IRPA705 Seminar on Contemporary Political Theory
2017/18
Instructor: T.W. Ngo (E21-4046)
Office Hours: Tue 11:30-12:30; Fri 16:00-17:00
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 (10%): This is a seminar course based on group discussion. Attendance is obligatory.
Group essay and presentation (30%): Each group (max 3 students) is required to write an essay (about 3,000 words) on one of the topics and present it in class. The essay should be uploaded to UM Moodle on Monday (before 17:00) of the presentation week. All students should read the essay before coming to class.
Critique (20%): Each student is required to write a critique (around 300-500 words) on one of the group essays. The assigned students should serve as discussants and present their critiques during the seminar. The written critique should be uploaded to UM Moodle before 13:00 of the presentation day.
Final paper (40%): 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 on or before 17:00 on 27 April 2018.
Recommended Text
David Marsh and Gerry Stoker eds., Theory and Methods in Political Science, 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2010).
Seminar Schedule
12 Jan Introduction
19 Jan The Cultural Revolution as a Political Phenomenon
26 Jan Class Debate I
Motion: The Cultural Revolution is a catastrophic mistake in modern Chinese history
2 Feb Class Debate II
Motion: Mao Zedong is the main person to blame for the mischief of the Cultural Revolution
9 Feb Reflections on the Cultural Revolution
2 Mar Essay Topic I: Behaviouralism
What are the core assumptions of behavioural analysis? What are strength and weaknesses of behavioural analysis? How effective can we account for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China using behavioural analysis? Which aspects of the Cultural Revolution can be perceptively explained and which not?
David Sanders, “Behavioural analysis,” in David Marsh and Gerry Stoker eds., Theory and Methods in Political Science, 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2010).
Anita Chan, Children of Mao (Palgrave Macmillan, 1985), ch. 4.
Xiaoxia Gong, “The logic of repressive collective action: a case study of violence in the Cultural Revolution,” in The Chinese Cultural Revolution Reconsidered, ed. Kam-yee Law (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2003).
Marc Blecher and Gordon White, “Micropolitics in contemporary China,” International Journal of Politics 9:2 (1979), ch. 5.
9 Mar Essay Topic II: Rational Choice
What are the core assumptions of rational choice theory? What are strength and weaknesses of rational choice theory? How effective can we account for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China using rational choice analysis? Which aspects of the Cultural Revolution can be perceptively explained and which not?
Andrew Hindmoor, “Rational choice,” in David Marsh and Gerry Stoker eds., Theory and Methods in Political Science, 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2010).
Tang Tsou, “Interpreting the Revolution in China: Macrohistory and Micromechanisms,” Modern China, vol. 26, no. 2 (April 2000), pp. 205-38.
Shaoguang Wang, Failure of Charisma: The Cultural Revolution in Wuhan (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995).
16 Mar Essay Topic III: Institutionalism
What are the core assumptions of the institutional approach? What are strength and weaknesses of institutionalism? How effective can we account for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China using an institutional analysis? Which aspects of the Cultural Revolution can be perceptively explained and which not?
Vivien Lowndes, “The institutional approach,” in David Marsh and Gerry Stoker eds., Theory and Methods in Political Science, 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2010).
Lynn T. White III, “The Cultural Revolution as an unintended result of administrative policies,” in New Perspectives on the Cultural Revolution, ed. William Joseph, Christine P.W. Wong, and David Zweig (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Centre, 1991).
Hong Yung Lee, “Historical reflections on the cultural revolution as a political movement,” in The Chinese Cultural Revolution Reconsidered, ed. Kam-yee Law (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2003).
23 Mar Essay Topic IV: The Marxian Approach
What are the core assumptions of the Marxian approach? What are strength and weaknesses of Marxian analysis? How effective can we account for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China using a Marxian analysis? Which aspects of the Cultural Revolution can be perceptively explained and which not?
Diarmuid Maguire, “Marxism,” in David Marsh and Gerry Stoker eds., Theory and Methods in Political Science, 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2010).
Arif Dirlik, “The politics of the Cultural Revolution in historical perspective,” in The Chinese Cultural Revolution Reconsidered, ed. Kam-yee Law (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2003).
Arif Dirlik, Marxism and the Chinese Revolution (Lanham: Rowman $ Littlefield, 2005), chs. 8 & 9.
Richard Kraus, Class Conflict in Chinese Socialism (New York: Columbia University Press, 1981), chs. 4-7.
UCFML, “Maoism: a stage of Marxism,” Positions, vol. 13, no. 3 (Winter 2005), pp. 515-21.
6 Apr Essay Topic V: Structural-Functionalism
What are the core assumptions of the structural-functionalism? What are strength and weaknesses of the structural-functional approach? How effective can we account for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China using a structural-functional analysis? Which aspects of the Cultural Revolution can be perceptively explained and which not?
Alexander J. Groth, “Structural functionalism and political development,” Western Political Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 3 (September 1970), pp. 485-99.
Shaoguang Wang, “The structural sources of the Cultural Revolution,” in The Chinese Cultural Revolution Reconsidered, ed. Kam-yee Law (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2003).
金觀濤、劉青峰， 《開放中的變遷》（香港：香港中文大學，1993）, chs. 1, 6 & 10.
13 Apr Essay Topic VI: Constructivism
What are the core assumptions of the constructivist approach? What are strength and weaknesses of constructivism? How effective can we account for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China using a constructivist analysis? Which aspects of the Cultural Revolution can be perceptively explained and which not?
Craig Parsons, “Constructivism and interpretive theory,” in David Marsh and Gerry Stoker eds., Theory and Methods in Political Science, 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2010).
Peter Zarrow, “Meanings of China’s Cultural Revolution,” Positions 7:1 (1999).
Mobo Gao, “Memoirs and interpretation of the Cultural Revolution,” Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars 27:1 (1995).
Anita Chan, “Dispelling misconceptions about the Red Guard Movement,” Journal of Contemporary China 1:1 (1992).
20 Apr Competing Understandings
27 Apr Conclusion
Final Paper Topic
Corruption is rampant in contemporary China. Compare different theoretical approaches in the analysis of corruption in China. Which approach(es) do you think offer the most insightful understanding about the problem of corruption in contemporary China?
- Teacher: twngo, Ngo Tak Wing