Available tutorial times (in Rm 23, SocSci bldg, 2nd floor):
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Monday 4-5pm, Tuesday 9-10am, Wednesday 4-5pm, Thursday 9-10am & 10-11am.
(Tutorials commence the week of Sept. 14.)
Assignment, first two weeks:
- To ensure that you will be on the class mailing list to receive timely communications
throughout the semester, send an email that includes your name and student ID number
to gt32p@yahoo.com . (Also indicate your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices for tutorial times.) - Read chapters 1 through 9 of Upton Sinclair's famous novel, THE JUNGLE (which documents,
through the eyes of an immigrant family, some of the social problems that rapid industrialization
and unbridled capitalistic expansion created for common workers and consumers in early 20th century
America.) Sinclair's novel is available free on line at http://www.readprint.com/work-1383/Upton-Sinclair - Read selection by T.Bilton on "Max Weber" and "Karl Marx" (listed below, available from JBTE).
- Read selection by R.Chilcote on "The Conceptual Framework" (listed below, available from JBTE).
- Read selection by Frey & Powell on "Protestant Work Ethic..." (listed below, read first few pages only).
- Watch the Milton Friedman video "Free to Choose" (listed below).
Key to resource types:
[PC] Photocopy - available through Joint Board of Teacher Education, Materials Production Unit.
[PDF] Downloadable PDF file. (Right click, then 'save target as')
[DOC] Downloadable MSWORD(.doc) file. (Right click, then 'save target as')
[RTF] Downloadable 'rich text' file (a universal format readable by many different systems.)
[TXT] Downloadable text (.txt) file. (Right click, then 'save target as')
[PL] Page link. (Click for access to web page(s)
[VL] Video link. (Click for access to web video.)
To download a PDF, DOC, or TXT file to your desktop, right-click on its
icon,
then choose "Save Target As" or "Save As".
Unit I: Theories & concepts in the study of the politics of industrial societies
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PC] T. Bilton et al., sections on "Max Weber" and "Karl Marx", pp. 593-607 in Intro. to Sociology
(Reviews the perspectives of Weber and Marx on dilemmas of modern industrial societies, including
the Protestant 'work ethic' and the rise of capitalism, alienation, rationalization, economic exploitaion,
class conflict.) - [PC] R. Chilcote, "The Conceptual Framework", in Theories of Development and Underdevelopment
(Outlines some of the basic concepts of the 'conflict theory' approach - capitalism, socialism,
state and class, theories of development and underdevelopment.) - [PDF] R. Frey and L. Powell, "Protestant Work Ethic Endorsement and Social Justice Values in Developing and Developed Societies", unpublished paper submitted to Psychology in Developing Societies. (The introduction to this paper contains a useful description of Weber's theory of the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.)
- [VL] M. Friedman, "Free to Choose" (outlines central arguments in favor of laissez faire, free market principles in industrial democracies [as of 1980, in the United States]) (view below...)
Q1. According to some of the major theorists and philosophers of social life, have industrialization and the emergence of market-based corporations tended to strengthen, or to weaken, 'democracy'? In what ways?
Q2. Has the recent 'meltdown' in the global economy affected the way people view the relationship between 'democracy' and 'corporate capitalism'? If so, how?
Q3. Would you say the historical pattern of development in modern political systems has been one of linear upwards 'progress' towards modernity, or has it been more 'cyclical' in nature? Which of these two models/explanations do you feel best fits the evidence for these industrial societies over time?
Related Resources: (readings, on-line links & videos for Unit I, and Qs 1-3):
Unit II: Historical perspective: Politics and social policies in an age of industrial expansion
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PC] G. Rimlinger, "The Liberal Break and Its Legacies", in Welfare Policy and Industrialization in Europe,
America, and Russia. - [PC] J. K. Galbraith, "The New World of Adam Smith", in Economics in Perspective: A Critical History.
(an account of 'laissez faire' and 'libertarian democracy' ideas, as they developed in the age of industrial expansion) - [PL] J. Locke, "Second Treatise on Civil Government" (a classic statement of 'libertarian democracy' ideals)
- [PL] J. S. Mill, "On Liberty" (another classic statement of the ideals of libertarian democracy)
[ Read ch.3 "On Individuality" and ch.4 "The Limits of Society Over the Individual", which are available at
http://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/three.html and http://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/four.html , respectively.] - [PL] Chapters 1 through 16 of Upton Sinclair's famous novel, THE JUNGLE (which documents,
through the eyes of an immigrant family, some of the social problems that rapid industrialization
and unbridled capitalistic expansion created for common workers and consumers in early 20th century
America.) Sinclair's novel is available free on line at http://www.readprint.com/work-1383/Upton-Sinclair
Q4. How did the historical transition within European and American societies from agriculturally-based 'pre-industrial' to market-oriented 'industrial' economies affect working conditions, the distribution of wealth, attitudes toward the poor and disadvantaged, and approaches to democracy and governance?
Q5. Based on Sinclair's THE JUNGLE and other sources, describe the working/living conditions experienced by members of the non-privileged labouring classes during the age of rapid industrial expansion in the U.S. How did the existence of these social problems contribute to the need for development of 20th century 'welfare state' policies?
Related Resources: readings, on-line links & videos for Unit II, and Qs 4 & 5:
Unit III: Historical perspective: The collapse of laissez faire and the development of 20th century welfare states
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PL] "What Caused the Great Depression of the 1930s?" (Good introduction to some key economic
and political factors that led to the early 20th century economic collapse of industrial societies.)
http://www.shambhala.org/business/goldocean/causdep.html - [PC] J. Axinn & H. Levin, "The Depression and the New Deal: 1930-1940", in Social Welfare: A History of
the American Response to Need. - [PC] F. Piven & R. Cloward, "Economic Collapse, Mass Unemployment, and the Rise of Disorder", in
Regulating the Poor. - [PC] R. Turner and L. Killian, "Social Movements: Nature and Approaches", in Collective Behavior.
- [PC] F. Piven and R. Cloward, "The Industrial Workers Movement", in Poor People's Movements: How They Succeed, Why They Fail.
- [PDF] R. Kuttner, "Learning from 1929", The American Prospect.
- [PDF] R. Skidelsky, "Keynes Would Have Seen It Coming", Washington Post.
- [PDF] R. Posner , "How I Became a Keynesian", New Republic.
- [PDF] H. Przybyla, "FDR Economist Says Obama Should Put Stimulus First", Bloomberg.
- [PDF] K. O'Leary, "Does the U.S. Economy Need a Job-Creation Stimulus?", Time.
- [PDF] K. Cone, "America: Concentrate or Hang", Real Clear Politics.
- [PDF] D. Green, "Remind Me Again - Who Won the Cold War?", Common Dreams.
- [PDF] D. Robotham, "Economic Double Standards (Applies Keynesian economics theory to recent Jamaican history)", Jamaica Gleaner.
- [PL] D. Schlozman, "Parties and Movements in American Political Development: Patterns of Alliance from Free Soil to Gay Rights", unpublished paper, Harvard University, Center for American Political Studies. (Contains useful background info and references on a number of American social change movements.)
(link to Schlozman paper)
Q6. Describe how the 'Great Depression' (and 'New Deal' policy responses to the economic crisis) altered the philosophy of government and political economy within Western industrial societies. What social programs were a product of this era? How were they designed to improve life for working families?
Q7. Compare the 'meltdowns' of liberal-capitalist economies within industrial societies in the 1929 and 2008 eras, respectively. What common patterns, and differences, do you see between the 'crashes' that occurred in the two eras?
Q8. Discuss the major 'movements' that have occurred within industrial societies over the past two centuries, designed to protect/extend the social rights of employees, consumers, the unemployed, retirees, the poor. In what ways were these movements a necessary response to challenges posed by an industrial, market-based economy? (For essays, students may wish to focus on one movement, or type of movement.)
Related Resources: readings, on-line links & videos for Unit III, and Qs 6-8:
Unit IV: Political culture in modern industrial societies: comparing European and American models
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PC] Kurt Samuelsson, "The Philosophy of Swedish Welfare Policies", in S. Koblik,
Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence - [PC] E. Greenberg, "The Cultural Milieu: Liberalism", in The American Political System.
- [PDF] A. Orloff, "From Maternalism to Employment for All: State Policies to Promote Women’s Employment across the Affluent Democracies", in The State After Statism, edited by J. Levy.
- [PDF] T. Sanger, "Iceland's Economic Meltdown", AlterNet.
- [PDF] P. DuPont, "The Europeanization of America", Wall Street Journal.
Q9. What aspects of the U.S. political system (e.g. history, class structure, customs & beliefs, political institutions and processes) would you say best account for the persistent differences in its policies as compared with those of Sweden and other modern industrialized societies? What is 'exceptional' about the U.S. case?
Q10. How have health care policy developments in the U.S. differed from those of European and Australasian democracies?
Related Resources: readings, on-line links & videos for Unit IV, and Q9 & 10:
Unit V: Historical perspective: "Revolt of the haves" - backlash, retrenchment and privatization in the Reagan-Thatcher era
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PC] J. Tobin, "Reaganomics in Retrospect", in The Reagan Revolution,
by B. Kymlicka and J. Matthews. - [PDF] S. Zuckerman, "Crisis Inspires Rethinking of Reaganomics", San Francisco Chronicle.
- [PDF] A. Gusenbauer, "La Strada On Wall Street and the End of Neo-Liberalism", Daily Star.
- [PDF] F. Fukuyama, "The Fall of America, Inc.", Newsweek.
- [PDF] H. Meyerson, "Gods that Failed", Washington Post.
Q11. What social forces resulted in the 'revolt of the haves' during the Thatcher-Reagan era in European and American societies? Were neoliberal policies 'new' or 'old' historically? What criticisms of 'Reaganomics' and 'Thatcherism' were raised by their opponents?
Related Resources: readings, on-line links & videos for Unit V, and Q11:
Unit VI: Historical perspective: The "Great Recession" of 2008-10 - collapse of the global neoliberal consensus, and the search for more balanced public-private alternatives
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PDF] E. McClam, "5 weeks on the brink: Reliving the meltdown of '08", Associated Press.
- [PDF] K. Hall, "A year after financial crisis, a new world order emerges ", McClatchy.
- [PDF] D. Moberg, "The Meltdown Goes Global: It is time to rethink capitalism", In These Times.
- [PDF] P. Krugman, "Averting the Worst", New York Times.
- [PDF] M. Saatchi , "Freedom, not money, is the capitalist dream", Telegraph.
- [PDF] P. Stevens, "Crisis Marks a New Geopolitical Order", Financial Times.
- [PDF] P. Bernstein, "What's Free about Free Enterprise?", New York Times.
- [PDF] J. Stiglitz, "Guided by an Invisible Hand", New Statesman.
- [PDF] D. Robotham, "Economic Double Standards (Applies Keynesian economics theory to Jamaican policy)", Jamaica Gleaner.
- [PDF] J. Robbins, "Global Poll: Widespread Dissatisfaction with Global Capitalism" (27-nation poll of attitudes to capitalism and economic regulation)", BBC World Service.
- [PDF] BBC World Service, "BBC World Service Poll, Nov. 9" (Full Report with results of 27-nation poll of attitudes to capitalism)".
Q12.(Same as Q7) Compare the 'meltdowns' of liberal-capitalist economies within industrial societies in the 1929 and 2008 eras, respectively. What common patterns, and differences, do you see between the 'crashes' that occurred in the two eras?
Related Resources: readings, on-line links & videos for Unit VI, and Q12:
Units VII, VIII: Elections, public opinion, and mass media in modern industrial societies
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PL] L. A. Powell & L. Waller, "Politics As Unusual", Communication World.
(Contains a good summary of how communications developments in modern industrialized societies have
have transformed democratic elections and opinion polling, and how these trends are now affecting Jamaican politics.) [Versions of the article are available at here and here. - [PDF] S. Stark, "A Realigning Election?", Real Clear Politics.
- [PDF] A. Huffington, "The Power of the Internet and the Failure of Rovian Politics", Huffington Post.
- [PDF] Chalmers Johnson, "Voting the Fate of the Nation", The Nation. (Part I)
- [PDF] Chalmers Johnson, "Voting the Fate of the Nation", The Nation. (Part II)
- [PDF] J. Klein, "The Obama Surge: Will It Last?", Time.
- [PDF] Washington Post/ABC Poll, "Discontent Buffets the Nation: Bush Craters, Obama Benefits"
- [PDF] T. Gitlin, "Race for President Builds Characters", Los Angeles Times.
- [PDF] C. Madigan, "When the direction of Politics Shifts", Chicago Tribune.
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[PDF] J. Sniderman et al., Stanford University / Knowledge Networks poll highlighting
persistent racial sterotypes in U.S. society and elections
Q13. Discuss the dynamics of the recent 2009 election contest in Japan. What were some of the key differences between the candidates, and between the parties, with respect to basic philosophies and policies of modern industrial democracy?
Q14. Discuss the dynamics of the 2008 national election contest in the United States. What were some of the key dfferences between the candidates, and between the parties, with respect to basic philosophies and policies of modern industrial democracy?
Q15. Discuss the process of holding elections and reporting election news and opinion in modern American and European societies. Have new electoral and communications technologies strengthened or weakened the democratic process for ordinary citizens?
Q16. How have successive changes in the 'means of communication' affected the potential for democracy in modern industrialized societies? What have been some of the consequences of the historical transitions from oral, to typograhic, to radio, to television, to computers and the internet? How have these affected the relationship between citizens, governments and corporations?
Related Resources: readings, on-line links & videos for Units VII & VIII, and Qs 13-16:
Unit IX: Contemporary critiques of industrial society
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Related Essay / Tutorial Questions:
- [PL] L. Kaleveld, review of Susan Hawthorne's "Wild Politics", Australian Public Intellectual Network.
(link to Kaleveld review) - [PDF] T. Wolfwood, review of Susan Hawthorne's "Wild Politics", Le Nouveau Monde Vert
- [PDF] A. Faiola, "The End Of American Capitalism?", Washington Post.
- [PDF] A. Gusenbauer, "La Strada On Wall Street and the End of Neo-Liberalism", Daily Star.
- [PDF] T. Wolfwood, review of Joel Kovel's "The End of Nature", Le Nouveau Monde Vert
- [PDF] K. Mann, review of Noam Chomsky's "Hegemony or Survival", About.com-New York Times
- [PDF] P. Lackowski, review of Noam Chomsky's "Hegemony or Survival", Toward Freedom
- [PDF] Noam Chomsky, excerpt from chapter 1 of Hegemony or Survival
- [VL] Nandor Tanzcos speech - New Zealand. A Rastafarian member of the Parliament of New Zealand
resigns his elected post in the House in order to keep his moral purity. In the process he articlulates a
scathing "eco-social critique" of modern European-style industrial consumerist societies, and their obsession
with greed, profit and time. (Tip: The best part is near the end.) Click here to watch video. - [LEFT-click icon.] Twin Oaks Community - United States. ("100 people sharing our lives") An income-sharing community of approximately 100 people living on 450 acres of farm and forestland near Louisa, Virginia. Founded in 1967, their intentional lifestyle reflects values of "egalitarianism, ecology, and nonviolence." The community is entirely economically-independent and self-sufficient, with members working in community-based businesses producing hammocks and chairs, indexing books and making tofu. Other typical member activities include organic gardening, equipment and building maintenance, office work, and milking the community's cows. In return for a member's labor the community provides all basic needs including food, housing, clothing, medical care etc. Social life revolves around basic values of tolerance of diversity, sharing of resources, and sustainable living: "We share our vehicles, we build our own buildings, and we share houses of 10-20 people. Some of us work actively for peace and justice, ecology, and feminism." Information about visiting/joining T.O. is available on their website.
- [LEFT-click icon.] ZEGG - Germany. ("The future will not be shaped by political parties and governments, but by people.") Now 18 years old and housing 80 members, ZEGG community, located in Belzig, Germany, is devoted to "exploring the foundations for a nonviolent way of living." ZEGG's alternative-lifestyle philosophy..."Our Planet’s current situation has been determined by the interests of corporate globalisation. This type of globalisation won't solve humanity's problems. Instead, it will intensify them: a profusion of gruesome wars, increasing depletion of the planet's resources and destruction of the environment caused by our consumption, the continued absence of concepts for sustainable economics and employment, and the destruction of biological, ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. Resistance to this sort of politics is needed, and it is also necessary to build up the alternatives: lifestyle models which are not consumption-oriented and which work on conflict-resolution strategies leading to understanding and reconciliation. Communities are important sources of impetus and inspiration in our society: they show that sustainability doesn't mean abstinence - it actually leads to a higher quality of life."
- [LEFT-click icon.] Toyosato, A Yamagishi Village - Japan. The largest community of the wider Yamagishi movement, with approximately 500 adults and 200 children, Toyosato village (Mie Prefecture, Japan) practices sustainable farming. A major objective of the of the Yamagishi movement is the development of "friendly and joyful eco-village[s] where no one needs money." Yamagishi has launched more than 30 such villages in Japan.
- [LEFT-click icon.] Fellowship for Intentional Community. Although there are thousands of 'intentional communities' in existence today, most people in mainstream society, and the mass media, remain unaware of them or their roots in alternative lifestyles. As of July 2008, for example, the FIC's "online communities directory" listed 107 intentional communities in the U.K., 161 in continental Europe, 1483 in the U.S., 103 in Canada, and 59 in Australia. There are also intentional communities in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. The FIC exists to increase public awareness of existing and newly forming intentional communities, offering information and referrals for those who are actively seeking, or simply curious about, alternate lifestyles for themselves and their families. They provide publications, referrals, and support services for a wide range of ecovillages, egalitarian communities, cohousing groups, community networks, support organizations, and people seeking a home in community.
- [LEFT-click icon.] The Federation of Egalitarian Communities. FEC is a network of egalitarian communities, spread across North America, which have joined together in their common struggle to create a lifestyle based on equality, cooperation, and harmony with the earth. FEC communities range in size and emphasis from small agricultural homesteads to village-like communities to urban group houses. Each of the FEC communities: (1) Holds its land, labor, income and other resources in common.(2) Assumes responsibility for the needs of its members, receiving the products of their labor and distributing them and all other goods equally, or according to need. (3) Practices non-violence. (4) Uses a form of decision making in which members have an equal opportunity to participate, either through consensus, direct vote, or right of appeal or overrule. (5) Actively works to establish the equality of all people and does not permit discrimination on the basis of race, class, creed, ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (6) Acts to conserve natural resources for present and future generations while striving to continually improve ecological awareness and practice. (7) Creates processes for group communication and participation and provides an environment which supports people's development.
Q17. Discuss some of the main ideas and evidence being argued by current advocates of 'ecological' and 'social democratic' alternatives to the industrial-market model as a blueprint for modern societies.
Related Resources: readings, on-line links & videos for Unit IX, and Q17:
Unit X: The challenge of "building social capital" in modern industrial democracies
(If time permits. There are no assigned tutorial or essay questions for this unit.)