Comparative Sociology Course Syllabus YONSEI INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL 2011
Professor Francesco Duina [email protected] Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-3
COMPARATIVE SOCIOLOGY
Course Description: Comparative sociologists study social institutions, economic systems, political systems, cultures and norms, legal systems, social change and behavior in two or more settings. Comparisons can be qualitative or quantitative in nature and are usually driven by a desire to test theories or hypotheses. Sample topics of studies include the diffusion of values across societies, inequality across European Union countries, the impact of globalization on the state, and transitions toward democracy and capitalism. This seminar introduces students to comparative sociology through an examination of recent works in the field.
Required Texts: We will rely on several research articles from academic journals such as the American Journal of Sociology, Comparative Sociology, and Economy and Society. We will examine those articles in great detail. Please make sure that you bring printed copies of the articles to class on the assigned dates.
Course Requirements: Students will be expected to write two papers. In the first paper, students will work with the text to answer questions about the architecture of comparative sociological arguments. The paper will be due on Wednesday of Week 3.
In the second paper, students will select a topic pertinent to comparative sociology. They will consult with me to discuss that topic, and then write an original research piece on that topic. The paper will be due on Wednesday of Week 6. Students are expected to present the subject of their papers on that day.
Throughout the course, there will be several in-class exercises. Their successful completion will depend on students having completed the assigned readings. Each paper will count for 35% of the grade. Class participation will count for 30%.
Course Outline:
Week 1. Introduction to the Course
June 27: no reading
Comparative Sociology Course Syllabus YONSEI INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL 2011
Week 1. Economic Performance and Change
June 29: Campbell, John L. and John A. Hall. 2009. "National Identity and the Political Economy of Small States." Review of International Political Economy 16 (4): 547- 572.
June 28: Adams, Samuel, and Berhanu Mengistu. 2008. "The Political Economy of Privatization in Sub-Saharan Africa." Social Science Quarterly 89 (1): 78-94.
June 30: Wherry, Frederick. 2004. “International Statistics and Social Structure: The Case of the Human Development Index.” International Review of Sociology 14 (2): 151-169.
Week 2. Political Change
July 4: Duina, Francesco and Peter Nedergaard. 2010. “Learning in International Governmental Organizations: The Case of Social Protection.” Global Social Policy 10 (2): 193-217.
July 5: Mahoney, James. 2001. "Path-Dependent Explanations of Regime Change: Central America in Comparative Perspective." Studies in Comparative International Development 36 (1): 111-141.
July 6: Group Exercise: Groups 1 and 2 present.
July 7: Chen, Calvin, and Rudra Sil. 2006. "Communist Legacies, Postcommunist Transformations, and the Fate of Organized Labor in Russia and China." Studies in Comparative International Development 41 (2): 62-87.
Week 3. Culture
July 11: young Song, Eun. 2008. "Competing Values in World Culture and the Emergence of Middle Ground." Comparative Sociology 7 (1): 28-50.
2 Comparative Sociology Course Syllabus YONSEI INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL 2011
July 12: Duina, Francesco. 2011. Winning: Reflections on an American Obsession. Chapters 1, 3, and 10.
July 13: Nancy A. Wonders and Raymond Michalowski. 2001. “Bodies, Borders, and Sex Tourism in a Globalized World: A Tale of Two Cities--Amsterdam and Havana.” Social Problems Vol. 48 (4): 545-572.
July 14: Group Exercise: Groups 3 and 4 present.
Week 4. Processes of Regional Integration
July 18: Duina, Francesco, and Jason Buxbaum. 2008. "Regional Trade Agreements and the Pursuit of State Interests: Institutional Perspectives from NAFTA and Mercosur." Economy & Society 37 (2): 193-223
July 19: Beckfield, Jason. 2006. "European Integration and Income Inequality." American Sociological Review 71 (6): 964-985.
July 20: Group Exercise: Groups 5 and 6 present
July 21: Gerhards, Jürgen, and Holger Lengfeld. 2008. "Support for European Union Environmental Policy by Citizens of EU-Member and Accession States." Comparative Sociology 7 (2): 215-241.
Week 5. Globalization
July 25: John L. Campbell. 2005. “Fiscal Sociology in an Age of Globalization: Comparing Tax Regimes in Advanced Capitalist Countries,” pp. 391-418 in Victor Nee and Richard Swedberg (editors), The Economic Sociology of Capitalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
July 26:
3 Comparative Sociology Course Syllabus YONSEI INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL 2011
Chorev, Nitsan, and Sarah Babb. 2009. "The Crisis of Neoliberalism and the Future of International Institutions: A Comparison of the IMF and the WTO." Theory & Society 38 (5): 459-484.
July 27: Shafir, Gershon, and Alison Brysk. 2006. "The Globalization of Rights: From Citizenship to Human Rights." Citizenship Studies 10 (3): 275-287.
July 28: Campbell, John L. 2007. “Why Would Corporations Behave in Socially Responsible Ways? An Institutional Theory of Corporate Social Responsibility.” Academy of Management Review 32 (3): 946–967.
Week 6. Environmental Dynamics
August 1: Frank, David et al. 2000. “The Nation-State and the Natural Environment over the Twentieth Century.” American Sociological Review, Vol. 65, Issue 1: 96-116.
August 2: Linton, April. 2005. "Partnering for Sustainability: Business–NGO Alliances in the Coffee Industry." Development in Practice 15 (3/4): 600-614.
August 3: Students present their papers
August 4: Final Remarks
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