Tuesday-Thursday 3:40 – 5:00 Sproul 1102 Social Change
v. 9-25-08 ; 18 lectures
.
This is a course on the socio-cultural evolution and historical development of human institutions and human societies. We will compare stateless, state-based and modern systems to examine the rise and fall of large polities and the expansion and contraction of trade networks. The evolutionary history of capitalist globalization and the emergence of anti-systemic transnational movements will also be studied.
Systematic comparisons are made between intersocietal systems (world-systems) with attention to qualitative changes in the logic of social development. General theories of social evolution and historical development are reviewed and critiqued. The dynamics of the rise and fall of chiefdoms, states, empires, and modern hegemons will be studied. Earlier processes of pulsation in which trade networks expanded and contracted will be compared with recent waves of global integration in the modern world-system.
Grading is based on the midterm exam (30%) [November 6], the final (30%)[December 11], attendance (15%), and a short (less than 15 page typed, double-spaced) research paper (25%) [due December 4]. The midterm and the final will be in-class essay exams.
The following book is available at the University Book Store and is on reserve:
Jackie Smith, Social Movements for Global Democracy. (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008)
Available at the University Photocopy Service is C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change,
Readings marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Others are recommended. All required readings should be completed before the class meeting for which they are assigned.
Schedule of lectures and readings
September 25 Syllabus handed out. Overview of the course
September 30 History and Sociocultural Evolution
*C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change, Preface, Part 1, and Chapter 1,
Stephen Sanderson, Social Evolutionism
David Christian, Maps of Time
October 2 The comparative world-systems perspective
* C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change, Chapter 2,” The comparative world-systems approach”
C. Chase-Dunn and T.D. Hall, Rise and Demise
October 7, no lecture today
October 9: Biological bases of social evolution and the Self as an Institution
*C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change, Chapter 3, “Biological bases of sociocultural evolution”
*C. Chase-Dunn and B. Lerro, Social Change,, Chapter 4, “Building a social
self: the macro-micro link”
October 14 Hunter-gatherer world-systems and neolithic horticulture
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Part 2, Chapter 5, “World-systems of hunter-gatherers”
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 6 : The gardeners”
Brian Fagan, Before California
C. Chase-Dunn and K. Mann, The Wintu and Their Neighbors
October 16 The Sacred Chiefs and Early State-Based Systems: The Temple and the Palace
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 8 “The Sacred Chiefs”
Patrick Kirch, The Evolution of Polynesian Chiefdoms
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Part 2, Chapter 9 “The temple and the palace”
October 21 turn in short description of paper topic
October 21: Cognitive Evolution in the Bronze and Iron Ages and the early empires: semiperipheral marcher states and capitalist city-states
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 10
Bruce Lerro, From Earth Spirits to Sky Gods
October 23: The Central System and East/West Synchrony in Afroeurasia; and the Rise of the West
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 12
David Wilkinson, “Central Civilization” Comparative Civilizations Review 7: 31-59 (Fall)
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Part 4 and Chapter 13
Janet Abu-Lughod, Before European Hegemony
October 28 The Modern World-System; and the Early Modern System in the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries: From Genoa to Amsterdam.
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 14
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 15
Immanuel Wallerstein, The Modern World-System, Volume 1.
October 30 Midterm Study Questions Handed Out
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 16
Christopher Chase-Dunn, Global Formation
November 4 The Twentieth Century: Age of Extremes;
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 18
Giovanni Arrighi, The Long Twentieth Century
Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes
November 6: Midterm
November 11 no class, Veteran’s Day
November 18 Another Round of Hegemony and Globalization
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 19
C. Chase-Dunn, "Globalization: A World-Systems Perspective" Journal of World- Systems Research, Volume V, 2, 1999, 165-185. http://jwsr.ucr.edu/archive/vol5/number2/html/chase-dunn/index.shtml
November 20 Late Globalization and the Next Three Human Futures
*Chase-Dunn and Lerro, Chapter 20 (see Ilearn course web site)
C. Chase-Dunn “The world revolution of 20xx” IROWS Working Paper #35
Heikki Patomaki, The Political Economy of Global Security
November 25 Toward Global Democracy
* Jackie Smith, Social Movements for Global Democracy.Introduction- Chapter 4
November 27 no class, Thanksgiving
December 2 Final Exam Questions Handed Out/ Toward Global Democracy
*Jackie Smith, Social Movements for Global Democracy, Chapters 5-7.
Terry Boswell and Chris Chase-Dunnl, The Spiral of Capitalism and Socialism
Research Paper Due December 4
December 4 last class. Toward Global Democracy
* Jackie Smith, Social Movements for Global Democracy, Chapter 8-Conclusion
Thursday, December 11, 7-9pm : Final Exam
