This course is no longer offered

10402 Political Sociology

Credits: 3 intermediate credits in Sociology and Anthropology or in Political Science

Prerequisites: none

Required: Introduction to Sociology

The course analyzes the political process through which society determines who is eligible to receive what, how much and in what manner. It discusses various approaches to describing the political process and examines how these approaches correspond to reality in different societies and political cultures.

The course focuses on three central concepts: power, state and society, complemented by an examination of the mutual relations between the state and society, a classification of regimes and political cultures, civil society, and groups and political parties in various societies. The discussions focus on contemporary societies and regimes, and also present examples from recent and distant history. The course is geared toward students who wish to understand the processes which formed the reality in which we live.

Topics: The socio-political process; Power and its limits; Political culture and ideology; Comparative socio-political arrangements; Civil society, groups and political parties; The modern state and society.

Articles in Hebrew and a short article in English are an integral part of the materials. Radio broadcasts and selected parts of the series “Sociological Thought” are included for enrichment.