Overview
Now approaching its twenty-fifth year, this well-regarded interdisciplinary
program was launched by a small group of University faculty from several
departments committed to the idea of broad social inquiry. It offers
to qualified undergraduates the opportunity to pursue the study of society,
and the study of politics--conceived both in its broadest and narrowest
senses--without being limited by the boundaries, or the methodological
preoccupations, of the relevant disciplines. With the advice of associated
faculty, independent and capable students can fashion a program of study
that reflects both their intellectual interests and goals. Some students
construct a program that emphasizes thought and significant thinkers
(e.g. John Locke, Karl Marx, Max Weber, John Dewey, Hannah Arendt)
or concepts (justice, property, welfare, human rights). Others place
greater emphasis on concrete studies---in the past (nineteenth century
Christian missionaries in Africa; labor unions in the 1930s auto industry),
or in the present (the impact of "welfare reform;" the consequences
of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission). Some students
are more theoretically oriented, others more practically inclined; all
share a deep curiosity about the content and implications of social
and political thought. A key strength of the program is that, within
reasonable limits, it can be custom-tailored to the student's interest.
Another is its interdisciplinary character, established in the intense
year-long core seminar offered in the third year. The student can study
politics and society wherever they are best examined for his or her
purpose.
Among the departments and programs
that have played a considerable role in Political and Social Thought
are Government and Foreign Affairs, History, Sociology, Anthropology,
Studies in Women and Gender, Religious Studies, Philosophy; more
recently, Economics, Bioethics, and English, and have been involved
in the programs of our majors.
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Political
and Social Thought is an excellent major for a variety of
future activities—in many cases perhaps even better than a major within
a single department. Many students graduating from this program pursue
further study in graduate and professional schools, often gaining admission
to the nation’s top programs. Members of recent classes, for example,
have been accepted to law schools at Harvard, Yale, N.Y.U., and Virginia;
and to Ph.D. programs at the same and similar institutions. Other students
have gone on to careers in publishing, investment banking, labor organizing,
and positions in NGOs and advocacy groups like Amnesty International.
In short, PST majors find themselves well–prepared for careers in a
wider variety of fields.
Because of the intense and cohesive
nature of the program over two years, study abroad during the school
year cannot ordinarily be allowed.
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Faculty: Michael Joseph Smith,
the Program Director, is Associate Professor of Government and Foreign
Affairs and the Thomas C. Sorenson Professor of Political and Social
Thought. From 1996-99, he served with now retired Professor William
Lee Miller as the Associate Director of the Program. Mr. Smith focuses
his research interests on human rights and the ethical dilemmas of modern
international politics, and has wide experience teaching in interdisciplinary
programs, including the Philosophy, Politics and Economics program at
Oxford University, and the Social Studies program at Harvard University.
Other faculty associated with the program and sometime members
of its Faculty Committee include, among others, Ellen Contini-Morava
and George Mentore of Anthropology; James Childress, Charles Mathewes,
John Portmann, and William Wilson of Religious Studies; John Arras,
Talbot Brewer, and John Simmons of Philosophy; George Klosko, Joshua
Dienstag, and Colin Bird of Government and Foreign Affairs; Erik Middlefort
and Allan Megill of History; Krishan Kumar, Murray Milner, and Sharon
Hayes of Sociology; Ann Lane of History and Studies in Women and Gender;
Rita Felski and Michael Levenson of English. Beyond the faculty more
or less formally associated with the program, students in PST have found
that the high reputation of the program has meant that they can draw
upon the ablest faculty members from all the relevant departments to
serve as thesis advisors. The graduate teaching assitant to the program
is Ms. Irene Oh.
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Students The program attracts able,
creative, diverse and independent students with strong interests, theoretical
and practical, in politics and society. Each spring about 16-18 rising
third year students are selected for the program from a substantial
applicant pool. Students are chosen on the basis of strong grades, a
writing sample, a faculty recommendation, and a short essay explaining
the student's interest in the field. PST majors share an intense, full-year
core seminar in their third year in which they write short essays virtually
every week. In the fourth year students focus on their individual thesis
projects, while sharing thoughout the year a bi-weekly thesis seminar
and workshop. In this way they come to know each other, and their teachers,
deeply and well.
PST
Class of 2003
PST Class of 2004
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Requirements for Major
There are four basic components to the major:
l. P.S.T. Seminars:
8 hours
2. Foundation Courses:
6 hours
3. Area Studies: 18
hours
4. A Thesis:
6 hours
1. P.S.T. Seminars: 8
hours, open to majors only, consisting of PST 485, PST 487, PST 498).
See course descriptions below.
2. Foundation courses: Each
student must complete at least six (6) hours from the following list
of courses, or equivalents approved by the director, dealing with political
and social thought or its historical foundations:
ANTH 301 Theory and History
of Anthropology
ECON 412 Evolution of Economic
Thought
GFPT 301 Ancient Political
Theory
GFPT 302 Modern Political
Theory
GFPT 303 Contemporary Political
Thought
GFPT 305 American Political
Theory
HIEU 378 Origins of Modern Thought
HIEU 379 Intellectual History of Modern
Europe
HIEU 380 Origins of Contemporary
Thought
PHIL 257 Political Philosophy
PHIL 351 Ethics
PHIL 369 Justice, Law, and Morality
REL 233/4 History of Christian
Political and Social Thought
SOC 302 Introduction to
Social Theory
SOC 503 Classical Sociological
Theory
SWAG 381 Feminist
Theories and Methods
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3. Area Studies Each student
will be required to define three different area studies. An area is
defined as a particular intellectual theme or subfield of interest to
be investigated in the course of one's studies. These areas can be derived
from within, between, or outside traditional disciplines. Some examples
of area studies might include: ancient (or modern, or contemporary)
political thought; 18th-19th century intellectual history; applied ethics;
human rights; church/state relations; feminist theory; issues in third
world development; the modern welfare State; African-American movements
in the postwar era.
For each area, the student must complete
two relevant courses at or above the 300-level. The total of six courses
necessary to fulfill the area requirements must be drawn from at
least 3 different disciplines, programs, or departments. Hence,
in shorthand: 3 areas, 2 courses per area; 3 disciplines.
Taken together, the three areas of
study should be (1) well thought-out and intellectually coherent; and,
(2) form the general basis of study for the fourth year thesis. The
three areas of study define the interdisciplinary character of the student’s
program and must meet a rigorous standard of coherence. In consultation
with their advisors and the program director, students will be expected
to articulate the rationale of their choices in a brief written statement
due by the end of the third year.
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4. Fourth Year Thesis–six hours
consisting of PST 497Y.
Over their entire fourth year, Students write a substantially researched
extended essay on a topic to be defined with primary and secondary advisors
from two fields. Theses vary in length from about 60-120 pages. Three
copies of the the final product (one to each advisor, one to the PST
office are due on April 1.
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Course
Descriptions
Note: These courses are open
only to majors in Political and Social Thought
PST 485 - (3) (Y)
Core Seminar in Political and Social
Thought I
Great political and social thinkers
and movements studied from a variety of disciplinary and genre viewpoints.
Readings include classic texts, plays, novels, literature, current works
of advocacy. Led by the program director, with occasional guest faculty;
weekly response essays required.
PST 487 - (3) (Y)
Core Seminar in Political and Social
Thought II
The continuation of PST 485, with greater
emphasis on contemporary works.
PST 497Y - (6) (Y)
Thesis in Political and Social Thought
Prepared with the advice of two faculty
members, the fourth year PST thesis is a substantial, independent, year-long
project built upon one’s prior study in the program.
PST 498 - (2) (Y)
Workshop in Thesis Research
Taken throughout the fourth year, this
workshop offers discussion with PST faculty on their current research
and continuing presentation of students’ developing projects.
