Institutions and Organizations.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Restricted to doctoral students. Organizational and institutional theories look to the political, organizational and cultural contexts that shape social life. Some theories conceptualize environments in terms of networks and resources, within which social actors are “embedded.” Others stress historically built-up structures (e.g., laws and governmental agencies) that shape and channel subsequent dynamics. More radical theories argue that the core features of modern social actors, themselves, are largely products of social constructs, rather than existing a priori as often assumed. This course explores theories of institutions and organizations to inform our thinking about the roles and behavior of public and nonprofit organizations in shaping democratic organizational life in societies.