Power and Political Resistance

1. Institution: Dartmouth College
Department: Government
Date: Spring 2009
Course-level: Advanced undergraduate course
Format: Seminar
Position: Visiting Assistant Professor
2. Institution: Roanoke College
Department: Public Affairs
Date: Fall 2009
Course-level: Advanced undergraduate course
Format: Seminar
Position: Assistant Professor
Description: In this seminar we engage with central themes and approaches of three contemporary political theories: critical theory, post-structuralism, and feminist political theory. This course has three goals. First, we engage with these theories to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of power in modern societies. Second, we analyze the ways in which these theories might assist us to think about issues pertaining to political resistance. Third, we analyze the ways in which the respective thinkers conceptualize socio-political change. We begin with Marx and Marcuse (critical theory), followed by Foucault and Derrida (post-structuralism), and conclude with Iris Marion Young and Judith Butler (feminist political theory).