Consult department for detailed descriptions. More than one section may be given in a semester. Recent titles have included: Interpreting the Canon; State, Self, & Society; U.S. Policy in Europe; and Dissertation Writing.

Consult department for detailed descriptions. More than one section may be given in a semester. Recent titles have included: Interpreting the Canon; State, Self, & Society; U.S. Policy in Europe; and Dissertation Writing.

This seminar will examine the theme of power as it engages questions of sex and gender. Subsidiary themes that will be developed over the course of the semester include: the modernism/postmodernism debate as it particularly relatesto feminism; the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality and class and howfeminists can and do talk about "women"; the relevance of feminist theory to policy issues, and which theoretical approaches are the most appropriate or have the most powerful potential. The readings represent some of the newest scholarship as well as several more familiar texts to provide an understanding of how some of the latest developments in feminist theory have come to pass. In the first 5 weeks we will explore general issues of power and then turn to works that attempt to grapple with more specific political issues in which power is expressed.

This purpose of this course is two-fold. First, the survey course is designed to introduce students to a wide range of theories of international politics. During the course of the semester we will examine neo-realism, power transition theory, hegemonic stability theory, the modern world system, international regimes and interdependence, the democratic peace, bureaucratic politics, organizational theory, constructivism, and decision making theory. Second, the course will sharpen students' research design skills. The written assignments require students to take the often abstract theories presented in the readings and develop practical research designs for testing hypotheses derived from the theories. The papers will not include data collection or the execution of actual tests. Rather, they will focus on the conceptual problems of designing tests which eliminate competing hypotheses, operationalizing variables, and identifying potential sources of data. Student's grades will be based on five short research designs and discussion leadership.