Political Sociology (SOC 533)
Hızır Murat Köse
Department of Sociology
İstanbul Şehir University
Fall 2014-2015
Location and Time: Room Batı Kampüs #????, Tuesday 14:00-17:00
Office Hours: Monday, 10:00-11:00- Wednesday, 11:00-12:00
Phone: 5040
E-mail: hmkose@sehir.edu.tr
Course Content:
This course aims to facilitate a theoretical understanding and a practical knowledge of the
main concepts that are used in political sociology. It examines the social basis of power and
politics, the state and civil society in contemporary societies. The formation of state, political
legitimacy, social factors underlying democracy and totalitarianism, voting behavior, and
political socialization, parties and political intermediation, protest and political process,
revolution, the politics of collective identity and action, governmentality and citizenship,
political transformations and democratization are discussed. Theoretical approaches of major
thinkers, including Ibn Khaldun, Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Gramsci, Foucault will be
discussed.
Required Textbook:
Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology, Globalization, Politics, and Power.
Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell.
Greading Policy: %15 Attendance and Participation, %15 Presentation, %30 Weekly Papers,
%40 Final Paper
The Circle of Justice:
"The world is a garden the fence of which is the dynasty.
The dynasty is an authority through which life is given to proper behavior.
Proper behavior is a policy directed by the ruler.
The ruler is an institution supported by the soldiers.
The soldiers are helpers who are maintained by money.
1
Money is sustenance brought together by the subjects.
The subjects are servants who are protected by justice.
Justice is something familiar, and through it, the world persists.
The world is a garden ..."
- Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, (trans. F. Rosenthal) v. 1, p. 82.
"Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere.
Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified.
Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated.
Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated.
Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed.
Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy."
- Confucius, The Great Learning (5th century B.C.), in James Legge, ed., The Chinese
Classics, Vol. 1 (Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1893), pp. 358-359.
Weakly Reading Schedule/Course Schedule
Week 1: February 17, Introduction to Politics, States, Political Sociology & Class Overview
- *Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology, Globalization, Politics, and Power.
Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 1-20.
- Bottomore, Tom, Political Sociology, Minneapolis, UMP, 1993, pp. 1-11
- Sartori, Giovanni, From the Sociology of Politics to Political Sociology, pp. 195-214.
- Foucault, M., Governmentality, The Foucault Effect, Studies in Governmentality, ed. G.
Burchell, Chicago, UCP, 1991, pp. 87-104.
Week 2: February 24, Changing Definitions of Politics and Power
- *Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology, Globalization, Politics, and Power.
Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 1-20.
- Bottomore, Tom, Political Sociology, Minneapolis, UMP, 1993, pp. 1-11
- Sartori, Giovanni, From the Sociology of Politics to Political Sociology, pp. 195-214.
- Foucault, M., Governmentality, The Foucault Effect, Studies in Governmentality, ed. G.
Burchell, Chicago, UCP, 1991, pp. 87-104.
Week 3: March 3, Political Aspects of Islam/ Politics in Islam
- Köse, H. M., “Siyaset”, DİA, v. 37, pp. 294-299.
- Köse, H. M., “İslam Siyaset Düşüncesini Yeniden Okumak: Eleştirel Bir Giriş”, Divan, c.
14, s. 27, pp. 1-19.
2
Week 4: March 10, Ibn Khaldun, The Nature of Umran
-- *Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, (trans. F. Rosenthal), pp.
Week 5: March 17, Power and Politics
-*Mann, M. (1986). Societies as organized power networks. The Source of Social Power.
Cambridge, CUP. 1: 1-33.
-Foucault, M. (1977). Power/Knowledge, Selected Interviews and Other Writings 1972-1977.
New York, Pantheon Books, 92-108.
-Lukes, S. (2005). Power. -, -, 1-13.
Week 6: March 24, Role of the State
-* Dobratz, Betty A. et al, Power, Politics, and Society, New York, Pearson, 2012 pp. 36-66
- Poggi, G. (2004). Formation and Form, Theories of State Formation. The Blackwell
Companion to Political Sociology. K. S. Nash, Alan. Oxford, Blackwell: 95-106.
- Anderson, The Absolutist States of Western Europe, pp. 137-150.
Week 7: March 31, Social Movements, New Forms of Contention
-* Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology, Globalization, Politics, and Power.
Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 87-130.
- Touraine, A. (1985). "An Introduction to the Study of Social Movements." Social Research
52(4): 749-787.
- Offe, C. (1985). "New Social Movements: Challenging the Boundaries of Institutional
Politics." Social Research 52(4): 817-868. (only pp. 817-832)
Week 8: April 7, Cultural Politics, Identity, Citizenship
-* Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology, Globalization, Politics, and Power.
Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 131-148, 159-191
- Beck, U. (2007). “Realistic Cosmpolitanism, How Does Societies Handle Otherness?” in
Cultural Politics in a Global Age. D. Held. Oxford, One World: 60-67.
-Held, D. e. a., Ed. (2007). Cultural Politics in a Global Age. Oxford, One World, pp. 1-15
- Kenanoğlu, Macit, Osmanlı Millet Sistemi, Mit ve Gerçek, Klasik yayınları, 1.bs., İstanbul, 2004,
pp. 27-90, 281-285, 317-329.
Week 9: April 14, Globalization and Democracy, Democracy in Crisis
3
-* Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology, Globalization, Politics, and Power.
Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 193-213.
- Mann, M. (1997). "Has globalization ended, the rise and rise of the nation-state." Review of
International Political Economy 4(3): 472-496.
- McMichael, P. (2005). Globalization. The Handbook of Political Sociology, States, Civil
Societies, And Globalization. T. Janoski. Cambridge, CUP: 587-606.
- Held, D. M., Anthony (2005). The Great Globalization Debate: An Introduction. The Global
Transformation Reader: An Introduction to the Globalization Debate. D. M. Held, Anthony.
Cambridge, Polity Press: 1-51.
Week 10: April 28, Global Governance, Global Civil Society
-* Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology, Globalization, Politics, and Power.
Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 213-235.
- Held, D. M., Anthony (2005). The Great Globalization Debate: An Introduction. The Global
Transformation Reader: An Introduction to the Globalization Debate. D. M. Held, Anthony.
Cambridge, Polity Press: 1-51.
Week 11: May 5, Violance and Terrorism
- Dobratz, Betty A: et al. (2012). Power, Politics, and Society: An Introduction to Political Sociology.
New York, Pearson. pp. 303-339
Week 12: May 12, Revolutions and Revolutionary Movements
-* Skocpol, T. (1988). “Explaining Social Revolutions: Alternatives to Existing Theories”. İn
States and Social Revolutions. T. Skocpol, pp. 1-43.
- Bayat, A. (2008). “Is there a future for Islamist revolutions?” in Revolution in the making of
the modern world. J. e. a. Foran. New York, Routledge, pp. 96-111.
- Drake, M. (2004). “Revolution” in The Blackwell Companion to Political Sociology. K. S.
Nash, Alan. Oxford, Blackwell, pp. 197-207.
Week 13: May 19, National Holiday
Week 14: May 26, Understanding the “Arab Spring”.
-* Ardıç, Nurullah, “Understanding the “Arab Spring”: Justice, Dignity, Religion and
International Politics”, Afro Eurasian Studies, v. 1, 2012, pp. 8-52.
- Bayat, A. (2008). “Is there a future for Islamist revolutions?” in Revolution in the making of
the modern world. J. e. a. Foran. New York, Routledge, pp. 96-111.
4
Final Paper: June 9:
5