Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
SP50162 Governing contemporary societies |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW100 |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: The aim of the course is to explore the political and social theories adopted to explain the transformations of states and societies in the contemporary world. The focus is on theories explaining state-society-economy relations in the 'developed' world, but throughout, emphasis will be placed on the multi-level, and uneven character of the change(s) which these theoretical positions seek to explain.
Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and understanding of the political and social theory literatures adopted to explain the transformations of states and societies in the contemporary world. Skills: Ability to analyse and evaluate critically these political and social theory literatures and to develop multidisciplinary perspectives on these issues. Content: 1. Introduction: * What is government, governance, governing? * Main narratives of transformation & change. 2. Problematising governing * Necessity of governing - what, by whom, limits to governing; creating political/public/social through governing processes. * What transformation & change? 3. Society-centred perspectives * Kooiman * Foucault & Rose 4. State-centred perspectives * Jessop * Swank, Rueschemeyer, Hacker, Pierson * Crouch, Streeck, Korpi, Thelen 5. Changing governing forms * contracting, partnerships, 'privatisation', regulation, regionalisation (sub-national), governing performance. 6. Changing governing forms * regional (supranational); global (WTO; end of Washington consensus); 7. Challenges to 'governance' * what's new/changing, and for whom? * criteria for evaluating 'governance' (hidden normative agendas of 'good' governance) * possibilities for governing - what, by whom, limits... |