Ithaca College

POLT 14100-section 01 CRN 43258

What is power? How is it acquired and maintained? Why individuals and groups comply with or resist power? How is it distributed along the lines of race, gender, and class? How do we reproduce relations of power in our daily lives? This course introduces some of the major theoretical perspectives on power, reading some of the foundational texts of political theory with the interdisciplinary works of critical-race, feminist, and socialist scholars. Treating intersectionality as a method of analysis, we explore how racism, patriarchy, and capitalism relate to one another. We problematize their impact on the contemporary practices of citizenship, democracy, violence, and security. We also discuss to what extent these “-isms” dominate our own political imagination, and how we contribute to power relations that we problematize. The course material serves the practical purpose of better understanding, interpreting, and navigating our political environment.

The course has ICC DIVERSITY, ICC HUMANITIES and ICC SOCIAL SCIENCES designations. If you are interested in taking the course, and have questions, please email Prof. Sumru Atuk, satuk@ithaca.edu.