Political Sociology 2020-21 Professor Carlo Ruzza Course Contents 1. Introduction: what is political sociology? • Definitions and history of the field of political sociology • Historical overview of the main approaches to political sociology 2. Conflict theories • The concept of social conflict • Power and the classics of political sociology • Marxist and Neo-Marxist approaches 3. Weberian and Durkheimian approaches 4. Elite theories, power and institutionalisms 5. Theories of state formation and change; types of Contemporary European States; Citizenship • Theories of state formation • The autonomy of the state • States and globalization 6. Globalization, governance and the State • Globalization in various domains • Globalization and neo-liberalism • Horizontal and vertical governance • New governance • Territorial governance 7. Transnational and Supranational Challenges to the State – Human Rights • Challenges to the power of the state from above and from below • State responses to globalization • How do different actors in a global governance structure replace functions formerly performed by the state? 9 • Human rights at the international level 8. Bureaucracies, Institutions and Neo-Liberalism • What are the features of a traditional and a modern bureaucracy? • Why is bureaucracy important for state development and political rule? • The impact of the ideology of New Public Management on state bureaucracies 9. Political participation and theories of representation: introduction • The concept of political participation • The political sphere • Changing forms of political participation 10. Forms of Political Participation: electoral behaviour and party politics • Theoretical approaches to the study of electoral behavior • Parties and party systems: an overview • Institutionalization dynamics in different social and political realms 11. Forms of Political Participation: interest groups, advocacy and civil society • Interest groups and functional representation • Private and public interest groups • Forms of advocacy • Judicial activism • The concept of civil society and its relevance in contemporary governance • Civil society and its uses as a political ideology • International civil society 12. Deliberative structures; activism and the city, • The concept of political participation in cities • The political sphere at city level • Urban activism in different contexts 13. Forms of Political Participation: social movements • Explaining unconventional political participation and social movements • The contribution of political sociology to the study of movements and on theories of activists’ mobilization • Action repertoires and their historical transformations 14. Left-liberal movements: the no-global movement • The Anti-Globalization movement or Global Justice Movement as a new type of movement • Transnational coordination and the role of the new media • Main organizations 15. Ethnicity and political participation: political-sociological approaches • The nature of ethnicity • Traditions in the study of ethnicity: the contribution of political sociology • The multicultural backlash 16. Anti-racist movements in Europe • Varieties of anti-racist movements in Europe • Anti-racism in different institutional domains • The controversial nature of anti-racism 17. Public Policy, Migration and Health • Migration and public policy issues • Health as a key domain in migration policy • Health in relation to other domains, such as housing and work safety. 18. Nationalism • Nationalism, • Postnationalism • Euroscepticism • Transnational Ethnic identities and globalisation 19. Ethno-Nationalism • Ethnicity and self-determination • Regionalism 20. European Ethno-Nationalism in a comparative perspective • Catalanism • Sardism 21. Ethnicity and the Extreme Right • Ethnicity and right-wing parties • Demand and supply theories of the radical right 22. Populism • Populism: definitions • The personalization of politics • The politics of the enemy and populism • Populism and Italian politics 23. Political Communication and the Media • The new media • Ethnicity and the media • Framing processes, social movements and the public sphere 24. Political Sociology, the 2008 Financial Crisis and its aftermaths • The impact of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermaths • The crisis and new vulnerabilities in Europe • The crisis and the EU |