Across the world, from Burundi to India, and from France to the United States, conflicts over race, religion, and identity are tearing democracies apart. This course introduces students to these questions by rooting them in scholarly debates in comparative politics, political theory and social psychology.
We start by investigating how human beings form group identities, and what role these have played in politics at different historical junctures. In the second unit of the course, we examine what kinds of norms and institutions are most likely to sustain peaceful cooperation in diverse democracies. In the final unit of the course, we turn to the debates over “identity politics” consuming contemporary democracies.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Understand the nature of social identity and the role it plays in contemporary politics.
2. Analyze different approaches to the norms and institutions that can sustain diverse democracies.
3. Critically evaluate the nature and the origins of an increasingly influential set of ideas about what role identity should play in social institutions.
4. Develop a coherent set of ideas about how democracies can meet the global challenge posed by contestation over identity.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
The course helps students develop key skills necessary to understand political concepts and allegiances that help to shape contemporary politics across the globe; to present information to decision makers in a clear and lucid manner; and to develop policy suggestions to address major contemporary challenges.
- Reading and Preparation for Class: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
- Research and Preparation for Group Work: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
- Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
(ii) Individual response papers and individual presentation: 30%
(iii) Group Presentation: 30%
(iv) Final take-home exam OR an optional final research paper: 30%