Mar 29, 2024  
Course Catalog 2008-2009 
    
Course Catalog 2008-2009 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Politics


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Arts and Sciences

Chris Howell, Professor; Department Chair
Marc Jeremy Blecher, Professor
Stephen Crowley, Associate Professor
Paul A. Dawson, Professor
Harry N. Hirsch, Professor
Ronald Charles Kahn, James Monroe Professor
Sonia Kruks, Robert S. Danforth Professor
Kristina Mani, Assistant Professor
Lawrence Markowitz, Visiting Assistant Professor
Michael Parkin, Assistant Professor
David W. Orr, Paul Sears Professor of Environmental Studies
Eve Nan Sandberg, Associate Professor
Benjamin N. Schiff, Professor
Harlan Wilson, Professor
 
The study of Politics explores many dimensions of political life, ranging from small groups to citizens’ organizations to cities, nation-states, and the international system. This includes basic information about government, law, and current events, and also examines issues of power, citizenship, and justice in broader and deeper context. Oberlin’s Department of Politics presents a variety of perspectives on politics, including economic, historical, philosophical, sociological, and behavioral orientations. The department encourages its students to develop sophisticated understandings of the conditions and uses of political power in the United States and the world, and to hone their analytical and critical abilities.
A major in Politics can be the focus of a liberal arts program in the social sciences. It can help the citizen to understand, and act more effectively in, the political realm. The major leads to careers in government service, international affairs, journalism, teaching, and organizations concerned with social change and public affairs. It also prepares students for graduate study in political science, other social sciences, international studies, law, and public policy.

 

Choosing Courses

The Department of Politics offers coursework in four fields: American politics (the analysis of politics, government, policy, and law in the United States), comparative politics (the study of politics in other countries), international politics (the study of political relations among countries), and political theory (the history, interpretation, and criticism of political ideas through texts).
We encourage prospective majors to explore course offerings in each of the four fields. The department offers regular courses, colloquia, seminars, private readings and honors projects. Introductory courses, numbered in the 100s (including colloquia), open into each of the department’s fields and do not have prerequisites. Intermediate courses, numbered in the 200s, normally require some previous preparation and constitute the core of departmental offerings for majors. Seminars, numbered in the 300s, generally require previous intermediate-level work. Students should consult members of the department before choosing courses at this level. Private readings on topics not specifically covered in courses may be arranged with individual faculty. They may involve reading and discussion, research, or fieldwork, are generally at an intermediate or advanced level, and are carried out largely independently.

 

Advanced Placement

Students with a score of 5 on AP examinations in American government, comparative politics, or general political science will be awarded credit towards graduation and the major. Such credit will count as an introductory course and will count as three hours toward general graduation credit.

Major


The department encourages students to consult a faculty member when they begin to consider a major in Politics. When declaring a major, students work with a faculty advisor to develop a program that fits the student’s interest and goals.

The Politics Major requires completion of: (a) a minimum of 30 credits in Politics, of which 20 must be above the introductory level; (b) intermediate (200-level) courses in at least three of the Department’s four fields-American politics, comparative politics, international politics and political theory; (c) a Politics research seminar (300-level) course.  At least fifteen credits must be taken from the Oberlin Politics Department. Courses graded “D” will not count toward the major.

Minor


A minor in Politics consists of 15 hours in Politics, with at least two courses at the intermediate level or above. Courses must be in at least two fields. At least eight credits must be taken from the Oberlin Politics Department. Courses graded “D” will not count toward the minor.

Honors


Honors in Politics is a three-semester program in which students do sustained independent reading and research under faculty supervision. A detailed description of the program is available in the department office. Each January, the department reviews the academic records of all junior majors and invites some of them to become candidates for Honors. In the second semester of the junior year, such students normally undertake a junior project, which consists of a research paper done in the context of a seminar or other course. (Students who are away from Oberlin during that semester should consult the chair to work out an alternative.) Students who successfully complete junior projects are invited to pursue Senior Honors in one of the four departmental fields.

During their senior year, Honors students write a thesis and take oral and written examinations, administered by an outside examiner, in their chosen field. Such students enroll for Honors Research courses (POLT 403, 404) totaling two to five hours each semester. Because the Honors Program builds on intermediate courses, we urge students interested in pursuing Honors to enroll in courses in their expected field of interest as early as possible.

Winter Term


Department members who are participating in Winter Term sponsor projects including community service, off-campus internships, and other activities. Not all department members are available to sponsor Winter Term projects ( i.e. sabbatical leaves, etc.).   Areas of particular interest are: Mr. Blecher: readings in comparative politics, Chinese and Asian politics, socialism, political economy, Marxism. Mr. Crowley: issues in post-communist politics, international relations of the Soviet Union and the former Soviet Republics, political sociology, theoretical issues in comparative politics. Mr. Dawson: local government and community service. Mr. Hirsch: Civil rights and civil liberties, including criminal law and the First Amendment; LGBT politics; American political thought, both historically and contemporarily.Mr. Howell: trade unions, political economy, left-wing parties, and readings in West European politics. Mr. Kahn: First Amendment, race and gender discrimination, urban politics, Federal courts and environmental issues, law and government. Ms. Kruks: feminist theory, contemporary continental theory, and history of political thought. Ms. Mani: peaceful conflict resolution, Latin American politics, international security affairs. Mr. Parkin: campaigns and elections, mass political behavior (voting, public opinion), media and politics, political psychology, quantitative analysis. Ms. Sandberg: international development, African politics. Mr. Schiff: international organizations, Middle Eastern politics, arms transfers and arms control, other topics in international politics. Mr. Wilson: history of political theory, environmental topics, utopias and dystopias, democratic theory, postmodernism and politics.

In addition, the department annually sponsors a January Winter Term Congressional Internship program. Information may be obtained from the department office.

The Oberlin Initiative in Electoral Politics


The department oversees a program of course offerings (POLT 207, 421, 422) and paid, eight-week summer internships designed to interest students in, and prepare them for, service in elective offices. Information is available from the department office.

Politics Online


For more information on the Politics Department, courses and instructors, please visit our home page at www.oberlin.edu/politics.

Cross-Referenced Courses


The following cross-referenced courses can be counted towards the Politics major or minor, but do not satisfy the 15 (major) or eight (minor) minimum departmental credit requirement.

African American Studies (AAST)


Introductory Courses


American Politics


Comparative Politics


International Politics


Political Theory


  • POLT 131 - Problems of Political Theory

Intermediate Courses


American Politics


  • POLT 204 - Criminal Law
  • POLT 270 - Law and the Supreme Court in American Political Development

Comparative Politics


  • POLT 214 - Social Change and Political Transformation in Eastern Europe
  • POLT 215 - Ethnicity and Nationalism in Divided Societies
  • POLT 217 - Political Violence

International Politics


  • POLT 221 - Third World Political Economies

Political Theory


Seminars


American Politics


  • POLT 304 - Topics in Political Psychology

Comparative Politics


International Politics


Honors


Practicum


Oberlin Initiative in Electoral Politics


Individual Projects


First-Year Seminars


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Arts and Sciences