Sociology 243k, Social Change: Global Perspectives

Winter 2009                                                                                          Friday 2:10- 5pm

College Building South- Map Room                                                    C. Chase-Dunn

v. 1-4-09

This graduate seminar focuses on theories and research on human socio-cultural  evolution with attention to the world historical development of normative, political and economic institutions. The world historical evolution of socio-cultural systems includes comparative and historical sociology, global political economy, and studies of contemporary global social change in comparative and long-term perspective.

Requirements: Grades will be based on attendance, participation in discussion, a short-answer essay take-home midterm, and a five-page essay.

Books available in the Campus Store are:

Christopher Chase-Dunn and Salvatore Babones (eds.) Global Social Change. (Johns Hopkins University Press 2006)

William I. Robinson, Latin America and Global Capitalism. (Johns Hopkins         University Press, 2008).

Dimitris Stevis and Terry Boswell, Globalization and Labor: Democratizing          Global Governance (Rowman and Littlefield 2008).

Jonathan Turner and Aleksandra Maryanski, On the Origins of Human         Societies: By Means of Natural Selection (Paradigm Publishers).      (Campus Store says not available until February, Paradigm   web site says March for the paperback edition)

Reading Schedule:

Asterisked (*) readings are required. Others are recommended. Required readings should be read prior to the class meeting under which they are listed.

January 9 : Overview of the course. If you are unfamiliar with the world-systems perpective read Thomas R. Shannon’s An Introduction to the World-System Perspective and Chapter 3 in Global Social Change.

January 13 (Tuesday, 12:30 CHASS Interdisciplinary Symposium Room 1113) : Symposium on “Financial Crises and Globalization,” Mike Davis, Gary Dymski and William I. Robinson

January 16: *Chase-Dunn and Babones, Global Social Change, Intro-Chapter 9

            C. Chase-Dunn and T. D. Hall, Rise and Demise

January 23: * Chase-Dunn and Babones, Global Social Change, Chapters 9-16.

            I. Wallerstein, The Modern World-System, Vols 1-3

            Giovanni Arrighi, The Long Twentieth Century

            C. Chase-Dunn, Global Formation

January 30:  * William I. Robinson, Latin America and Global Capitalism,

Chapters 1-2

William I., Robinson, A Theory of Global Capitalism

Leslie Sklair, The Transnational Capitalist Class

February 6: questions for Take-home Midterm will be handed out in class

* William I Robinson, Latin America and Global Capitalism, Chapters 3-4.

Andre Gunder Frank, Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America

February 13 Take-home Midterm is Due

*William I Robinson, Latin America and Global Capitalism, Chapters 5-6.

C.Chase-Dunn, Nelson Amaro and Susanne Jonas (eds.) Globalization on the Ground:

            Postbellum Guatemalan Democracy and Development.

February 20 * Dmitris Stevis and Terry Boswell, Globalization and Labor, Intro–       Chapter 3

J. Harrod and R. O’Brien (eds.), Global Unions?

February 27 * Dmitris Stevis and Terry Boswell, Globalization and Labor, Chapter 4-Conclusion

Christopher Chase-Dunn and Bruce Lerro “Democratizing Global Governance: Strategy 
               and Tactics in Evolutionary Perspective”

March 6: *Jonathan Turner and Aleksandra Maryanski, On the Origins of Human Societies  First Third

March 13 *Jonathan Turner and Aleksandra Maryanski, On the Origins of Human Societies  Second Third

March 20 5-page Essay is Due.

          *Jonathan Turner and Aleksandra Maryanski, On the Origins of Human Societies  Last Third