WMST302 - Critical Perspectives on the State

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Academic Year 2005/2006

Critical Perspectives on the State
WMST 302 FA

Crosslistings:
ANTH 302

Clusters:

Southern Asia and Indian Ocean

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 microlevel state practices, disaggregating the state) but will also interrogate the state-civil society binary. Throughout, we will pay particular attention to the gendered nature of the state.

MAJOR READINGS

Marx, Antonio Gramsci, Corrigan and Sayer, Joseph and Nugent, Catharine MacKinnon, Wendy Brown, Linda Gordon, Kathy Ferguson, Ritu Menon, Urvashi Butalia, Jacqui Alexander, Akhil Gupta, Tim Mitchell, Jim Ferguson, Ashis Nandy, Fernando Coronil, Jim Scott, Mitchell Dean and others.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Several short papers.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Class participation.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

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

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Sharma,Aradhana

Times: ..T.R.. 01:10PM-02:30PM; Location: ANTH6;

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 15)

SR. major: 5 Jr. major: 3

SR. non-major: 4 Jr. non-major: 3 SO: X FR: X

Special Attributes:

Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006