Yonsei International Summer School POL 2106: Introduction to Comparative Politics

Transcription

1 Yonsei International Summer School 2015 POL 2106: Introduction to Comparative Politics Sankaran Krishna MTWR: tba Room: tba This is an almost-final version of the syllabus we ll be using. There are some minor details (such as dates of tests and one or two of the readings) that will be changed as we approach summer. To get the latest and final version of the syllabus check back in early summer in the meanwhile, this will give you a good sense of the course and its requirements etc. Feel free to me if you have any questions in the meanwhile. Course Description and Goals: This is an introductory course to the sub-field of Comparative Politics within the discipline of Political Science. Comparative Politics is often broadly and simply defined as the study of the political systems, traditions, institutions, society and economy of countries other than one's own. The underlying idea is that one learns more about one's own society and politics through an implicit contrast with other, different societies. Conventional introductions to Comparative Politics often began by focusing on some of the earliest democratic polities (Great Britain or France or the United States), then turned to examples of authoritarian societies (either erstwhile Communist countries such as the Soviet Union or China or military dictatorships such as at one time- Argentina or Brazil) before examining one or more of a number of 'developing' or 'third world' countries (typically India or Nigeria or Indonesia.) Such introductions to Comparative Politics predominated during the height of the Cold War period ( ) and mirrored the three-fold division of the global system into a democratic First World (essentially the United States and Canada, West Europe, Japan and Australia- New Zealand); a Communist Second World (the USSR and East Europe, China, Cuba, Vietnam and North Korea); and a catch-all Third World (the developing nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America). In more recent times, introductions to Comparative Politics have departed from these conventions, in large part because the world is no longer so easily divisible along such tripartite lines. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the Communist bloc along with the transformation of China by a Communist party dictatorship into a mixed economy with both state- and private enterprise has imploded the Second World. In the 'Third World' a number of countries have transitioned to democracy from authoritarianism while certain parts (East Asia, for example) have witnessed sustained high economic growth rates and rising prosperity. In an era of globalization, parts of the First World have seen deindustrialization, rising inequalities, and high unemployment, alongside a changing population and culture due to immigration. Introductions to Comparative Politics now have to reflect this altered planet and move beyond facile comparisons between static and relatively homogenous 'worlds.' This course is accordingly structured along thematic and theoretical lines rather than on comparisons of countries that ostensibly represent 'first', 'second' and 'third' worlds. After an initial week during which we analyze some theoretical and conceptual literature on what it means to compare, and methods of comparative analysis, in the following weeks we look at two themes that dominate today's world: economic development and international terrorism. In the initial two-thirds of the course, we focus on the question: Why are some countries rich and have high standards of living while many others are poor and with an abysmal quality of life? We look at some of the prevailing answers to this question in terms of different theories and approaches to development. In the last one-third of the course we turn to the issue of international terrorism and pose the question: Why does it seem that certain regions and certain religions are more prone to engage in terrorism than others? Once again, our focus is on

2 competing explanations for the phenomenon of terrorism rather than dropping anchor in any one of the explanatory frameworks as the true or correct explanation. At the end of this course, you should acquire familiarity and knowledge about (a) theories of comparison; (b) the vast inequality in life standards and affluence in different parts of our world; (c) the debates over the historical and contemporary reasons for such inequalities; (d) theories regarding the centrality of markets and state policies in the economic growth of select societies; and (e) various explanations for the rise of terrorism and the role that stereotyping of specific regions and religions play in the discourses on terrorism in today's world. Course Prerequisites: As this is an introductory course, there are no college-level prerequisites. The course is ideally suited for freshmen and sophomores, though juniors and others are most welcome to participate as well. An interest in contemporary affairs, curiosity about foreign societies, and a desire to engage in debates over inequality, terrorism and states-versus-markets in explaining economic growth, are perhaps the main and most important prerequisite for doing well in this course. Course Requirements: Since our course is thematically structured, the readings will vary from week to week. There is no single text or book that covers the whole course though, if you can, I would recommend purchasing Professor Timothy Lim's text on comparative politics (see below for details on this book) before your arrival in Yonsei. You are expected to do the readings prior to our class meetings and come prepared to participate in class discussions and ask questions and raise pertinent issues. The entire reading package for this course is available for purchase at the Copy Center on the Ground Floor of Widang Hall/ College of Liberal Arts building. It is arranged on a week-by-week basis: please consult this syllabus to make sure you know what the assigned reading for the next class is and be prepared for the same. You will have Three Quarterly Examinations together worth 90% of your final grade, and the remaining 10% of your grade will be based on regular attendance and class participation. These three quarterly exams will be held in-class on July 9 th, July 23rd, and August 6 th. The exams are non-cumulative in that each of them will be based on the reading done just prior to the exam date. As per Yonsei rules, attendance is mandatory, roll will be taken every class, and anything beyond 3 unexplained absences will result in your being downgraded. Grading Policy: I define an A as representing excellent work, combining mastery over the materials with originality and clarity in your exams, and engaged, constructive class-participation; B as good and competent, but not exceptional, work both on the exams and in the classroom; C as average work, showing a reasonable amount of effort and understanding; D as poor and barely adequate; and F as unacceptably shoddy and inadequate work. About the top third of the class can expect to get A s in most instances, while the next third will, in all probability, get B s. The bottom third of the class will mostly get C's and a sprinkling of D's and F's. A six-week course with full college credit is, by necessity, densely packed and highly demanding. I urge you to stay abreast of the readings and participate fully from the beginning. There simply is not enough time in such a short course to fall behind and then hope to catch up or recover lost ground through a frantic last-minute burst of work. Instructor Profile: See for more information.

3 Weekly Schedule Week One: What is comparative politics and how do we do it? June 30 (Tue): Introduction to the discipline of Political Science and the sub-field of Comparative Politics. The changing character of the sub-field in recent decades. Course readings, expectations, grading and other matters. Self-introduction by various participants. July 1 (Wed): What is comparative politics? What do we gain by comparison? Isn t comparison unavoidable and an integral part of all learning? How does one compare systematically and logically? We begin by reading the Introduction to a recent well-designed textbook on the subject. Read: Timothy Lim, Introduction: the Basics, from his Doing Comparative Politics: an introduction to approaches and issues. July 2 (Thu): Continuing with our introduction to the sub-field. Read: Lim, Chapter Two: Learning to Compare, Comparing to Learn. Week Two: How did some countries become rich and others so poor in the contemporary world? July 6 (Mon): In the course of this week and the next, we look at commonly offered explanations for why some countries are rich today and others are poor. This is a well-known instance of trying to learn by comparison. When we compare rich countries with poor ones, we look for similarities and differences between and within these two sets of countries to arrive at explanations for wealth and poverty. A popular variant of historical explanations for growth and poverty is modernization theory. In earlier times, Walt Rostow s work on the stages of economic growth was considered a classic in this genre while in contemporary times, Thomas Friedman has emerged as a major exponent of the view that liberal democracy and free market capitalism are indispensable for successful economic development and their absence fatal for growth. Read: excerpts from Walt Rostow, The Stages of Economic Growth (1960) and excerpts from Thomas Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Jul 7, 8, and 9 (Tues, Wed, Thurs): Are there other stories besides modernization theory that can account for the fact that some countries are rich and others are poor? What do these stories look like? What do people from poorer countries attribute their poverty to? A comprehensive look at such explanations indicates the strengths and limitations of modernization theory. Read: Sankaran Krishna, introduction and chapters 1-2 of his Globalization and Postcolonialism. Weeks Three and Four: What was the roles of the state and of culture in economic development historically and now?

4 July 13 (Mon): First Quarterly Test (in class). July 14 (Tue): How did the East Asian countries (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and more recently China) succeed in economic development during the post World War II period? Were they instances of market forces prevailing over state intervention or did state policy have much to do with development? Read: Timothy Lim, chapter 5, Why is East Asia rich? from his Doing Comparative Politics. Jul 15 (Wed) and 16 (Thu): A comparative approach to understanding the role of the state in industrialization of the developing world: we look at a recent exemplar of the comparative method, and focus on the South Korean case to understand the process. Read: excerpts from Atul Kohli, State Directed Development: political power and industrialization in the global periphery (Cambridge, 2004). July 20 (Mon): Watch documentary on Asia Rising and Ha Joon Chang s talk 23 Things They Don t Tell You About Capitalism. July 21 (Tuesday): Finish up discussion on Atul Kohli, State Directed Development. July 22 (Wed): Read: Lazy Japanese and Thieving Germans: are some cultures incapable of economic development? from Ha Joon Chang s Bad Samaritans (2010). July 23 (Thu): Second Quarterly Test (in class). Week Five and Six: Does terrorism emerge from religious fundamentalism or is it a political response to colonialism? July 27 (Mon): The intellectual and philosophical genealogy of western attitudes towards people from elsewhere. Can the west understand the rest objectively and impartially? Can the converse happen? Is knowledge that is unaffected by political and economic circumstances of a time possible or desirable? Does the west s understanding of Islam and Islamic societies reflect the influence of western colonialism and imperialism in such societies since the early 19 th century? We read a highly influential and provocative argument in this regard. Read: excerpts from Edward Said, Orientalism (1978). And excerpts from Sankaran Krishna, Edward Said, Orientalism and Postcolonial Studies from his Globalization and Postcolonialism (2009). Jul 28 (Tue): Watch Video Documentary on Edward Said and Orientalism. We then begin by looking at an instance of what I call everyday Orientalism to situate our discussion of terrorism. Read: Thomas Friedman, 15 Mideast Rules to Live By from the New York Times (December 2005). July 29 (Wed) and 30 (Thu): Sankaran Krishna, Chapter 5, Postcolonial Encounters from his Globalization and Postcolonialism.

5 Week 6 An argument that suggests that Islamic terrorism is a misnomer and better seen as a political response to American/western foreign policy in the Middle East. Aug 3 (Mon): Read: excerpts from Rashid Khalidi, Resurrecting Empire: western footprints and America s perilous path in the Middle East (2005) and watch documentary Reel Life Arabs. Aug 4 (Tue): continue discussion of Khalidi, Resurrecting Empire: western footprints and America s perilous path in the Middle East (2005) and read Krishna, Conclusion: towards a post-columbian imagination from his Globalization and Postcolonialism. Aug 5 (Wed): summarizing the course and overview for last quarterly exam. Aug 6 (Thu): Third and final quarterly exam.