State, Class and Power(SP 728)
| Course Code | Course Name | Semester | Theory | Practice | Lab | Credit | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP 728 | State, Class and Power | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Prerequisites | |
| Admission Requirements |
| Language of Instruction | Turkish |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Course Level | Doctoral Degree |
| Course Instructor(s) | Cemil YILDIZCAN cyildizcan@gsu.edu.tr (Email) |
| Assistant | |
| Objective | This course examines the concepts of state, class, and power, focusing on how they are theorized and understood both as concepts and as social realities in contemporary political theory. It engages with a wide range of themes (including sovereignty, hegemony, legitimacy, coercion, autonomy, patriarchy, and democracy) to provide a critical understanding of the state. |
| Content | The course explores state theories, class formation, and forms of power within the framework of contemporary political theory. Readings range from Marxist state theory to feminist and postcolonial critiques, as well as debates on neoliberalism and ecological crises. The aim is to grasp how the state is constituted, transformed, and contested in historical and contemporary contexts. |
| Course Learning Outcomes |
Develop theoretical and conceptual competence on state, class, and power. Critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives. Acquire an understanding of contemporary debates on democracy, legitimacy, and hegemony. Gain a deeper perspective on state autonomy and state forms. Relate current issues such as neoliberalism, ecological crisis, social reproduction, and racial capitalism to broader theoretical frameworks. |
| Teaching and Learning Methods | The course is conducted in a seminar format. Students are expected to complete the weekly readings, participate actively, and engage in critical discussions of the texts. The instructor provides introductory framing each week, but the emphasis is on student-led dialogue and collective analysis. At the doctoral level, participation and the ability to contribute to sustained debate are central components of assessment. |
| References |
Benston, M. (1969). The Political Economy of Women’s Liberation. Monthly Review, 21(4), 13-27. Bhattacharyya, G. (2018). Rethinking Racial Capitalism. Rowman & Littlefield (Giriş Bölümü). Block, F. (1987). Beyond Relative Autonomy: State Managers as Historical Subjects (1980). Revising State Theory Essays in Politics and Postindustrialism, Philadelphia: Temple University, pp. 81-96. Brown, W. (2015). Undoing the Demos. Zone Books (Birinci Bölüm). Carnoy, M. (1984). The State and Political Theory. Princeton UP, s. 10-43. Chibber, V. (2017). Rescuing Class from the Cultural Turn. Catalyst, 1(1), 26-55. Fraser, N. (2016). Contradictions of Capital and Care. New Left Review, II/100, 99-117. Fraser, N. (2019). The Old is Dying and the New Cannot be Born. Verso. Fraser, N. & Jaeggi, R. (2018). Capitalism: A Conversation in Critical Theory. Polity (İkinci Bölüm). Jessop, B. (2001). Bringing the State Back In (Yet Again). International Review of Sociology, 11(2), 149-173. Jessop, B. (2010). Redesigning the State, Reorienting State Power, and Rethinking the State. In Leicht & Jenkins (eds.), Handbook of Politics. Springer, 41-61. Laclau, E. (1977). The Specificity of the Political (1975). In Politics and Ideology in Marxist Theory. London: NLB, 51-79. MacKinnon, C. (1983). Feminism, Marxism, Method and the State. Signs, 8(4), 635-658. MacKinnon, C. (1989). Towards a Feminist Theory of the State. Harvard UP. Malm, A. (2016). Fossil Capital. Verso (Birinci Bölüm). Marx, K. (1996). A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. In Later Political Writings, ed. Carver. Cambridge UP, 158-161. Mbembe, A. (2003). Necropolitics. Public Culture, 15(1), 11-40. McIntosh, M. (1978). The State and the Oppression of Women. In Kuhn & Wolpe (eds.), Feminism and Materialism. Routledge. Meiksins, P. (1986). Beyond the Boundary Question. New Left Review, 157, 101-20. Miliband, R. (1970). The Capitalist State – Reply to N. Poulantzas. New Left Review, 59, 53-60. Miliband, R. (1973). Poulantzas and the Capitalist State. New Left Review, 82, 83-92. Miliband, R. (1983). State Power and Class Interests. New Left Review, 138, 57-68. Offe, C. & Wiesenthal, H. (1980). Two Logics of Collective Action. Political Power and Social Theory, 1, 67-115. O’Connor, J. (1998). Natural Causes: Essays in Ecological Marxism. Guilford (Sekizinci Bölüm). Pateman, C. (1988). The Sexual Contract. Polity/Stanford UP. Peck, J. (2010). Constructions of Neoliberal Reason. Oxford University Press (Birinci Bölüm). Poulantzas, N. (1969). The Problem of the Capitalist State. New Left Review, 58, 67-78. Poulantzas, N. (1973). On Social Classes. New Left Review, 78, 27-54. Poulantzas, N. (1976). The Capitalist State: A Reply to Miliband and Laclau. New Left Review, 95, 63-83. Prezworski, A. (1977). Proletariat into a Class. Politics & Society, 7(4), 343-401. Robinson, C. (1983/2021). Black Marxism. UNC Press (Giriş + Birinci Bölüm). Skocpol, T. (2002). Bringing the State Back In: Strategies of Analysis in Current Research. In Evans, Rueschemeyer & Skocpol (eds.), Cambridge UP, 3-37. Therborn, G. (2020). Dreams and Nightmares of the World’s Middle Classes. New Left Review, II/124, 63-87. Wacquant, L. (2009). Punishing the Poor. Duke UP (Birinci Bölüm). Wood, E. M. (1981). The Separation of the Economic and the Political in Capitalism. New Left Review, 127, 66-95. Wood, E. M. (2001). İlişki ve Süreç Olarak Sınıf. Praksis, 1, 92-119. Wright, E. O. (1976). Class Boundaries in the Advanced Capitalist Societies. New Left Review, 98, 3-41. Wright, E. O. (2009). Understanding Class. New Left Review, II/60, 101-16. Yalman, G. (2012). Devlet. In Siyaset Bilimi: Kavramlar, İdeolojiler, Disiplinler Arası İlişkiler. İstanbul: Yordam, 69-85. |
Theory Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction / Orientation |
| 2 | Conceptualizing the State |
| 3 | The Nature of State Power |
| 4 | State Autonomy and Class Power (I) |
| 5 | State Autonomy and Class Power (II) |
| 6 | Conceptualizing Class |
| 7 | Class Boundaries and the Middle Classes |
| 8 | Collective Action and Class Agency |
| 9 | Feminist Debates on State and Class |
| 10 | Race, Colonialism, and the State |
| 11 | Neoliberalism, Crisis, and State Forms |
| 12 | Ecology, Crisis, and the State |
| 13 | The Future of the State: Crisis, Transformation, Alternatives |
| 14 | Synthesis / Conclusion |
Practice Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|
Contribution to Overall Grade
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade | 5 | 50 |
| Contribution of final exam to overall grade | 1 | 50 |
| Toplam | 6 | 100 |
In-Term Studies
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 0 | 0 |
| Presentation | 0 | 0 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 5 | 50 |
| Toplam | 5 | 50 |
| No | Program Learning Outcomes | Contribution | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Activities | Number | Period | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Hours | 14 | 3 | 42 |
| Working Hours out of Class | 14 | 5 | 70 |
| Assignments | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Presentation | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Final Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 1 | 30 | 30 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| Make-up | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Yıl Sonu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazırlık Bütünleme | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Workload | 192 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 | 7.68 | ||
| Credits ECTS | 8 | ||