Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

This course will examine the causes and consequences of gender equality and inequality in the world. We will begin by taking stock of gender equality (identifying where the most and least progress has occurred), and then proceed to analyze the causal links between women’s empowerment and development.  Women will be seen as key decision-makers in their households, as well as important agents of development in their countries. In regions where women have advanced the most, what have been the conditions and policies that have supported their rise, and how has women’s empowerment contributed to household and national development? In regions where women have advanced the least, why have such strong gender inequalities persisted, and how has household and national progress been impeded as a result? In the latter (suboptimal) scenario, what can be done about the existing state of affairs? We will examine an array of policy options and innovations that have been designed and implemented to lift the prospects of women in the Global South, and also consider the domestic and international support for such policies.  The reforms under analysis aim to lift the human capital and welfare of women (e.g. education and health services), as well as make women more competitive in the labor market and powerful in institutions of governance.  We will examine reforms that affect women over the course of the life cycle: childhood, the reproductive years, and old age.  A key theme will be that effective policies take into account specific gender considerations.  Focusing on the Global South, we will draw on examples from various countries.   

Key readings will include the following:  

Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  2009. Half the Sky:  Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.   New York:  Random House.   

World Bank.  World Development Report.  2012.  Gender Equality and Development.  Washington, D.C. World Bank Publications.  

United Nations.  2016.  Progress of the World’s Women, 2015-2016.   New York:  United Nations.

For the section of the course on women and health care, we will draw amply from publications culled and archived by the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University.   For the section on women and education, we will make significant use of studies done by World Bank researchers.  Readings on issues affecting elderly women, such as old age pensions, will come primarily from the non-governmental organization, HelpAge International. 

This course will examine the causes and consequences of gender equality and inequality in the world. We will begin by taking stock of gender equality (identifying where the most and least progress has occurred), and then proceed to analyze the causal links between women’s empowerment and development.  Women will be seen as key decision-makers in their households, as well as important agents of development in their countries. In regions where women have advanced the most, what have been the conditions and policies that have supported their rise, and how has women’s empowerment contributed to household and national development? In regions where women have advanced the least, why have such strong gender inequalities persisted, and how has household and national progress been impeded as a result? In the latter (suboptimal) scenario, what can be done about the existing state of affairs? We will examine an array of policy options and innovations that have been designed and implemented to lift the prospects of women in the Global South, and also consider the domestic and international support for such policies.  The reforms under analysis aim to lift the human capital and welfare of women (e.g. education and health services), as well as make women more competitive in the labor market and powerful in institutions of governance.  We will examine reforms that affect women over the course of the life cycle: childhood, the reproductive years, and old age.  A key theme will be that effective policies take into account specific gender considerations.  Focusing on the Global South, we will draw on examples from various countries.

Please check back for updates.

SUPERVISED TEACHING IN GOVERNMENT

GOV 398T

Fall 2019

Professor Wendy Hunter

Course Description

This course is intended to enhance your confidence and effectiveness as a teacher.  Practical in focus, it will concentrate on how to design a syllabus, lecture effectively, lead engaging discussions, develop assignments to assess learning, head off problems with students and deal with them after they occur.  Additional topics to be covered include employing diverse teaching techniques for larger vs. smaller classes, reaching and motivating different kinds and levels of students, and rising to some of the challenges specific to our discipline, such as the discussion of controversial social and political topics.

            In keeping with the practical focus of the course, we will identify a core set of problems that occur frequently in teaching large undergraduate courses, develop insights on why they occur, and arrive at solutions for handling them.  We will also discuss how to learn from student feedback and how to design a teaching portfolio.    

Class sessions will proceed by discussing handouts I have made up based on synthesizing the literature on the given topic of the week.  

The main texts we will draw on are Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors by Linda B. Nilson (2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.) and How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching by Susan A. Ambrose et al. (2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.).  They, as well as other readings, will be made available through e-mails to the group of students taking the course.  They will also be posted on CANVAS.  

There are no prerequisites. The course must be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis.   Assignments and their relative weighting in the final grade are as follows.   

*Seminar participation (15 percent)

*Syllabus design of one course (25 percent).  Instructions will be handed out.

*Development and write up of two in-class activities to be done in relation to the

            envisioned course around which the syllabus is designed (25 percent).

*A stand up (videotaped) lecture on the research related to your dissertation or on a topic of

            your choice (25 percent).

*Preliminary teaching statement for the job market (10 percent)   

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

This course will examine the causes and consequences of gender equality and inequality in the world. We will begin by taking stock of gender equality (identifying where the most and least progress has occurred), and then proceed to establish what the causal links are between women’s empowerment and the development of countries.  In regions where women have fared the best, what have been the conditions and policies that supported their rise, and how has the empowerment of women contributed to national development? In regions where women have advanced the least, why have such strong gender inequalities persisted, and how has national progress been impeded as a result? In the latter scenario, what can be done about the suboptimal existing state of affairs? We will examine an array of policy options that have been designed and implemented to lift the prospects of women in the Global South, and also consider the domestic and international support for such policies. The policies to be analyzed concern crucial points in the life cycle of women: early childhood, adolescence and the reproductive years, and old age. Focusing on the Global South, we will draw on examples from various countries.  Women will be seen as key decision-makers in their households, as well as important agents of development in their countries.

Key readings will include the following: 

Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  2009. Half the Sky:  Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.   New York:  Random House.  

World Bank.  World Development Report.  2012.  Gender Equality and Development.  Washington, D.C. World Bank Publications. 

United Nations.  2016.  Progress of the World’s Women, 2015-2016.   New York:  United Nations.

For the section on women and health care, we will draw amply from publications culled and archived by the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University.   For the section on women and education, we will make significant use of research done by the World Bank.  Readings on issues affecting elderly women, such as old age pensions, will come primarily from HelpAge International. 

SUPERVISED TEACHING IN GOVERNMENT

Government 398T

T 9:30-12:30

Fall 2018

Professor Wendy Hunter

Department of Government, Batts Hall 3.138

wendyhunter@austin.utexas.edu;  (512) 232-7247

Course Description

This course is intended to enhance your confidence and effectiveness as a teacher.  Practical in focus, it will concentrate on how to design a good syllabus, lecture effectively, lead engaging discussions, develop assignments to assess learning, and head off problems with students as well as deal with them after they occur.  Additional topics to be covered include employing diverse teaching techniques for larger vs. smaller classes, reaching and motivating different kinds and levels of students, and rising to some of the challenges specific to our discipline, such as the discussion of controversial social and political topics.

                In keeping with the practical focus of the course, we will identify a core set of problems that occur frequently in teaching large undergraduate courses, develop insights on why they occur, and arrive at solutions for dealing with them.  We will also discuss how to learn from student feedback and how to design a teaching portfolio. 

            Class sessions will proceed by discussing handouts I have made up based on synthesizing the literature on the given topic of the week.  

The main texts we will draw on are Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors byLinda B. Nilson (2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.) and How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching bySusan A. Ambrose et al.(2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.).  They, as well as other readings, will be made available online to the group of students taking the course.     

There are no prerequisites. The course must be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis.   Assignments and their relative weighting in the final grade are as follows.  

*Seminar participation (25 percent)

*Syllabus design of one course (50 percent).

*Two stand up (videotaped) lectures (25 percent). Everyone will re-do their lecture in response to feedback given in round one.   

This course will examine the causes and consequences of gender equality and inequality in the world. We will begin by taking stock of gender equality (identifying where the most and least progress has occurred), and then proceed to establish what the causal links are between women’s empowerment and the development of countries.  In regions where women have fared the best, what have been the conditions and policies that supported their rise, and how has the empowerment of women contributed to national development? In regions where women have advanced the least, why have such strong gender inequalities persisted, and how has national progress been impeded as a result? In the latter scenario, what can be done about the suboptimal existing state of affairs? We will examine an array of policy options that have been designed and implemented to lift the prospects of women in the Global South, and also consider the domestic and international support for such policies. The policies to be analyzed concern crucial points in the life cycle of women: early childhood, adolescence and the reproductive years, and old age. Focusing on the Global South, we will draw on examples from various countries.  Women will be seen as key decision-makers in their households, as well as important agents of development in their countries.

Key readings will include the following: 

Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  2009. Half the Sky:  Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.   New York:  Random House.  

World Bank.  World Development Report.  2012.  Gender Equality and Development.  Washington, D.C. World Bank Publications. 

United Nations.  2016.  Progress of the World’s Women, 2015-2016.   New York:  United Nations.

For the section on women and health care, we will draw amply from publications culled and archived by the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University.   For the section on women and education, we will make significant use of research done by the World Bank.  Readings on issues affecting elderly women, such as old age pensions, will come primarily from HelpAge International. 

This course is a graduate-level introduction to Latin American politics.  It is designed to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools to engage in cross-national study and research of political processes in Latin America.  It explores alternative theoretical approaches as well as substantive topics of major importance studied by scholars in the field.   Priority will be placed on critically examining the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to understanding political and economic change in the region.   The debates and theoretical currents that we will examine have been central not only in the study of Latin American politics but also in the development of the sub-discipline of Comparative Politics over the last thirty years.  

No prerequisites are necessary.

Texts

*Democracies and Dictatorships in Latin America: Emergence, Survival, and Fall, by       Scott Mainwaring and Aníbal Pérez-Liñán.  New York: Cambridge University          Press, 2013.

*Transitions from Authoritarian Rule:  Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain     Democracies, by Guillermo O'Donnell and Philippe C. Schmitter.  Baltimore:           Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986. 

*Democracy and the Left: Social Policy and Inequality in Latin America, by Evelyne        Huber and John D. Stephens.  Chicago and London:  The University of Chicago    Press, 2012.  

*Changing Course in Latin America: Party Systems in the Neoliberal Era, by Kenneth M. Roberts. New York: Cambridge University Press,2014.

*The Resurgence of the Latin American Left, edited by Steven Levitsky and Kenneth

            M. Roberts.  Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. 

*The Resilience of the Latin American Right, edited by Juan Pablo Luna and Cristóbal

            Rovira Kaltwasser.  Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. 

All other readings are posted on Canvas. 

Course Requirements  

Seminar participation                                               20 percent

Two position papers                                                 5 percent each

Two short essays                                                       20 percent each

Final integrative essay or research design                         30 percent

SUPERVISED TEACHING IN GOVERNMENT

Government 398T, 39010

Thursday, 9:30-12:30

Batts 5.102

Fall 2017

Professor Wendy Hunter

Department of Government, Batts Hall 3.138

Office hours:  Thursdays 1:00–4:00 and by appointment

wendyhunter@austin.utexas.edu                                

(512) 232-7247

Course Description

This course is intended to enhance your confidence and effectiveness as a teacher.  Practical in focus, it will concentrate on how to design a syllabus, lecture effectively, lead engaging discussions, develop assignments to assess learning, head off problems with students and deal with them after they occur.  Additional topics to be covered include employing diverse teaching techniques for larger vs. smaller classes, reaching and motivating different kinds and levels of students, and rising to some of the challenges specific to our discipline, such as the discussion of controversial social and political topics.

            In keeping with the practical focus of the course, we will identify a core set of problems that occur frequently in teaching large undergraduate courses, develop insights on why they occur, and arrive at solutions for handling them.  We will also discuss how to learn from student feedback and how to design a teaching portfolio.    

Class sessions will proceed by discussing handouts I have made up based on synthesizing the literature on the given topic of the week.  

The main texts we will draw on are Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors byLinda B. Nilson (2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.) and How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching bySusan A. Ambrose et al.(2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.).  They, as well as other readings, will be made available through e-mails to the group of students taking the course.  They will also be posted on CANVAS.  

The course must be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis.   Assignments and their relative weighting in the final grade are as follows.   

*Seminar participation (25 percent)

*Syllabus design of one course (25 percent).  Instructions will be handed out on this

            assignment. 

*Development and write up of two in-class activities to be done in relation to the

            envisioned course around which the syllabus is designed (25 percent).

*A stand up (videotaped) lecture on the research related to your dissertation or on a topic of

            your choice (25 percent). Detailed instructions will follow.  

Course Description for Politics, Economy, and Society of Contemporary Brazil

GOV 337 M

This course will examine the major economic, political, and sociological developments of Brazil in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. It will concentrate on the broad themes of state-led industrialization and economic management; the alternation of authoritarian politics and democratic government; and the multiple problems brought on by high levels of socio-economic inequality. In addition to the many challenges that Brazil faces, the course will also examine the many opportunities the country has. 

The political topics to be covered include the institutions that allow elites to retain power and privilege, and those that foster corruption.  Economic topics include recent moves toward increased globalization and the tapping of Amazonian resources.  Sociological subjects include the high rates of crime and related problems that have arisen from the pursuit of a development model that has led to extreme concentrations of wealth and record levels of income inequality. The topic of race will also be covered as it relates to economics, politics, and sociology.  Brazil’s place in the world and its historical efforts to enhance its position in the region will also be treated.

The course assumes no prior knowledge or prerequisites.   

Two books are required and are available for purchase at the University bookstore.  All other readings will be made available on Canvas.    

Required Items for Purchase

Skidmore, Thomas E. 2009. Brazil: Five Centuries of Change. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Bailey, Stanley. 2009. Legacies of Race: Identities, Attitudes, and Politics in Brazil.            

Stanford: Stanford University Press.

 Assignment:                                                   Grade Distribution                

Class participation                                           10 percent                     

First in-class examination                                10 percent                                 

Second in-class examination                            20 percent                               

Third in-class examination                               20 percent                                 

Essay on film                                                  10 percent                               

Final take home essay                                     30 percent

Analytical Issues in Latin American Politics, Government 390L

Professor Wendy Hunter

Course Description

This course is a graduate-level introduction to Latin American politics.  It is designed to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools to engage in cross-national study and research of political processes in Latin America.  It explores alternative theoretical approaches as well as substantive topics of major importance studied by scholars in the field.   Priority will be placed on critically examining the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to understanding political and economic change in the region.   The debates and theoretical currents that we will examine have been central not only in the study of Latin American politics but also in the development of the sub-discipline of Comparative Politics over the last thirty years.  

No prerequisites are necessary.

Texts

Routledge Handbook of Latin American Studies, edited by Peter Kingstone and Deborah J. Yashar.  New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.

Changing Course in Latin America: Party Systems in the Neoliberal Era, by Kenneth M. Roberts. New York: Cambridge University Press,2014.

Transitions from Authoritarian Rule:  Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies, by Guillermo O'Donnell and Philippe C. Schmitter.  Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986. 

Democracy and the Left: Social Policy and Inequality in Latin America, by Evelyne Huber and John D. Stephens.  Chicago and London:  The University of Chicago Press, 2012.  

All other readings are posted on Canvas. 

Course Requirements  

Seminar participation                                               20 percent

Two position papers                                                 5 percent each

Two short essays                                                     20 percent each

Final integrative essay or research design                  30 percent

Professor Wendy Hunter

Department of Government

Batts Hall 3.138,

wendyhunter@austin.utexas.edu                               

(512) 232-7247

Course Description

This course is intended to enhance your effectiveness and confidence as a teacher.  It will focus on designing a syllabus, lecturing effectively, leading engaging discussions, motivating students, constructing assignments to assess learning, heading off problems with students, and learning from student feedback.  Additional topics to be covered include employing diverse teaching techniques for larger vs. smaller classes, reaching different kinds and levels of students, and dealing with some of the challenges specific to the nature of our discipline, such as the discussion of controversial social and political topics. 

Besides the book by Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, the main texts we will draw on are Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors byLinda B. Nilson (2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.) and How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching bySusan A. Ambrose et al.(2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.)  They, as well as other readings, will be made available through Canvas.     

The grade for the course (plus and minus will be used) will be calculated as follows.   

*Seminar participation (25 percent)

*Syllabus design of one course (50 percent). Instructions will be handed out on this assignment. 

*One stand up (videotaped) lecture on the research related to your dissertation (25 percent). More detailed instructions will be given at a later date.   

Course Description

This course is a graduate-level introduction to Latin American politics.  It is designed to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools to engage in cross-national study and research of political processes in Latin America.  It explores alternative theoretical approaches as well as substantive topics of major importance studied by scholars in the field.   Priority will be placed on critically examining the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to understanding political and economic change in the region.   The debates and theoretical currents that we will examine have been central not only in the study of Latin American politics but also in the development of the sub-discipline of Comparative Politics over the last thirty years.  

There are no prerequisites for the course.

Textbooks

Transitions from Authoritarian Rule:  Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies, by Guillermo O'Donnell and Philippe C. Schmitter.  Baltimore:  Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986. 

Brokers, Voters, and Clientelism, by Susan C. Stokes, Thad Dunning, Marcelo Nazareno, and Valeria Brusco, 2013. 

Democracy and the Left: Social Policy and Inequality in Latin America, by Evelyne Huber and John D. Stephens.  Chicago and London:  The University of Chicago Press, 2012.  

Grading Policy

Grades will be based on two short (2-3 page) presentation papers (5 percent each); two 5-7 page essays (20 percent each); one final integrative essay OR research design (30 percent), and class participation (20 percent). 

Course Description

This course is intended to enhance your confidence and effectiveness as a teacher.  It will focus on designing a syllabus, lecturing effectively, leading engaging discussions, motivating students, constructing assignments to assess learning, heading off problems with students, and learning from student feedback.  Additional topics to be covered include employing diverse teaching techniques for larger vs. smaller classes, reaching different kinds and levels of students, and dealing with some of the challenges specific to the nature of our discipline, such as the discussion of controversial social and political topics. 

No prerequisites are necessary.

One text is necessary for purchase:  Ken Bain.  2004.  What the Best College Teachers Do.  Harvard University Press.  

All other readings will be made available through the instructor.   Besides the Ken Bain book, the main texts we will draw on are Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors byLinda B. Nilson (2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.) and How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching bySusan A. Ambrose et al.(2010, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.)  I will make both books available to students electronically.  I will also hand out miscellaneous short readings. 

This is a very practical “how to” course on various elements of teaching.  It is intended to enhance your effectiveness and confidence as a teacher.  We will learn “by doing” and by having ongoing discussion and feedback.  Topics included effective lecturing, breaking up lectures with various other activities, leading engaging discussions, reaching different kinds and levels of students, dealing with some of the challenges specific to the nature of our discipline (e.g. controversial social and political topics), preventing conflicts with students, and dealing with problematic interactions when they occur.  

            I will keep the reading to a minimum as the goal of the course is not to bog you down with more work but to help you in very strategic, concrete, and immediate ways in your Assistant Instructor position.   By Friday of the preceding week, I will send out via e-mail anything that needs to be read over before the class session on Tuesday.  I will try to condense the main findings of the literature as much as possible and produce a list of “dos” and “don’ts.”  

            Each time we meet, students should be prepared to share one question, doubt, or problematic experience, as well as one example of a technique they tried and seemed to work well.   Students should feel free to raise in the group any concerns they have. 

            Highlights of the course include two videotaped lectures and the development of a teaching portfolio.  After the first videotaped lecture, done early in the semester, students will sit down with me for a joint review and critique.   The intention of the second videotaped lecture, done later in the course, is to receive further feedback once improvements have been attempted.

There are no prerequisites or texts to purchase.   Grading will be done on a Credit/No-Credit basis. 

Course Description

This course is intended to enhance your confidence and effectiveness as a teacher.  It will focus on designing a syllabus, lecturing effectively, leading engaging discussions, motivating students, constructing assignments to assess learning, heading off problems with students, and learning from student feedback.  Additional topics to be covered include employing diverse teaching techniques for larger vs. smaller classes, reaching different kinds and levels of students, and dealing with some of the challenges specific to the nature of our discipline, such as the discussion of controversial social and political topics. 

No prerequisites are necessary.

One text necessary for purchase:  Ken Bain.  2004.  What the Best College Teachers Do.     Harvard University Press.  (ISBN 0-674-01325-5)

All other readings will be made available electronically.  

How the grade will be calculated.  

Seminar participation (25 percent)

Syllabus design of two courses (50 percent)

One lecture (25 percent)

This course will examine the major economic, political, and sociological developments of Brazil in the 20th and 21st centuries.   It will concentrate on the broad themes of state-led industrialization and economic management; the alternation of authoritarian politics and democratic government; and the multiple problems brought on by high levels of socio-economic inequality.   In addition to the many challenges that Brazil faces, the course will also examine the many opportunities the country has. 

             The political topics to be covered include the institutions that allow elites to retain power and privilege.  Economic topics include recent moves toward increased globalization and the tapping of Amazonian resources.  Sociological subjects include the high rates of crime and related problems that have arisen from the pursuit of a development model that has led to extreme concentrations of wealth and record levels of income inequality.      

            The course assumes no prior knowledge or prerequisites.   

Two books are required and are available for purchase at the University bookstore.  All other readings are available on Blackboard under Course Documents.

Required Items for Purchase

-       Skidmore, Thomas E. 2009. Brazil: Five Centuries of Change. New York: Oxford        University Press, 2009.

-       Bailey, Stanley. 2009. Legacies of Race: Identities, Attitudes, and Politics in Brazil.      Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Requirements and Grading:

Reading is due by the Tuesday session of each week.  It is imperative that students do the readings, reflect upon them, and come to class prepared to discuss them.  Class participation, which goes beyond simple attendance, will be a significant factor in the final grade.  There will be one quiz, two in-class examinations, an essay about a film, and a final take-home essay that reflects upon the course as a whole. Please bring a blue book to both exams. The instructions for the film essay are on Blackboard.  I will hand out questions and instructions for the final essay well in advance of its due date.

Assignment:                                                    Grade Distribution                 Due Date

Class participation                                          10 percent                    

Quizzes (2)                                                     10 percent                                

First in-class examination                               20 percent                              

Second in-class examination                            20 percent                                

Essay on film                                                  10 percent                              

Final take home essay                                     30 percent                                

Grading: This course will use plus/minus grades.

Your final grade will be calculated as follows:  we will sum all the points you received in the class and convert them into letter grades based on the following scale:

93-100 = A

90-92 = A-

87-89 = B+

83-86 = B

80-82 = B-

77-79 = C+

73-76 = C

70-72 = C-

67-69 = D+

63-66 = D

60-62 = D-

Below 60 = F

Without exception, we will round up scores of 0.5 and higher and round down scores of less than 0.5. Students who wish to contest a grade must do so in writing within two weeks of the day on which the assignment was handed back in class.  Students must go first to one of the TAs and then to the professor only if the meeting, scheduled after receipt of the written appeal, was deemed unsatisfactory. 

Attendance will be accounted for as part of your class participation grade.

The final essay must be submitted at the beginning of the last class session.  There is a penalty of a full letter grade per day for late essays (both the film essay and the final essay).  We will not accept papers that are submitted via e-mail.

Make-up policy:  Students are expected to take the quiz and two in-class exams on the scheduled dates, and to hand the film essay and final essay in on time.  Make ups and extensions will be reserved for the most exceptional of circumstances, such as a serious medical illness (accompanied by a physician’s letter) or death of a close family member.   You must have documentation in order for a make up to be considered. Weddings and graduation ceremonies will not be considered an acceptable basis for any missed examinations or an extension on the final.

Course Description

This course will examine the major economic, political, and sociological developments of Brazil in the 20th and 21st centuries.   It will concentrate on the broad themes of state-led industrialization and economic management; the alternation of authoritarian politics and democratic government; and the multiple problems brought on by high levels of socio-economic inequality.   In addition to the many challenges that Brazil faces, the course will also examine the many opportunities the country has. 

The political topics to be covered include the institutions that allow elites to retain power and privilege.  Economic topics include recent moves toward increased globalization and the tapping of Amazonian resources.  Sociological subjects include the high rates of crime and related problems that have arisen from the pursuit of a development model that has led to extreme concentrations of wealth and record levels of income inequality.      

The course assumes no prior knowledge or prerequisites.   

Two books are required and are available for purchase at the University bookstore.  All other readings are available on Blackboard under Course Documents.

Grading Policy

Reading is due by the Tuesday session of each week.  It is imperative that students do the readings, reflect upon them, and come to class prepared to discuss them.  Class participation, which goes beyond simple attendance, will be a significant factor in the final grade.  There will be one quiz, two in-class examinations, an essay about a film, and a final take-home essay that reflects upon the course as a whole. Please bring a blue book to both exams. The instructions for the film essay are on Blackboard and I will hand out questions and instructions for the final essay well in advance of its due date.

Assignment:                                                    Grade Distribution                

Class participation                                          10 percent                    

Quiz                                                             10 percent                                

First in-class examination                               20 percent                              

Second in-class examination                           20 percent                                

Essay on film                                                 10 percent                              

Final take home essay                                    30 percent                                

This course will use plus/minus grades. Attendance will be accounted for as part of your class participation grade.

The final essay must be submitted at the beginning of the last class session.  There is a penalty of a full letter grade per day for late essays (both the film essay and the final essay).  I will not accept papers that are submitted via e-mail.

Texts

-       Skidmore, Thomas E. 2009. Brazil: Five Centuries of Change. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

-       Bailey, Stanley. 2009. Legacies of Race: Identities, Attitudes, and Politics in Brazil. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Course Description

This course is a graduate-level introduction to Latin American politics.  It is designed to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools to engage in cross-national study and research of political processes in Latin America.  It explores alternative theoretical approaches as well as substantive topics of major importance studied by scholars in the field.   Priority will be placed on critically examining the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to understanding political and economic change in the region.   The debates and theoretical currents that we will examine have been central not only in the study of Latin American politics but also in the development of the sub-discipline of Comparative Politics over the last thirty years.  

Course Requirements  

1. Seminar participation:  The success of the seminar will depend first and foremost upon the active engagement of students.  Barring extraordinary circumstances, students should always come prepared to discuss and debate the material.  You must contact me ahead of time if you plan to miss a session.  

2. Two position briefs. Twice during the semester students will write a brief (3-4 double-spaced pages in length) on the readings in response to questions that will be handed out. The same students who write for the week will lead off the class discussion.  Students will sign up to select these days.  

3. Two short essays.  Students will be required to write two short essays (6–8 double-spaced pages) that critically analyze the readings around given questions.  These essays must put forth and develop a thesis, not merely summarize/synthesize the readings. 

4. Final Assignment:  Students will be required to write a final integrative essay (10–12 double-spaced pages) in response to given questions OR come up with a research design for a proposed study. Instructions will follow on the latter. Doctoral students who plan on doing theses on Latin America are urged to consider the research design option.

Deadlines and Grade Determination

Seminar participation:  20 percent

Position papers:  5 percent each (students will sign up for two specific dates)

Two short essays:  20 percent each

Final Essay: 30 percent 

You should e-mail the class your position papers by 8:00 am on the day you will present.

Please submit the essays to my government department box by 4:00 of the day they are due.   I will not accept papers via e-mail.   Late papers will be penalized by 1/3 of a letter grade per day. 

Texts

Transitions from Authoritarian Rule. Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies, by Guillermo O'Donnell and Philippe C. Schmitter.  Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986. 

Democracy and the Left: Social Policy and Inequality in Latin America, by Evelyne Huber and John D. Stephens.  Chicago and London:  The University of Chicago Press. 

Leftist Governments in Latin America: Successes and Shortcomings, edited by Kurt Weyland, Raúl L. Madrid, and Wendy Hunter.  New York:  Cambridge University Press.

All other readings have been posted on Blackboard. 

Prerequisites: 

None

Course Description:

 In recent decades, social movements have mobilized people concerned about issues ranging from the rights of women and ethnic minorities to the environment, human rights, and world peace.  These new social movements are frequently distinguished by the socio-economic heterogeneity of their members, the informal and fluid nature of their organization, the uneasy relationship they have to established political institutions, and the unconventional forms of protest they employ.

This course will examine and analyze the origins, modes of action, and impact of movements centered on three issues:  women, racial minorities, and the environment.  Comparisons will be made between the civil rights movement in the United States and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, feminism in the United States and in Chile, and the Greens in West Germany and Brazilian efforts to diminish the destruction of the Amazon rain forest. 

The goal of this comparative enterprise will be to examine how different socio-economic and political contexts shape social movements based on somewhat common issues.  For example, in many developing societies, where great numbers of people are poor, uneducated, and often intimidated by authoritarian governments, social movements face particularly stiff obstacles to organization.  International attention and support have often been necessary to protect these movements.  By contrast, in the West, basic human rights are more likely to be guaranteed and an articulate middle class with a sense of political efficacy is more likely to assure the success of a social movement.   In this vein, the course will analyze how social movements emerge and function within existing structures of politics, and how they try to create new structures of interest representation to influence policy-making.

Grading Policy: There will be two in class examinations during the course of the semester and one final take-home essay assignment.

Texts 

Sidney Tarrow.  2011.  Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics.  New York:  Cambridge University Press. 

Clayborne Carson.  1995.   In Struggle:  SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s.Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 

Boehmer, Elleke.  2008.  Nelson Mandela:  A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Ruth Rosen.  2000.  The World Split Open:  How the Women’s Movement Changed America. New York:  Viking/Penguin. 

Lisa Baldez.  2002.  Why Women Protest:  Women’s Movements in Chile.  New York: Cambridge University Press.

Other readings will be made available through Blackboard.   

Prerequisites: 

None

Course Description:

 In recent decades, social movements have mobilized people concerned about issues ranging from the rights of women and ethnic minorities to the environment, human rights, and world peace.  These new social movements are frequently distinguished by the socio-economic heterogeneity of their members, the informal and fluid nature of their organization, the uneasy relationship they have to established political institutions, and the unconventional forms of protest they employ.

This course will examine and analyze the origins, modes of action, and impact of movements centered on three issues:  women, racial minorities, and the environment.  Comparisons will be made between the civil rights movement in the United States and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, feminism in the United States and in Chile, and the Greens in West Germany and Brazilian efforts to diminish the destruction of the Amazon rain forest. 

The goal of this comparative enterprise will be to examine how different socio-economic and political contexts shape social movements based on somewhat common issues.  For example, in many developing societies, where great numbers of people are poor, uneducated, and often intimidated by authoritarian governments, social movements face particularly stiff obstacles to organization.  International attention and support have often been necessary to protect these movements.  By contrast, in the West, basic human rights are more likely to be guaranteed and an articulate middle class with a sense of political efficacy is more likely to assure the success of a social movement.   In this vein, the course will analyze how social movements emerge and function within existing structures of politics, and how they try to create new structures of interest representation to influence policy-making.

Grading Policy: There will be two in class examinations during the course of the semester and one final take-home essay assignment.

Texts 

Sidney Tarrow.  2011.  Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics.  New York:  Cambridge University Press. 

Clayborne Carson.  1995.   In Struggle:  SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s.Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 

Boehmer, Elleke.  2008.  Nelson Mandela:  A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Ruth Rosen.  2000.  The World Split Open:  How the Women’s Movement Changed America. New York:  Viking/Penguin. 

Lisa Baldez.  2002.  Why Women Protest:  Women’s Movements in Chile.  New York: Cambridge University Press.

Other readings will be made available through Blackboard.   

Description: 

This course will examine the major economic, political, and sociological developments of Brazil in the 20th and 21st centuries.   It will concentrate on the broad themes of state-led industrialization and economic management; the alternation of authoritarian politics and democratic government; and the multiple challenges brought on by high levels of social inequality in the country.   More specifically, economic topics include recent moves toward increased globalization and the tapping of Amazonian resources.  Political topics to be covered include the institutions that have allowed elites to retain power and privilege.  Sociological subjects include the high rates of crime and related challenges that have arisen from the pursuit of a development model that has led to extreme concentrations of wealth and record levels of income inequality.  The course also examines recent policies designed to alleviate poverty and improve the country’s profile of inequality. 

Prerequisites:

None

Requirements and Grading:

Reading is due by the Tuesday session of each week.  It is imperative that students do the readings, reflect upon them, and come to class prepared to discuss them.  Class participation will be a significant factor in the final grade.  Attendance will be accounted for as part of the class participation grade.  There will be one quiz, two in-class examinations, and a final take-home essay that reflects upon the course as a whole. I will hand out questions for the final essay well in advance of the due date.   

Assignment:                     Grade Distribution     

 Class participation                    10 percent    

 Quiz                                        10 percent

First in-class examination           25 percent  

Second in-class examination      25 percent   

Final take home essay               30 percent   

This course will use plus/minus grades.

Texts for purchase:   

- Bailey, Stanley. 2009. Legacies of Race: Identities, Attitudes, and Politics in Brazil. Stanford : Stanford University Press.

- Skidmore, Thomas E. 2009. Brazil: Five Centuries of Change. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

- Course Packet

Course Description

This course is a graduate-level introduction to Latin American politics.  It is designed to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools to engage in cross-national study and research of political processes in Latin America.  It explores alternative theoretical approaches as well as substantive topics of major importance studied by scholars in the field.   Priority will be placed on critically examining the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to understanding political and economic change in the region.   The debates and theoretical currents that we will examine have been central not only in the study of Latin American politics but also in the development of the sub-discipline of Comparative Politics over the last thirty years.   

Book to Purchase

Transitions from Authoritarian Rule.  Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies, by Guillermo O'Donnell and Philippe C. Schmitter.  Baltimore:  Johns Hopkins University Press,1986.  

Leftist Governments in Latin America:  Successes and Shortcomings, edited by Kurt Weyland, Raúl L. Madrid, and Wendy Hunter.  New York: Cambridge University Press.

Course Requirements   

1. Seminar participation:  The success of the seminar will depend first and foremost upon the active engagement of students.  Barring extraordinary circumstances, students should always come prepared to discuss and debate the material.  You must contact me ahead of time if you plan to miss a session.  

2. Two position papers. Twice during the semester students will write a very short paper (2-3 pages in length) on the readings in response to questions that will be handed out. The same students that write for the week will lead off the class discussion.  Students will sign up to select these days. 

 3. Two short essays.  Students will be required to write two short essays (6–8 pages) that critically analyze the readings around given questions.  These essays must put forth and develop a thesis, not merely summarize/synthesize the readings.  

4. Final essay.  Students will be required to write a final integrative essay (10–12 pages) in response to given questions.      

No prerequisites

See syllabus

coming soon

This course will examine the major economic, political, and sociological developments of 

Brazil in the 20th and 21st centuries.   It will concentrate on the broad themes of state-led 

industrialization and economic management; the alternation of authoritarian politics and 

democratic government; and the multiple problems brought on by high levels of socio- 

economic inequality.   In addition to the many challenges that Brazil faces, the course 

will also examine the many opportunities the country has.   

  The political topics to be covered include the institutions that allow elites to 

retain power and privilege.  Economic topics include recent moves toward increased 

globalization and the tapping of Amazonian resources.  Sociological subjects include the 

high rates of crime and related problems that have arisen from the pursuit of a 

development model that has led to extreme concentrations of wealth and record levels of 

income inequality.       

coming soon

Course Description: In recent decades, social movements have mobilized people concerned about issues ranging from the rights of women and ethnic minorities to the environment, human rights, and world peace.  These new social movements are frequently distinguished by the socio-economic heterogeneity of their members, the informal and fluid nature of their organization, the uneasy relationship they have to established political institutions, and the unconventional forms of protest they employ.
This course will examine and analyze the origins, modes of action, and impact of movements centered on three issues:  women, racial minorities, and the environment.  Comparisons will be made between the civil rights movement in the United States and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, feminism in the United States and Chile, and the Greens in West Germany and Brazilian efforts to diminish the destruction of the Amazon rain forest.  
The goal of this comparative enterprise will be to examine how different socio-economic and political contexts shape social movements based on somewhat common issues.  For example, in many developing societies, where great numbers of people are poor, uneducated, and often intimidated by authoritarian governments, social movements face particularly stiff obstacles to organization.  International attention and support have often been necessary to protect these movements.  By contrast, in the West, basic human rights are more likely to be guaranteed and an articulate middle class with a sense of political efficacy is more likely to assure the success of a social movement.   In this vein, the course will analyze how social movements emerge and function within existing structures of politics, and how they try to create new structures of interest representation to influence policy-making.

Grading Policy: There will be an in-class midterm, an in-class final, and one essay.

Textbooks:

Sidney Tarrow.  1998.  Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics.  
(second edition).  New York:  Cambridge University Press.  

Clayborne Carson.  2001.   In Struggle:  SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s.
(fourth printing).  Cambridge:  Harvard University Press.  

Ruth Rosen.  2000.  The World Split Open:  How the Women’s Movement Changed
America.  New York:  Viking/Penguin.  

Lisa Baldez.  2002.  Why Women Protest:  Women’s Movements in Chile.  New York:   
Cambridge University Press.

Chico Mendes.  1989.  Fight for the Forest.  New York:  Monthly Review Press.

Course Description: Why are developing countries still so impoverished?  Why are income disparities in the world still so pronounced?  Why are some countries progressing and others not or much less so?   Focusing on these basic questions, this course provides an introduction to issues in Third World development and politics.  After analyzing some of the objective indicators of underdevelopment as well as gaining a greater appreciation of the subjective experiences of poverty and marginality, we will examine a number of economic, sociological and political frameworks for understanding some of the major constraints to and opportunities for advancement in developing societies.       

Grading Policy:  The grade will rest on class participation, an initial assessment of the human development report, two in-class examinations and a final take home essay.    

Textbooks:

The following books are required and will be available for purchase at the University bookstore.

Howard Handleman.  2009.  The Challenge of Third World Development. Longman.  
    Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

James C. Scott.  1976.  The Moral Economy of the Peasant:  Rebellion and Subsistence
in Southeast Asia. New Haven: Yale University Press.   

Paul Collier.  2007.  The Bottom Billion:  Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and
What Can be Done about It.  Oxford:  Oxford University Press.  

Ismael Beah.  2008.  A Long Way Gone:  Memoirs of Boy Soldier. New York:  Farrar,
    Straus and Giroux.   

  

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Honors Tutorial Course.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Preparation of a report to fulfill the requirement for the master's degree under the report option.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Latin American studies and consent of the supervising professor and the graduate adviser.

Offered on the credit/no credit basis only.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Please check back for updates.

Supervised individual study of selected problems in Latin American studies.

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor and the undergraduate adviser in Latin American studies.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.