Catalog

Academics > Catalog > 2010-2011 > Courses of Instruction > PLTC

Politics

The major in politics offers students the opportunity to examine politics from a variety of theoretical, cultural, and methodological perspectives. By raising fundamental questions about politics, courses encourage students to reflect carefully about the behaviors, institutions, ideologies, and dynamics of political life. Students are asked to reexamine their commonsense assumptions regarding politics, and to learn to think and write critically about political questions. As the study of politics is inherently multicultural and multidisciplinary, courses stress the importance of the diversity of the political experience, including a global range of cultural issues that address the roles of race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender in political life. More information on the politics department is available on the website (www.bates.edu/PLTC.xml).

Major Requirements

Students majoring in politics must complete eleven courses including:

1) Five courses, including a senior thesis, in a politics major concentration (described below) or a self-designed major concentration approved by the department. Proposals for self-designed major concentrations must be submitted to the department chair no later than the second semester of a student's junior year. Students may not count internships or transferred courses toward the major concentration.

2) Three courses in politics not listed among the courses in the politics major concentration. These courses must be taken from at least two different concentrations.

3) One 300-level seminar in the student's politics major concentration.

4) s49 (Political Inquiry), which must be taken in the sophomore or junior year and is a prerequisite for 457 or 458, the senior thesis.

5) 457 or 458. The senior thesis must be related to the politics major concentration unless the student petitions successfully for a waiver no later than the sixth day of classes in the senior year.

6) Two other courses in any politics major concentration.

Subject to departmental approval, students may receive credit for a maximum of two relevant off-campus courses. To receive approval, students are expected to write a short essay describing the relevance of each course taken off campus to their studies at Bates.

Subject to departmental approval, transfer students may receive credit for up to four courses toward the major taken prior to their arrival at Bates, and must take at least six courses in the major on the Bates campus.

Students may count no more than two 100-level courses and no more than two Short Term courses, including s49, toward the major.

Politics Major Concentrations

Students must complete five courses, including the senior thesis, in one of the approved major concentrations or successfully petition the department to develop their own major concentration. Students must complete one 300-level seminar in their major concentration, and no more than one 100-level course, in order to fulfill the major concentration requirement. The courses that fulfill major concentrations can be found on the departmental website. In addition, the major concentrations fulfilled by a course appear in parentheses at the end of the course description. The major concentrations are:

Institutional Politics: Formal organizations with written rules such as political and electoral institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and international organizations.

Identities and Interests: Politics, power relations, and movements embedded in and constructed through issues such as ethnicity, nationality, gender, race, sexuality, religion, kinship, class, and political affiliation.

Political Economy: Interactions of political and economic institutions and organizations, among states, within states, and across ethnic or national boundaries.

Philosophical, Literary, and Legal Studies: Close study of texts in political philosophy and contemporary theory, literature and other cultural productions, and legal cases and interpretations.

Governance and Conflict: Global politics; conflict resolution; issues of legitimacy, civil strife, peace, and war.

Declaring a Major in Politics

To declare a major in politics, the student must complete both the College's and the department's major declaration forms. The student should complete the department's form in consultation with a major advisor, who is assigned after consultation with the department chair. The student is expected to select courses within a major concentration that will serve as the area of interest for the development of a thesis topic. A new form must be completed if the student's interests change.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pass/fail grading may be elected for one course applied toward the major. This course must be below the 300 level.

Courses

INDS 100. African Perspectives on Justice, Human Rights, and Renewal.

This team-taught course introduces students to the physical, ecological, and climatic diversity of the African continent (human geography) and to the diverse cultural beliefs, values, and experiences that shape the complexity of Africa's nations and societies. By focusing on contrasting areas of study (Algeria, Nigeria, Rwanda-RDC, Somalia, South Africa) the course develops a set of key questions regarding the analysis of Africa and critical capacity against the received knowledge that defines most perceptions of the continent. Students consider how politics, race, ethnicity, and gender are at play within Africa's history and contemporary scene. They develop a familiarity with essential critical perspectives and gain knowledge regarding a specific region. Cross-listed in anthropology, French, and politics. Enrollment limited to 40. Normally offered every year. A. Dauge-Roth, E. Eames, L. Hill.
Concentrations