POLS 7201.001: Seminar in American Politics

Institutions, Social Movements and Political Opportunities and

American Children’s Policy

© 2005

Introduction

This course will examine children’s policy in order to investigate the ways that we make social policy in this country. Children’s policy is a product of organizational and institutional politics, patterns of public concern and popular mobilization, as well as demographic factors and critical events. The complex interplay between these factors has led one observer to describe the process of making children’s policy as akin to “watching the stars align.”

Is it true that children’s policy making in this country is largely beyond anyone’s control, or is it possible to build an understanding of children’s policy making that systematizes the influence of various facets of structure and agency in the policymaking process? Is it possible to build a strategy for effectively influencing the shape of children’s policymaking?

Objectives for the Course

1.      To introduce a range of perspectives on the role of citizens and institutions in the American policymaking process.

2.      To explore current conceptual understandings of the processes and mechanisms through which collective identity is formed and translated into collective action.

3.      To discuss both the theoretical and empirical literature on vehicles for collective political engagement and interest representation.

4.      To apply this knowledge to the project of understanding the process of children’s policy formation

5.      To develop appropriate research questions and methods for advanced exploration of themes in participatory democracy and governance.

Readings

The following works are required:

Theda Skocpol. 1992. Protecting Soldiers and Mothers. Cambridge, MA: Belknap/Harvard.

Sonya Michel. 1999. Children’s Interests/Mothers’ Rights. New Haven: Yale.

Minow, Martha and Richard Weissbourd. 1993. “Social Movements for Children.” Daedulus. 122: Winter: 1-29.

Barbara J. Nelson. 1984. Making an Issue of Child Abuse. Chicago: University of Chicago.

Frances Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward. 1979. Poor People’s Movements. New York: Vintage.

Anne Costain. 1992. Inviting Women’s Rebellion. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP.

Caitlin Flanagan. 2004. “How Serfdom Saved the Women’s Movement” The Atlantic Monthly. March: 109-128.

Carol J. DeVita and Rachel Mosher-Williams (eds). 2001. Who Speaks for America’s Children? Washington DC: Urban Institute.

Isabel Sawhill (ed). 2003. One Percent for the Kids. Washington DC: Brookings.

Doug Imig. 2004. “Building A Social Movement for America’s Children” Hooks Institute Working Paper #04-09.

In addition, we will read selections from the following works:

Jane Addams. 1998 (1910). Twenty Years at Hull-House. New York: Penguin Books.

W. Norton Grubb and Marvin Lazerson. 1988. Broken Promises. Chicago: Chicago UP.

Sally S. Cohen. 2001. Championing Child Care. New York: Columbia University.

Mona Harrington. 2000. Care and Equality. New York: Routledge.

Requirements for the Course

This course asks that you be prepared to participate regularly in class.  A significant proportion of the course grade will reflect the ways that you contribute to the collective project of the course.

Discussion Leadership:

Each participant will take responsibility for leading one class period.

·        You should work from the assumption that everyone has completed the readings and will need only a brief review before proceeding to address critical questions that expand beyond the readings.

·        Your presentation should offer:

ü                  connections between this reading and those we have done previously;

ü                  methodological issues raised by the work,

ü                  connections to the field at large,

ü                  a thoughtful critique of strengths and weaknesses of the work,

ü                  alternative hypotheses and interpretations,

ü                  and directions for further exploration.

I would like you to structure your discussion around a power-point presentation, or else around a hand-out.

Seminar Paper:

Each participant will write a research essay on a specific public of the role of the public in making social policies for children.

^·          The final draft of the essay will be due April 26^th, the last regular class period. I’ll be glad to read drafts of your papers up until April 5^th.

·        On the 5^th you will submit a draft of the paper to each of your classmates. The following class (April 12th) we will have a research workshop.

ü                  each of you will briefly present your paper (in five minutes or so),

ü                  and you will be assigned discussant responsibilities for your colleagues         papers.

ü                  You will then be able to comment on each of the other seminar essays-in-    progress,

ü                  your combined feedback will help to structure final revisions.

·                    We will discuss the specifics of the project, including suggested topics, at     length in class.

I’d like your final essay to be 20-25 pages.  I expect papers to be high quality and to demonstrate a sophisticated level of engagement with the relevant literature in the field and with our ongoing conversation in class. Citations should follow standard APA style (c.f.: the APSA Style Manual).

Important Notes:

This syllabus is a guide rather than a contract.  As the semester progresses we may devote more time to certain subjects than they are allotted in the syllabus.  Similarly, there may also be additional articles and other assignments added because of their relevance.

Plus/Minus Grading Scale: This course will employ the plus/minus grading scale.

Cheating and Plagiarism: As outlined in the Student Handbook, “cheating” and “plagiarism” will result in severe disciplinary action on the part of the instructor.   Either offense will result in a zero on the assignment or examination and possibly an “F” for the course.

Students with disabilities: The University encourages the full participation of students with disabilities.  Students with disabilities are invited to meet individually with the instructor to discuss special accommodations that may be needed for successful participation in this course.

Inclement Weather: In the event that inclement weather requires the cancellation of class at the University of Memphis, local radio and television media will be immediately notified.  Additionally, the U of M has established an Inclement Weather Hotline at 678-0888.

Grades for the Course:

·        Research Paper                                                      60%

·        Class Leadership Exercise                                     20%

·        Active, informed class participation:                     20%

Discussion Topics and Class Schedule