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Academic Year 2003/2004

Critical Perspectives on the State
WMST 302 SP

In the course we will examine the state from a variety of social science perspectives. These will include feminist, Marxist, and "culture-based" conceptualizations and critiques of the state. Our purpose will be to look at the state, including its structure, practices, and policies, from these various perspectives to see what they reveal about the nature of the state and the consequences of actions undertaken through the state. We will analyze, for example, how the state is implicated in and engenders social inequalities and cultural transformation. Specific examples of "states/state practices" will be drawn from the Caribbean, Europe, the United States, and South Asia, among others. Students will not only examine the state as a "culturally-embedded" institution (through specific examples of micro-level state practices, disaggregating the state) but also interrogate the state-civil society binary. Throughout we will pay particular attention to the "gendered" nature of the state.

MAJOR READINGS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS WMST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2004

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