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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Social and Political Science : Sociology

Postgraduate Course: Power: Conceptualising, theorising and investigating (SCIL11020)

Course Outline
School School of Social and Political Science College College of Humanities and Social Science
Course type Standard Availability Available to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken) SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) Credits 20
Home subject area Sociology Other subject area None
Course website None Taught in Gaelic? No
Course description Power is a central concept for social and political analysis. This course introduces students to some major approaches to theories of power, and their application to substantive areas of research. It begins by considering key issues in the conceptualisation of power, and its relation to cognate concepts such as authority, legitimacy and domination. Then it explores the development of theories of power, identifying major debates, and approaches, and engaging with the ideas of key figures such as Machiavelli, Max Weber, Robert Michels, Steven Lukes, Michael Mann, Dennis Wrong, Michel Foucault, and Pierre Bourdieu. It also considers how certain dimensions of society (e.g. economy, politics, religion and morality, gender, social identity) pose particular questions and highlight particular issues for the investigation of social power. Within this broad frame, exact focus and content varies from year to year. The postgraduate component will require students to engage in-depth with selected key texts, both theoretical investigations and empirical studies, and to reflect on the relevance of these issues for their own dissertation research.
Entry Requirements
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites None
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? No
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to:
&· summarise contending definitions of power, and outline major theories of power
&· identify and critically assess major themes and debates in the theorisation of power
&· formulate a position on the pros and cons of contending conceptions of power
&· interpret conceptions of power in terms of the socio-historical contexts in which they are generated
&· analyse the ways substantive fields of research inform conceptions of power
&· critically assess how specific conceptions of power may shape empirical research
Assessment Information
Students will be assessed by way of a 4000 word essay on a topic addressing the theorisation of power, and agreed with the course convenor. This may concern either a general approach to the theorisation of power, or the investigation of power in a particular social context. Students will be expected to show initiative in going beyond the set readings for the course. The development of bibliographic and literature review skills will be emphasised.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description This is a postgraduate variant on an existing undergraduate Honours option (Theories of Power U00329) in Sociology. The postgraduate course is distinctive in: (1) its mode of assessment, (2) having additional seminars and readings, and (3) expecting higher levels of attainment of learning outcomes.
Syllabus A typical series of ten weeks of lecture topics would be:

1. Introducing Key Issues in the Study of Power
2. Cognate Concepts$ûDomination, Authority and Legitimacy
3. European Sources for Theories of Power
4. American Debates about Social Power
5. Epistemological Approaches to Power
6. Historical Approaches to Power
7. State and Economy
8. Religion and Morality
9. Gender and Patriarchy
10. Identity and Personhood
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Richard N. Adams (1988) The Eighth Day: Social Evolution as the Self-Organisation of Energy, Austin: University of Texas Press.
David Beetham (1991) The Legitimation of Power, New York: Palgrave.
Pierre Bourdieu (1990), $ùStructures, Habitus, Practices&© (pp. 52-65), and $ùModes of Domination&© (pp. 122-134), in The Logic of Practice, Polity.
Pierre Bourdieu (1989), $ùSocial Space and Symbolic Power&© Sociological Theory 7(1): 14-25.
Kate Davis, et al. (eds.) (1991), The Gender of Power, Sage.
Bent Flyvbjerg (1998), Rationality and Power: democracy in practice, U of Chicago Pr..
Michel Foucault (1979) The history of sexuality, Vol. 1. London: Penguin.
Michel Foucault (1980), $ùTwo Lectures&© (pp. 78-108), in Power/Knowledge, Pantheon
Books.
J. K. Galbraith (1983 The Anatomy of Power, Houghton Mifflin.
John A. Hall (1985) Powers and Liberties: the causes and consequences of the rise of the West, Blackwell.
Mark Haugaard, (ed.) (2002), Power: A Reader, Manchester UP.
Barry Hindess (1996), Discourses of Power, Blackwell.
Bertrand De Jouvenel (1962), On Power: Its Nature and the History of Its Growth, Beacon Press.
John Law (ed.) (1991), A Sociology of Monsters: essays on power, technology and
domination, Routledge.
Derek Layder (2004), Emotion in Social Life: the Lost Heart of Society, London: Sage
Steven Lukes (ed.) (1986), Power, NYU Press.
Steven Lukes (2005), Power: a radical view, Palgrave.
Nicola Machiavelli (1985), The Prince, H. C. Mansfield Jr. (trans.), Chicago UP.
Michael Mann (1986), The Sources of Social Power, vol. 1, Cambridge UP
Robert Michels, (1949) Political Parties, Free Press.
Peter Morriss (2002), Power: a philosophical analysis, Manchester U. P.
Gaetano Mosca (1939), The Ruling Class, McGraw-Hill.
Gianfranco Poggi (2001), Forms of Power, Polity.
Bertrand Russell (2004), Power: a new social analysis, Routledge,
James C. Scott (1990), Domination and the Arts of Resistance: hidden transcripts, Yale UP.
John Scott (2001), Power, Polity.
Charles Tilly (1991), $ùDomination, Resistance, Compliance$ö Discourse&©, Sociological Forum 6(3): 593-602.
Susan Walby (1990), Theorizing Patriarchy, Basil Blackwell.
Max Weber (1978), $ù16. Power and domination&© and $ù17. Political and hierocratic organizations&© (pp.53-56), in Economy and Society, U of California Pr..
Eric R. Wolf (1990), $ùFacing Power$ûOld Insights, New Questions&©, American
Anthropologist 92(3): 586-596 [Also in E. R. Wolf, (2001), Pathways of Power]
Dennis H. Wrong (2002), Power: Its Forms, Bases, and Uses, 3rd Edition, Transaction
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern The course follows a standard Sociology format, combining lectures by the convener during the first hour with small group and plenary discussions of key readings during the second hour. The first hour will allow some time to discuss any questions arising from the lecture, then the second hour will break up into smaller groups to discuss the set seminar question for that week (usually pertaining to a designated core reading), and finally reconvene to compare small group discussions. Postgraduates will be strongly advised to attend the first lecture hour, though the formal requirements for Postgraduates will be attendance at five separate PG tutorials.

PG Tutorials: Postgraduates will attend five one-hour special tutorials in alternate weeks, focussing on close readings of major influential theorists (e.g., Machiavelli, Max Weber, Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Michael Mann) and critical discussions of book-length studies on substantive topics, informed by particular conceptions of power (see list below). Postgraduates will be expected to submit a short, non-assessed critical reflection on each of the core tutorial readings, to form a $ùlog&© of five entries by the end of the course.
Keywords Not entered
Contacts
Course organiser Dr Jonathan Hearn
Tel: (0131 6)50 4242
Email: J.Hearn@ed.ac.uk
Course secretary Miss Cristyn King
Tel: (0131 6)51 3865
Email: cristyn.king@ed.ac.uk
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copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 31 January 2011 8:20 am