SOC 325 - Imagined Communities: The Sociology of Nations & States

1 course unit

This course aims to elucidate the complex interactions between nation and state by examining the nationalist experiences of several post-colonial and non-Western societies in Southeast Asia. A central part of this examination will entail addressing questions of citizenship and identity amidst contemporary socio-political and economic changes. Readings will focus on some of the central debates in the sub-field of political sociology as well as the dominant theoretical paradigms in the study of nations and nationalisms. A substantial part of the course will focus on a critical analysis of the institutional processes underlying state formation and nation-building as well as assessing the impact of globalization on institutional and group-level definitions of national, ethno-cultural, religious, and gender identities. Taught every other year.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
Meets general academic requirement D and effective Fall 2013 DE.