GPAD7304 Seminar on Contemporary Political Theory
2021/22
Instructor: T.W. Ngo (E21-4046)
Time and Venue: Tue 10:00-12:45, E21-1030
Office Hours: Tue 15:00-16:00; Wed 11:00-12:00
Course Objectives
This course deals with different perspectives in contemporary political theory. Students will learn about the conceptual lexicons and analytical tools employed by different theoretical approaches. The course will explore the assumptions, methodologies, and biases deployed by various theoretical perspectives in understanding the same political phenomena. In doing so, students will acquire an advanced knowledge about the nature of political enquiry as well as the strengths and weaknesses of various theoretical approaches.
Assessment
Class participation (20%): This is a seminar course based on group discussion. Students will be asked to give comments on fellow students’ class essays after each presentation.
Class essay and presentation (30%): Each student is required to write an essay (about 2,000 words) on one of the topics and present it in class. The essay should be uploaded to UM Moodle before Monday of the presentation week. All students should read the essay before coming to class. A hardcopy should be handed in during class.
Final paper (50%): Each student is required to write a final paper (about 4,000 words). The paper should be fully referenced and should be submitted in hardcopy before 17:00 on 30 Nov 2021.
Recommended Text
David
Marsh and Gerry Stoker eds., Theory and Methods in Political Science, 3rd
ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2010).
Seminar Schedule
24 Aug Introduction
31 Aug The Nature of Political Theory
7 Sep Case Study: Corruption
14 Sep Class Debate I
Motion: Corruption is deep rooted in Chinese culture
21 Sep Class Debate II
Motion: Corruption can facilitate development in emerging economies
28 Sep Essay Topic I: Behaviouralism
What are the core assumptions of behavioural analysis? What are the strength and weaknesses of behavioural analysis? What findings have been put forward by existing studies on corruption that used such an approach? How effective can we account for the corruption in China using behavioural analysis? Which aspects of corruption in China can be perceptively explained and which not? How useful is the approach in helping us understand corruption in China?
Sanders, David. 2010. “Behavioural Analysis.” In Theory and Methods in Political
Science, edited
by David Marsh and Gerry Stoker. 3rd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Aidt, Toke S., Arye L. Hillman, and Qijun Liu. 2020. “Who Takes Bribes and How Much?
Evidence from the China Corruption Conviction Databank.” World Development
133, 1-12.
Li, Hui, Ting Gong, and Hanyu Xiao. 2016. “The Perception of Anti-corruption Efficacy in China: An Empirical Analysis.” Social Indicators Research 125, 885-903.
Wong, Kam C. 2009. “How Chinese E-Public Feel
and Think About Corruption: A Case Study of Audit Storm.” International Journal of Law,
Crime and Justice 37(3),
104-130 and 37(4), 197-215.
5 Oct Essay
Topic II: Rational Choice
What are the core assumptions of rational choice theory What are the strength and weaknesses of rational choice theory? What findings have been put forward by existing studies on corruption that used such an approach? How effective can we account for the corruption in China using rational choice analysis? Which aspects of corruption in China can be perceptively explained and which not? How useful is the approach in helping us understand corruption in China?
Hindmoor, Andrew. 2010. “Rational choice.” In Theory and Methods in Political
Science, edited
by David Marsh and Gerry Stoker. 3rd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Wedeman, Andrew. 2005. “Anticorruption
Campaigns and the Intensification of Corruption in China.” Journal of
Contemporary China 14(42), 93-116.
Dong, Bing and Benno Torgler. 2013. “Causes of Corruption: Evidence from China.” China
Economic Review 26, 152-169.
Chan, Kin-man. 2000. “Towards an Integrated
Model of Corruption: Opportunities and Control in China.” International
Journal of Public Administration 23(4), 507- 551.
12 Oct Essay Topic III: Institutionalism
What are the core assumptions of institutional analysis? What are the strength and weaknesses of institutionalism? What findings have been put forward by existing studies on corruption that used such an approach? How effective can we account for the corruption in China using institutional analysis? Which aspects of corruption in China can be perceptively explained and which not? How useful is the approach in helping us understand corruption in China?
|Lowndes, Vivien. 2010. “The institutional approach” In
Theory and Methods
in Political Science, edited by David Marsh and Gerry Stoker. 3rd ed. New York:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Gong, Ting. 2008. “The Party Discipline Inspection in China: Its Evolving Trajectory and Embedded Dilemmas.” Crime, Law and Social Change 49(2), 139-152.
Ngo,
Tak-Wing. 2008. “Rent-Seeking and Economic Governance in the
Structural Nexus of Corruption in China.” Crime, Law and Social Change
49(1), 27-44.
Chan, Hon S., and Jie Gao. 2008. “Old Wine in New Bottles: A County-Level Case Study of Anti-Corruption Reform in the People’s Republic of China.” Crime Law and Social Change 49, 97-117.
19 Oct Essay
Topic IV: The Marxian Approach
What are the core assumptions of Marxian analysis? What are the strength and weaknesses of the Marxian approach? What findings have been put forward by existing studies on corruption that used such an approach? How effective can we account for the corruption in China using Marxian analysis? Which aspects of corruption in China can be perceptively explained and which not? How useful is the approach in helping us understand corruption in China?
Maguire, Diarmuid.
2010. “Marxism.” In Theory and Methods in Political Science, edited by David Marsh and Gerry Stoker. 3rd
ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
So,
Alvin Y. 2005. “Beyond the Logic of Capital and the
Polarization Model.” Critical Asian Studies 37(3), 481-494.
Holmstrom, Nancy and Richard Smith. 2000. “The Necessity of Gangster
Capitalism: Primitive Accumulation in Russia and China.” Monthly Review
51(9), 1-15.
Walker, Kathy Le Mons. 2006. “‘Gangster Capitalism’ and Peasant Protest
in China: The Last Twenty Years.” The Journal of
Peasant Studies 33(1), 1-33.
26 Oct Essay V: Feminism
What are the core assumptions of feminism? What are the strength and weaknesses of feminist analysis? What findings have been put forward by existing studies on corruption that used such an approach? How effective can we account for the corruption in China using feminist analysis? Which aspects of corruption in China can be perceptively explained and which not? How useful is the approach in helping us understand corruption in China?
Randall, Vicky. 2010. “Feminism.” In Theory and Methods in Political Science, edited by David Marsh and Gerry Stoker. 3rd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Chen, Fang. 2017. “Gender and Corruption: The
Cultural Script, Narratives, and Contentions in Contemporary China.” Modern
China 43 (1), 66-94.
Tu, Wenyan Tu and a Department of
Public Policy, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;b Institute for Global
Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai, ChinaCorrespondencetwenyan1992@gmail.comGuo Xiajuan.
2021. “Gendered Clientelism
and Corruption: Are Women Less Corrupt Than Men in China?” c Department of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, ChinaInternational
Feminist Journal of Politics 22 June.
9 Nov Essay
Topic VI: Structural-Functionalism
What are the core assumptions of structural-functionalism? What are the strength and weaknesses of structural-functional? What findings have been put forward by existing studies on corruption that used such an approach? How effective can we account for the corruption in China using structural-functional analysis? Which aspects of corruption in China can be perceptively explained and which not? How useful is the approach in helping us understand corruption in China?
Groth, Alexander J. 1970. “Structural Functionalism and Political Development.”
Western Political
Quarterly 23(3), 485-99.
Fan, Chengze Simon and Herschel I.
Grossman. 2001. “Incentives and Corruption in Chinese Economic Reform.” Journal
of Economic Policy Reform 4(3), 195-206.
Zhan, Jing Vivian. 2012. “Filling the
Gap of Formal Institutions: The Effects of Guanxi Network on Corruption
in Reform-Era China.” Crime, Law and Social
Change 58, 93-109.
16 Nov Essay Topic VII: Constructivism
What are the core assumptions of constructivism? What are the strength and weaknesses of constructivist analysis? What findings have been put forward by existing studies on corruption that used such an approach? How effective can we account for the corruption in China using constructivist analysis? Which aspects of corruption in China can be perceptively explained and which not? How useful is the approach in helping us understand corruption in China?
Parsons, Craig. 2010. “Constructivism and Interpretive
Theory.” In Theory
and Methods in Political Science, edited by David Marsh and Gerry Stoker. 3rd ed. New York:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Hsu,
Carolyn L. 2001. “Political Narratives and the Production of Legitimacy: The
Case of Corruption in Post-Mao China.” Qualitative Sociology 24(1),
25-54.
Sun, Yan. 2001. “The Politics of Conceptualizing Corruption in Reform China.” Crime, Law and Social Change 35(3), 245-270.
23 Nov Additional Perspectives
30 Nov Conclusion
Final Paper Topic
Decadence is an emerging movement in some societies. In China this movement has been fiercely debated under the label of “lying flat” (躺平). Which theoretical approach(es) do you think offer the most insightful understanding about this phenomenon in contemporary China?
Write a research proposal to study decadence in China.
The proposal should reflect your preferred theoretical approach to study the
phenomenon. It should include the following:
- research question(s)
- literature view
- theoretical framework
- method of data collection
- Teacher: twngo, Ngo Tak Wing