and Revolution
Course Description and Goals: This course examines theoretical approaches to understanding the causes, processes, and outcomes of revolution in the third world, as well as particular historical cases from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. We will consider the ways in which revolutionary processes and outcomes are contingent upon a nation’s structural position in the world system, upon the international conjuncture, and upon the specific socioeconomic and political realities of each nation. The accomplishments as well as the failures of these revolutions will be discussed in the context of contemporary efforts to reconceptualize strategies for social and political change in the third world. In so doing the course aims to achieve the following goals: (1) convey a more thorough understanding of contemporary third world societies, (2) enhance students’ understanding of the processes of social and political change and the particular role of revolution in the modern world system, (3) sharpen students’ critical and analytical abilities in oral discussion and writing, and (4) introduce students to the scholarly resources available on this subject matter.
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