Course Catalog

Power and cultural identity are two important concepts for social and political analysis. This course introduces students to major issues in the conceptualization and application of power as it relates to issues of identity and political participation by focusing on open and hidden forms of their manifestation at different levels of analysis (i.e. from the global to the personal). The seminar reviews key concepts and debates connected to selected theorists and influential activists including: Edward Barnays (Propaganda); Edward Said (Orientalism); Amartya Sen (Identity and Violence); Hannah Arendt (The Origins of Totalitarianism); Erich Fromm (Escape from Freedom); Mahatma Gandhi (My Experiments with the Truth); Martin Luther King Jr. (Letters from a Birmingham Jail). Ultimately, the seminar will enable students to obtain a more nuanced understanding of power and everyday politics. They will also acquire an informed perspective on issues of governance, propaganda, citizenship, social inclusion, and justice across different cultural and regional contexts.