MIDTERM TAKE HOME ESSAY

POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY A351 

Fall 2001 UAA

Due Thursday, October 18th 

Answer one of the following questions: all parts of the question.  Part a) of each question demonstrates your understanding of the theories, while part b) demonstrates an application of your understanding of the theories.  

1.     a)   Compare and contrast two political sociological theories of power (pluralist, elitist, Marxist, realist, corporatist)

b)   Apply each theory to the political and economic systems of two different countries (one of the countries can be the US).  Explain how each theory can or cannot provide a feasible explanation of the power of these two institutions in each of these 2 countries. 

c)    Which model do you feel best explains the power of these two countries. 

2.     a)   Compare two contemporary theorists and their views of power, each one being from a different political sociological tradition (pluralist, elitist, Marxist, realist, corporatist); 

b)  Apply each theorist’s perspective to a population group of your choice (e.g. women, youth, men, elderly, people of colour, gays/lesbians/bisexuals/transgendered, etc…), and explain how this theorist would describe and explain this group’s power or lack of in relation to other population groups in the US.  

c)  Which model do you feel best explains the power of this population group. 

3.     a)   Compare two contemporary theorists and their views of power, each one being from a different political sociological tradition (pluralist, elitist, Marxist, realist, corporatist);

b)  Apply each theorist’s perspective to two different institutions in US society (e.g. media, religion, sports/entertainment, health, etc…).  Do not use the institution of government or the economy. 

c)  Which model do you feel best explains the power of these two institutions. 

See syllabus for format of paper.  Length at least 1000 words.

Revised: January 16, 2003 .