Power exists in many forms and on many levels.
This course will mainly examine power at the more inclusive levels within our society and on the international level but near the end of the semester we will spend some time investigating power at the state and local levels. We will look at organizations and institutions which are directly involved in exercising power and determining who has power. Our major focus will be on established power, however, we will also look at how power and authority are challenged by social movements. Our ultimate goals are to gain a clearer understanding of how power is distributed, the various forms that it takes, gain insight into why things happen as they do, and develop some idea of the forces that are developing to challenge the dominant forms of power. Students are expected to read assigned readings before they are discussed in class and to contribute to class discussion.