Critical Social Inquiry 0217 - The State: Theories and Histories of Domination and Resistance

The State has become the dominant political institution, claiming dominion over every speck of habitable land on the planet. But omnipresent as it seems, the modern State is a relatively new development in human affairs. What is the State? How did it originate, outcompete other political forms, and come to divide up the world? Why have people resisted and fled the State for as long as it has existed, and what tactics did resistance take? How does the State make itself appear to be natural, inevitable, and necessary? At its core, is the State a tool for protecting peace and fundamental human freedoms, or a structure of warmaking and oppression? What tactics does the State use to ensure internal order and compliance of its population? What are its future prospects? While grounded primarily in political theory, students will examine the State from a variety of academic disciplines and political ideologies. KEYWORDS:Government, domination, power, oppression, politics

Students are expected to spend a minimum of 6-8 hours of work outside of class time per week