| 4/25/2024 10:25:00 AM |
| Changed Course |
| CATALOG INFORMATION
|
| Discipline and Nbr:
POLS 18 | Title:
POLITICAL THEORY |
|
| Full Title:
Political Theory |
| Last Reviewed:5/8/2023 |
| Units | Course Hours per Week | | Nbr of Weeks | Course Hours Total |
| Maximum | 3.00 | Lecture Scheduled | 3.00 | 17.5 max. | Lecture Scheduled | 52.50 |
| Minimum | 3.00 | Lab Scheduled | 0 | 6 min. | Lab Scheduled | 0 |
| | Contact DHR | 0 | | Contact DHR | 0 |
| | Contact Total | 3.00 | | Contact Total | 52.50 |
| |
| | Non-contact DHR | 0 | | Non-contact DHR Total | 0 |
| | Total Out of Class Hours: 105.00 | Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50 | |
Title 5 Category:
AA Degree Applicable
Grading:
Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:
00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As:
Formerly:
Catalog Description:
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In this course, students will be introduced to political theory through a survey of classical, modern, and contemporary political writings. Course topics include an inquiry into the nature of justice and the relationship between the individual and the state, an examination of political ideologies, and the exploration of the relevance of political theory to contemporary issues.
Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent
Limits on Enrollment:
Schedule of Classes Information
Description:
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In this course, students will be introduced to political theory through a survey of classical, modern, and contemporary political writings. Course topics include an inquiry into the nature of justice and the relationship between the individual and the state, an examination of political ideologies, and the exploration of the relevance of political theory to contemporary issues.
(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION
| Associate Degree: | Effective: | Fall 1981
| Inactive: | |
| Area: | D
| Social and Behavioral Sciences
|
| |
| CSU GE: | Transfer Area | | Effective: | Inactive: |
| | D | Social Science | Fall 1997 | |
| | D8 | Political Science, Govt, Legal Instutns | | |
| |
| IGETC: | Transfer Area | | Effective: | Inactive: |
| | 4 | Social and Behavioral Science | Fall 1981 | |
| | 4H | Political Science:Govt and Legal Instutn | | |
| |
| CSU Transfer: | Transferable | Effective: | Fall 1981 | Inactive: | |
| |
| UC Transfer: | Transferable | Effective: | Fall 1981 | Inactive: | |
| |
| C-ID: |
| CID Descriptor: POLS 120 | Introduction to Political Theory and Thought | SRJC Equivalent Course(s): POLS18 |
Certificate/Major Applicable:
Major Applicable Course
COURSE CONTENT
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
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1. Discuss the core concepts and contributions of selected major political thinkers.
2. Identify changes within political thought over time through reading diverse foundational classical, modern, and contemporary political texts.
3. Apply the concepts covered in political theory to contemporary political issues.
Objectives:
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At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Identify the defining concepts and assumptions of selected political theories.
2. Assess the historical and social context surrounding the origination of political theories.
3. Compare and contrast modern political ideologies.
4. Analyze foundational primary texts written by selected major political thinkers.
5. Evaluate selected classical, modern, and contemporary political thinkers' proposed solutions to political problems addressed in their writings and apply the political thinkers' perspectives to current political problems.
6. Analyze the different assumptions and values about "human nature" and "reality" embedded in each political theory and examine the way these starting premises shape the questions asked and conclusions reached.
Topics and Scope
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I. Introducing Political Theory
A. The scope and purpose of the course
B. The tradition of political inquiry
C. Political theory questions - Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
1. The relationship between the individual and the state
2. The nature of justice
D. Situating political theory within the discipline of political science
II. Classical Political Thought
A. Explores the writings of selected major classical political thinkers, that may include and are not limited to:
1. Plato
2. Aristotle
3. Cicero
B. Greek and Roman political thought
1. Historical setting in ancient Greece and Rome
III. Modern Political Thought and Ideologies
A. Explores the writings of selected major modern political thinkers, that may include and are not limited to:
1. Thomas Hobbes
2. John Locke
3. Mary Wollstonecraft
4. Karl Marx
B. Social Contract Theory
C. Liberalism
D. Conservatism
E. Socialism
F. Fascism
IV. Contemporary Political Thought and Themes
A. Explores the writings of selected major contemporary political thinkers, that may include and are not limited to:
1. Frantz Fanon
2. Martin Luther King, Jr.
3. John Rawls
4. Kimberlé Crenshaw
B. Feminism
C. Social justice and minority rights
D. Environmental political thought
E. Theory, ideology, and the world today
Assignments:
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1. Weekly reading of assigned course texts (20-40 pages)
2. Complete writing homework assignments (2,500-5,000 words total) such as:
A. Analytical papers
B. Research papers
C. Reaction papers
3. Examinations (2-4)
4. Optional assignments, such as:
A. Quizzes
B. Presentations
C. Debates
D. Attendance and participation
Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.
| Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing. | Writing
30 - 60% |
| Writing homework assignments | |
| Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills. | Problem Solving
0 - 0% |
| None | |
| Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams. | Skill Demonstrations
0 - 0% |
| None | |
| Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams. | Exams
40 - 60% |
| Examinations; quizzes | |
| Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories. | Other Category
0 - 10% |
| Presentations; debates; attendance and participation | |
Representative Textbooks and Materials:
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Classic Primary Sources:
The Republic. Plato
A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Wollstonecraft, Mary.
The Wretched of the Earth. Fanon, Frantz.
A Theory of Justice. Rawls, John.
Secondary Sources:
Princeton Readings in Political Thought: Essential Texts from Plato to Populism. 2nd ed. Cohen, Mitchell. Princeton University Press. 2018 (classic).
Political Philosophy: The Essential Texts. 3rd ed. Cahn, Steven. Oxford University Press. 2014 (classic).
Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal. 11th ed. Ball, Terence, et. al. Routledge. 2019.
An Introduction to Political Philosophy. 4th ed. Wolff, Jonathan. Oxford University Press. 2022.
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