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CONTEMPORARY IDEOLOGIES

POLITICAL SCIENCE 1160

FALL 2011 INSTRUCTOR: Peter G. Prontzos PHONE: (604) 323-5836 OFFICE: B247k e-mail: pprontzos@langara.bc.ca OFFICE HOURS Monday: 1 – 2:30pm & 4:30 – 5pm Wednesday: 1 – 2:30pm & 5:30 - 6:30pm ...or by appointment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides students with a basic understanding of the content and relevance of various modern ideologies. Of equal importance is the need to evaluate ideologies critically and rationally. After a brief introduction to each ideology, we will discuss their major elements and read a brief selection from an advocate for each position.

COURSE FORMAT: The lectures will be based primarily on the texts and the Readings. There will be 4 seminars. Attendance and a Term Paper are both MANDATORY. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: Contemporary Political Ideologies: A Comparative Analysis, 14th Ed. (Sargent) The Communist Manifesto (Marx & Engels) Readings: Contemporary Ideologies (Prontzos) Guidelines for Academic Essays http://www.langara.bc.ca/departments/history-latin-political-science/ pdf/academic-essay-guidelines.pdf

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RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS:

What Every Environmentalist Needs To Know about Capitalism (Fred Magdoff and John Bellamy Foster)

Communalism (Issues 1 & 2) GRADING PROFILE: 4 Quizzes (5% each) 20%

Midterm Exam 25% Final Exam 30% Term Paper (1,500 - 2,000 words) 25% A+ 90-100 B+ 76-79 C+ 64-67 D 50-54 A 85-89 B 72-75 C 60-63 F 0-49 A- 80-84 B- 68-71 C- 55-59 LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Comprehend the value of critical thinking concerning belief

systems and ideologies. 2. Describe the social and intellectual origins of modern political

ideologies. 3. Summarize the main points of each ideology. 4. Assess both the descriptive and the normative elements of

these political worldviews. 5. Apply critical thinking and the knowledge derived from the

class to understand and evaluate their own perspectives.

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COURSE SCHEDULE WEEK 1 (Sept. 7) Introduction; Epistemology (Skepticism,

Post-Modernism.) WEEK 2 (Sept. 14) IDEOLOGIES. Chap. 1 (+ Marchak)

NATIONALISM. Chap. 2 (+ Barlow; Ignatieff) WEEK 3 (Sept. 21) GLOBALIZATION. Chap. 3 DEMOCRACY. Chap. 4 (+ Mill) WEEK 4 (Sept. 28) CAPITALISM, SOCIALISM, & DEMOCRACY Chap. 5 (+ Friedman, Olive, Miliband) WEEK 5 (Oct. 5) CAPITALISM, SOCIALISM, & DEMOCRACY (cont.)

[Seminar - QUIZ #1] WEEK 6 (Oct. 12) LIBERALISM, CONSERVATISM, & DEMOCRACY. Chap. 6 (+ Burke & Green) WEEK 7 (Oct. 19) [ MIDTERM - Monday]

FEMINISM. Chap. 7 (+ Millett, Ehrenreich, etc.) WEEK 8 (Oct. 26) FEMINISM (cont.) + GENDER / MEN

[Pollack + Readings] [Seminar - QUIZ #2] [Oct. 28 - Last Day for WITHDRAWAL (OXI!)]

WEEK 9 (Nov. 2) [ PAPER DUE! ]

MARXISM. Chap. 8 WEEK 10 (Nov. 9) MARXISM (cont.) Communist Manifesto;

neo-Marxism. [Seminar - QUIZ #3]

WEEK 11 (Nov. 16) ANARCHISM. Chap. 9 (+ Chomsky) [Seminar - Quiz #4] FASCISM. Chap. 10 (+ Mussolini; Eco)

WEEK 12 (Nov. 23) TBA. WEEK 13 (Nov. 30) LIBERATION/THIRD WORLD. Chap. 12

+ Sandinismo (Ramirez & Galeano). ENVIRONMENTALISM. Chap. 13 (+ Bookchin)

FINAL EXAMS: DEC. 5 -16

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POLITICAL SCIENCE 1160 CONTEMPORARY IDEOLOGIES

RESEARCH PAPER

Your Research Paper is due on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2. If you cannot meet this deadline, discuss the problem with me and submit a written request for an extension before the due date. If an extension is granted, a penalty of 2% per day may result.

The Paper MUST be NO LESS than 1,500 words and it should not exceed 2,000 words or so (without express permission). Papers which do not reach the minimum length will be returned for completion.

Choose one of the following approaches: 1. Discuss the most important arguments FOR and AGAINST a particular ideology. 2. Evaluate a specific element of an ideology (e.g. The Role of the State under Capitalism, or Women and Anarchism.) 3. Compare and contrast elements of two ideologies; for example, Property Rights in Liberalism and Socialism. 4. Discuss the intellectual and social origins of an ideology. 5. You may propose your own topic, as long as it is relevant to a modern political ideology. Check with me FIRST. NOTE: Every paper MUST include a discussion about how the Ideology that is discussed views human nature, (see Sargent, p. 14.)

Start your paper finding a topic that really interests you - this is a very important consideration and will allow you to do better work and to enjoy it more.

If you have any doubts about what is expected or how to proceed, please discuss your concerns with me. Your paper is a key element of this class, and I will expect that a reasonable effort will be made to produce a quality essay. You are invited to submit an outline and/or a first draft to me so that you can get feedback before your final copy is completed.

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One way to save yourself a lot of work is to narrow the focus of your thesis before beginning. For example, rather than writing on The Intellectual and Social Origins of Feminism, it would be easier to discuss, (for example), the Origins of Feminism in Canada, or Feminism in Canada in the 1930s.

The Paper should be typed and MUST be double-spaced.

It MUST have a Title Page and begin with a Thesis Statement (1 or 2 paragraphs), stating:

1) your topic, and 2) how you intend to structure your discussion. Stay on track.

Present evidence and argument, and at the end, summarize and give your analysis - that is, explain what is significant about what you discovered. This analysis is a VERY important part of your paper.

There MUST at least FIVE different sources in your bibliography. The majority cannot be from websites, and do NOT cite Wikipedia. Use the Department’s Guidelines for Academic Essays for details on structure, references, format, and so on. It’s on-line at:

http://www.langara.bc.ca/departments/history-latin-political-

science/pdf/academic-essay-guidelines.pdf

Remember: "It's" = "it is", NOT "its" (possessive.)

Make an extra copy in case the original is lost.

The Paper must be your own original work, written for this class. Plagiarizers will FAIL this course without exception!

(It is a good idea to get someone else to read your paper and offer suggestions about clarity, focus, and logic; to catch typos, and so on. Two useful questions are: “Can the average reader follow the discussion, or are there things that are left out, or are confusing?” A similar tactic is to set aside your draft for a day or two and then read it as if it was new to you).

Although this is not an English class, sloppy grammar and spelling, as well as careless organization, will not improve your grade. Langara College offers help with essay writing at the Writing Centre in the Library.

Finally, writing well is, above all, a matter of practice, so don’t be discouraged if your early work is not a masterpiece. It will improve in direct proportion to the effort that you put into it. And no matter what…

DON’T PANIC!