ìWe can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we canít have both.î [Louis Brandeis, Supreme Court Justice]
ìWe must cease once and for all to describe the effects of power in negative terms: it ìexcludesî,
it ìrepressesîÖIn fact, power produces, it produces reality,Örituals of truth.î [Foucault]
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
Course: Soc. 220-001 Instructor: Dr. Diamantino P. Machado
Title: Wealth and Power Office: C&C Room 318
Fall: 2006-07 Office Hours: MWF 11:15-12:15
Email: machadod@drexel.edu Phone: 215-895-2402
THE COURSE: This course is a sociological analysis of the causes of social inequality, i.e., WEALTH & POWER. Students will be introduced to empirical evidence of widening social inequality in the United States. Data will be presented showing the increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Students will also be introduced to a new ìanalyticsî of power, or the linkage of power/knowledge, and ìdisciplinary powerî.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: 1. You Call This a Democracy? by Paul Kivel [PK] in the readings; 2. The Global Class War, by Jeff Faux [JF]; 3. Discipline & Punish, by Michel Foucault [MF]
EXAMINATIONS: The evaluation of your accomplishment in this course will be based on: 1) the
completion of a short term paper (of no less than 7 and no more than 10 typed pages) on a topic relevant to
the course subject matter. Note: The term paper may be co-authored with a fellow classmate. 2) a mid-term in-
class exam made up of short answer questions, and 3) a final exam made up of essay questions.
GRADING: Term Paper = 40%; Mid Term Exam = 30%; Final Exam = 30%.
EXAM DATES: 1) The Term Paper is due on the last day of classes. 2) The in-class mid-term exam will be given on Wednesday, October 25 and 3) the final exam will be given during the week of final exams.
NOTES: 1. I do not curve grades; 2. Make-up exams will be given only in case of justifiable reason;
3. Students are encouraged to discuss with me any grievance, related to the course, in my office, by e-mail or on the telephone. ***4. Please turn off your cell phones while you are in the classroom.
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES: Class sessions will consist of a combination of lectures and discussions. Also, relevant videos will be shown. Studentsí comments, observations and questions are welcomed and indeed encouraged.
READING ASSIGNMENTS:
Weeks 1, 9/25 General Introduction, This Syllabus, etc.
Where Are You in the Class System? PK p. xix
Introduction And A Short History of the U.S.
Ruling Class,
What is a Ruling Class? PK p 1, p.9, p.15
Syllabus, Soc. 220-001, Wealth and Power, Fall 06-07, Dr. Machado p. 2
Week 2, 10/2 What Does the Economic Structure of the U.S.
Look Like? AND What Does Wealth Matter? PK p.17, p. 32
Week 3, 10/9 NO CLASS ON MONDAY ñUNIV. HOLIDAY
How Do They Rule? PK p. 48
NAFTA: Class Reunion JF ch. 1
Week 4 10/16 How Does Power Elite Communicate? PK p 56
How Do They Stay in Power? PK p 69
ìGood Jobsî and Other Global Deceptions JF ch 2
Week 5 10/23 Torture MF Part I
***MID-TERM EXAM ñ W 10/25
Punishment MF Part II
Week 6 10/30 The Governing Class JF ch 3
How Do Members of the Ruling Class Increase
Their Wealth,? Preserving Their Wealth,
Passing their Wealth, The Buffer Zone PK pp. 79, 90, 93, 114
Week 7 11/6 The Means of Correct Training MF Part III
How Reagan and Thatcher Stole Globalization,
A Bipartisan Empire, AND Alan, Larry , Bob JF chs. 4,5,6
Week 8, 11/13 Panopticism MF Part III
Why We Donít Focus AttentionÖAND
Distractions PK p.125, 128
Week 9, 11/20 The Constitution According to Davos,
America abandoned, After the Fall JF chs 8,9
Week 10, 11/27 After the Fall , JF ch 10
Who Decides, Who Benefits, Who Pays? PK p141
Week 11, 12/4 Imagining North America JF ch 11
Term Paper Due.
Several relevant videos will be shown during the course
NOTE: THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ALTER ANY ASPECT OF THIS SYLLABUS, IN WHICH CASE THE STUDENTS SHALL BE INFORMED IN ADVANCE
.