300190 Theory Class (World Politics) (S) (WiSe 2020/2021)

The course is primarily addressed at the Research Training Group (RTG) “World Politics” and aims to establish a discussion among the members of the RTG. However, it is open for other PhD students, too. So if you are not a member of the RTG, please feel invited to join the course, just know that content-wise it will be largely tailored to the interests of the RTG members.

The Theory Class is intended to give a basic introduction to world society & globalization theories and their perspectives on world politics; in addition to that, it aims to encourage participants to connect these theories to their PhD projects and establish a common discussion on concepts, ideas and controversies that cut across individual projects. For this reason, the syllabus is fixed only for the first part of the course (see literature in the "Lernraum"), while the second part can be determined based on your interests and suggestions.

Rather than doing weekly meetings, the course consists of two weekend blocks à two days, which take place on December 18/19 and January 29/30.

The introductory meeting takes place November 2, 18:15, via Zoom (I’ll be sending a Zoom link in the days before the meeting via the eKVV email list). I’d suggest using the first meeting to discuss how to best organize the two blocks. Depending on the size of the group, we could think about doing a “socially distanced Theory Class” in a larger room (lecture hall; we have halls booked for both blocks). Whether this turns out to be feasible depends on several factors, such as the current state of the pandemic and whether all participants are comfortable with it. Right now, considering the recent upgrading of Bielefeld to a “risk zone", I’m tending toward Zoom. I’d be great if you could use the next few days to think about this, so we can come up with a collective decision in the first session.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all soon! If you have any questions regarding the class, don’t hesitate to ask.

All the best
Tobias Werron

Bibliography

Literature for the first block (syllabus and the files can be downloaded in the "Lernraum"):

1. Global history

Osterhammel, Jürgen/ Niels P. Petersson: Globalization. A short history, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005, pp. 1-31

2. World-systems analysis

Wallerstein, Immanuel: World-Systems Analysis. An Introduction, Durham; London: Duke University Press, 2004, pp. 23-59

3. Neo-institutional world polity approach

Meyer, John W./John Boli/George M. Thomas/Francisco O. Ramirez: World Society and the Nation-State, American Journal of Sociology 103 (1997), pp. 144-181

4. Systems theorical approach to world society

Stichweh, Rudolf: On the Genesis of World Society: Innovations and Mechanisms, Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory 2 (2000), pp. 27-38

5. Field theory

Go, Julian: Global Fields and Imperial Forms. Field Theory and the British and American Empires, Sociological Theory 26 (2008), pp. 201–229

6. Postcolonial theory

Mignolo, Walter D.: Border and the Colonial Difference, in: Local Histories/Global Designs. Coloniality, Subaltern Knowledges, and Border Thinking, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000, pp. 49-90