Political sociology
H Gold
8 points * 3 hours per week * First semester * Clayton
This subject, focusing on the interaction between political and social phenomena, probes key concerns in the sociological analysis of politics. A wide variety of concepts and empirical evidence will be reviewed but principal emphasis will be placed on the Australian context. Topics to be considered include conflict and consensus models of political life; class, elite and mass analyses; values, culture and politics; ethnicity and its political implications; structures of power in industrial society; social roots of political attitudes and participation; analysis of electoral choice; women and politics; and public opinion, political protest and social change.
Assessment
Written (2500 words) and seminar participation: 40% * Examinations (3 hours): 60%
Prescribed texts
Dalton R J Citizen politics in Western democracies Chatham House, 1988
Kavanagh D Political science and political behaviour Allen and Unwin, 1983