to political meaning. The semiotic study of ordinary spaces enables us to better understand the implications of constructed places, boundaries and terrains in our relations to and with one another. As sites of contestation, these spaces produce and reproduce rights, legality, and community. We will examine these places according to the ideas of justice and diversity from perspectives involving and reflecting race, gender, class, and ability.
S. Marusek

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department

*336f Rights of Privacy
This is a seminar on current issues in civil liberties, including privacy versus freedom of the press; warrantless searches and seizures; the use of informants and electronic surveillance; the privilege against self-incrimination; computer databanks and fair information practices; and rights associated with contraception, abortion, homosexuality, and euthanasia. Case method. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
C. Pyle

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department including 235 or 236, or permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits


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*343 The Intellectual and Politics
(Writing enriched course) Topic for 2000: Writing course. The life and work of Hannah Arendt, including an intensive reading of her major work, The Human Condition. With the assistance of a range of contemporary critics, especially feminist writers, we will discuss her critique of modernity, her theory of action, and her complex understanding of the political. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Gill

Prereq. 8 credits in department; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits

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344f Social Movements
This course explores the dynamics of social movement genesis, activism, and decline. We begin by surveying theoretical perspectives and discussing the history of social movement activism. We will then conduct case studies from different parts of the world and covering different time periods; our subjects will include 21st century anti-globalizationists, 20th century American civil rights activists, 19th century working class movements, and 18th century political pornographers from France.
N. Toloudis

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department




345 Memories of Overdevelopment
On unsettling features of modern and late modern society. These include the preeminence of the city over the country, the pursuit of infinite economic growth, the restless transformation of the landscape, the anonymity of power, the unmooring of the individual, the triumph of a culture of commodity fetishism, and the erosion of public space. We assess critical theories of the modern age as well as practical efforts to change its course. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
J. Cocks

Prereq. jr, sr, permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); Next offered 2000-2001; 4 credits

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*346 Seminar in Public Policy
The purpose of this course is to develop the ability to analyze, choose, and promote public policies--the practical political skills that are essential to effective citizenship. Students choose a policy problem; analyze it; consider the moral, economic, and political implications of various policy approaches; and determine the best solution. A large amount of class participation--both oral and written--is expected of all students. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
D. Amy

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department and permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits


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347 Race and Urban Political Economy

Examines the relationship between a changing economic structure, urban administrations, and communal resistance in minority urban politics. Topics include the place of cities in global economic restructuring, the representation and power of blacks, Asians, and Latinos/Hispanics in governing coalitions, and the response of minority and community organizations to both structural possibilities and constraints of the new urban political economy. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Smith

Prereq. Politics 244, 250, or permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits

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348s Colloquium in Politics: Community Development
(Speaking enriched course) ( afram 348 ) The course engages students in the theories, debates, and strategies regarding the revitalization of inner-city communities. Examines what roles business, government, and nonprofit, community-based organizations (the "third sector") play in developing "blighted" neighborhoods. Topics include economic development, affordable housing, equal and accessible social services, and political empowerment. Features speakers from related fieldsof community development. Students conduct research projects generated by community-based organizations in Holyoke and Springfield. Focuses on helping students integrate knowledge derived from class discussions, speakers, and their research experience. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Smith Ii

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in politics including 4 credits in Politics 244, 250, or 347, and permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); This is a community-based learning course.; 4 credits

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349s International Organization
This course is the study of the United Nations system and regional organizations, including the European Communities, the Organization of African Unity, and the Organization of American States, with a view to ascertaining their contribution to the international political order and the impact on these organizations of international interdependencies in such fields as ecology, economics, and technology. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
W. Stewart

Prereq. jr, sr, 116 or 247; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits

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353f Politics of Work
This seminar explores the highly contentious relationship between work and politics. The focus will be on workplace dynamics and how technological change, ender, methods of labor organization, and management philosophy affect the way in which authority is structured and perpetuated. The experiences of such regions as the United States, Japan, and China will also be used to shed light on the future of labor and work in an age of increasing globalization.
Meets Social Sciences III-A requirement
C. Chen

Prereq. jr, sr,: 8 credits in department or permission of instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes)

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366f International Migration
(Speaking- and writing-intensive course) This course examines migration and transnational processes from a comparative perspective. It focuses on the relationship between globalization and international migration, with special attention to transnational networks and diaspora politics. We will explore major theories, forms, and patterns of migration in global politics; the involvement of diaspora organizations in the politics of host and home states; and the implications of migration and refugee flows for state sovereignty, national identity, and citizenship. We will conclude by analyzing the key debates and framing of immigration policies and models of citizenship in Europe and the United States.
K. Khory

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department

*367s Decision Making
( comorg 367 ) On decision making, and the pathologies of decision making, in American politics. When, and to what extent, can we say that a particular policy decision is the result of rational choice, institutional processes, pluralistic pressures, or other forces? When are individual or collective decisions likely to be marred by "groupthink," selective attention, or self-deception? To what extent, if at all, may collective decisions be considered rational or moral? When are challenges to authority, or to dominant opinion, likely to make a difference? This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
C. Pyle

Prereq. Politics 104, 245, 246, or permission of instructor, 2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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379f Topics in European Politics
Fall 2000: Europe and the European Union
(Writing intensive course) Europeans of both west and east are intensifying their efforts to broaden and deepen European integration at the same time that there has been a startling revival of ethnic conflict and nationalist agendas. Voters in Scotland and Wales elect their own parliaments while civil wars rage in the Balkans; Central Europeans struggle to solidify democratic nation-states in a global environment where some claim the nation-state may soon be obsolete. How are these centrifugal and centripetal forces interrelated? A research seminar. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
P. Gill

Prereq. Pereq. 8 credits in Politics, including 106, 237, or permission of instructor; ; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits ; enrollment limited to 15

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380fs The Politics of Ethnic Conflict
This seminar explores the dimensions of ethnic conflict in severely divided societies. We examine the nature of ethnic identity, the sources of group conflict, and the forms and patterns of group conflict. Case studies are selected for their contemporary importance and the different lessons that can be learned from them. A variety of approaches to address ethnic conflict are assessed. Students have the opportunity to concentrate independently on problems or cases in which they may have a special interest. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
K. Khory

Prereq. jr, sr, and 8 credits in department or permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 ours, 50 minutes); 4 credits


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*381s South Asian Politics
A comparative study of the governments and politics of the region. Consideration of he history, social structure, and cultural heritage of the region establishes the context for understanding the political framework of the seven South Asian states. Each faces critical problems of nation and state building, political participation, economic development, and resource distribution. Although the emphasis is on political and economic development within these states, we also examine regional relations and the involvement of outside powers in regional affairs. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
K. Khory
2 meetings (75 minutes); 4 credits

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385s International Security
This course focuses on the recasting of global security concerns after the end of the cold war. It pays special attention to the problems of economic and cological security; the relationship between security and democracy; ethnic, nationalist, and regional conflicts; weapons proliferation; and the role of nuclear weapons in the post-Cold War world. The course concludes with an examination of pecific initiatives for achieving both common and comprehensive security. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
K. Khory

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in department including 116; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits

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*388s Post-Communist Transition
This seminar examines and analyzes the dramatic transformation of former Leninist regimes-specifically, Russia, Eastern Europe, and China-in historical and comparative perspective. Focuses on understanding why Leninism imploded, and the challenges confronting nations making a "transition from socialism." Assesses the impact and consequences of the Leninist legacy on economic and political institutions, and state-society relations, and the definition of national identity and community. Meets Social Sciences III-A requirement.
C. Chen

Prereq. jr, sr; 8 credits in department, 106 recommended, or permission of instructor; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes)

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*391 Contemporary Political Ideas
(Speaking enriched course) This course explores such contested political concepts as liberalism, democracy, power, freedom, identity, alienation, civil society, and the public sphere--as those concepts have been interpreted by diverse currents of twentieth-century thought. Each year the course is taught, we will highlight a different conceptual theme. The theme for this year is "nationalism and cosmopolitanism." This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro, econ, geog, etc.
J. Cocks

Prereq: jr, sr, 8 credits in department or permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes); 4 credits
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*392f Portraits of Political Thinkers
This course explores the life, affiliations, and ideas of a single political thinker who has made a special contribution to the self-understanding of our age. We will focus on writings by that thinker but also will read biographies, secondary commentaries, and selected essays by authors to whom our thinker is indebted. The thinker to be studied this semester is the liberal pluralist, Isaiah Berlin, who writes on freedom, irrationalism, national belonging, assimilation, the search for recognition, and the problematic relation of the Jews to European society. This course satisfies requirements in Social Sciences III-A: Anthro,
J. Cocks

Prereq: jr, sr, 8 credits in department or permission of instructor; 1 meeting (2 hrs, 50 minutes); 4 credits

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395fs Independent Study
This course does not satisfy a distribution requirement.
The department

Prereq. jr, sr, permission of department; 1-4 credits; 1 to 8 credits

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398s Rwanda Genocide in Comparative Perspective
The 1994 genocide in Rwanda caused untold human suffering, left more than half a million dead, and reverberated throughout the Central African region. This course explores parallels and contrasts between Rwanda and other cases of genocide and mass murder in the twentieth century. Topics include the nature, causes, and consequences of genocide in Rwanda, regional dynamics, the failure of the international community to intervene, and efforts to promote justice in the aftermath of conflict. Consideration of theories of genocide, and comparisons with other cases such as the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the destruction of the Herero, and war in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Meets Social Sciences III-A requirement
C. Newbury

Prereq. jr, sr, 8 credits in the department; 4 credits; enrollment limited to 18; 1 meeting (2 hours, 50 minutes)

Department of Politics at Mount Holyoke
118 Shattuck Hall, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075
413-538-2132

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Copyright © 2008 Mount Holyoke College. This page created and maintained by Patricia Ware. Last modified on May 30, 2008.