Power, State and Social Movements

Political sociology is concerned with the social bases of politics and the relationship between states and societies. Through examining the nature of power, states, the policy process and social movements, this module provides sociological insights into the world of politics, policy and social change.

The first part of the module introduces students to the major ideas and debates within the field of political sociology and provides them with some of the tools needed to analyse power, politics and the state. In particular, it examines interactions between economic interests, political institutions, and ideological norms. The module has equally strong theoretical and empirical components and aims to expand students? knowledge of society and politics in a number of countries. Topics include power, the nature of the state and democracy, political culture and participation, the organization and representation of interests and gender in politics.

The second half of the module focuses on social movements, examining them on the macro, meso and micro levels. We look at the broader context of social movements and whether they are best characterized as challenges to the status quo or a means of institutionalizing and channeling any such challenges. We study how social movements work and what they achieve. We also look at why people get involved and stay involved in movements dedicated to social change. There is a strong practical element to the module, with visiting speakers from social movements in Ireland discussing their own movement activities.