Power & Policy for Social Chg

Catalog description

The course examines how the concept of power has been defined overt time and across disciplines, and what constitutes power within the framework of influencing policy for social change. We begin by examining alternative theories of social change (evolutionary, cyclical, economic, conflict, and technological) and some of the foundational works on power (e.g., Marx and Machiavelli) and policy (e.g., Kingdon and Wildavsky) and then we bring those concepts together to interrogate the adage “knowledge is power.” We will then focus on the need for interdisciplinary knowledge to address the complex social problems of the day, and the need for academics who are skilled in tailoring the presentation of research to multiple audiences through a process known as public scholarship. The course is organized in two parts. In the first half of the semester, the course will be structured in an intensive seminar format with extensive reading and discussion of theories, models and frameworks. The second half of the semester is designed in the form of workshops and practice of skills with multiple iterations of practice, feedback, revisions, and more feedback in the development of policy briefs, articles for educated lay audiences, and preparation and delivery of oral testimony. Offered: spring.