theteenyweeny

Anonymous asked: what does a political science course involve, and what kind of assignments do you usually do?

Political science is the study of politics. What is political? Well everything. At UCLA the political science department has various concentrations:

Political Theory- think about the constitution ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ That idea came from a political theorist (theory means an idea) named John Locke. Theory can be thought of as philosophy of politics. This also often means the study of people think Plato, Nietzsche…

International Relations- this is all about how states interact with one another. It’s the history of these interactions and the various tools we use: diplomacy, war etc.

American Goverment- It is what it sounds like. Studying the constitution, the branches of govt, various state institutions etc

Comparative Politics- the study of states in clusters. Think of regions such as the middle east. Also lots of comparing- such as why did democracy develop in Turkey and not Iran after the fall of the Ottoman Empire post WWl?

Models- which is a lot of stats and economic formulations- I avoid this for I loathe math.

For example last quarter I took an international relations course, ‘Terrorism and Insurgency.’ Thus we discussed guerilla warfare, think Che in Cuba and also terrorism, Al Qeada, Shining Path in Peru etc. Assignments for upper division courses are normally a midterm and a final either a 6-10 page paper or in class exams with id’s (you are given a concept and must define it) and essays. Another class I took was comparative politics, ‘Politics in the Middle East.’ Lots of political science courses may feel like a history course because the history of cultures, foreign interactions, economies etc are the essence of all political interactions, cooperations and conflicts.

Lower division political science courses will introduce you to the field. There will be more assignments. Probably short papers or quizzes to make sure you are keeping up. Political science is heavy on reading. Hope this helps- political science is awesome. Very interesting and diverse topics! Take some!

Mass Killings: Getting Rid of the Dichotomy of Good vs Evil

I am not going to engage in a full blown analysis of all the potential problems presented by Invisible Children’s “Stop Kony” campaign for that would take forever. But I do want to address this idea defining perpetrators of murder as ‘evil monsters.’ 

Yes, Kony is a bad man. And most likely, certifiably insane. But he is not the solo member of the Lord’s Resistance Army. As in most conflicts, ordinary men commit horrible crimes. They are not all mad men. The messy reconciliation and reintegration process ongoing in Rwanda showcases how unproductive and unrealistic it is to write off these men as ‘monsters,’ occupying a space outside of normal society. These perpetrators are fathers, sons and friends. They are not outside the bounds of humanity. They are not beyond the rules that govern our moral sensibilities. No, the potential to commit evil acts is a very real, inherent part of the human condition.

We must accept this in order to prescribe punishment and forgiveness. Even though it is uncomfortable, we must move beyond simplistic notions of good and bad guys in our analysis of atrocities.

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Congressional Stalemate: The Inequality of U.S. Taxation

Republican’s are Drawing a Line in the Sand regarding Taxes. They are refusing to raise taxes on the top 1% of Americans and opposing a measure called the Buffett Rule or Millionaire Tax. The average American makes $31,244 a year. The average top 1% makes $1,137,684. While the top 0.01% makes a whooping $27 million a year. God forbid we raise their taxes.

Republican’s recently voted against the renewal of a Tax Cut on Payroll Taxes, which would keep it at the current rate of 4.2% as opposed to the normal 6.3%. This Tax Cut would be paid for by the Buffett Rule/Millionaire Tax.

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Twilight: Breaking Dawn: ‘Femininity’ to Near Death

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I’m Mad as Hell & Not Gonna Take it Anymore: Financial Crisis ‘07 

The Occupy Wall Street movement has prompted me to really question my activist credibility. Yes, I’ve protested and chanted. But my participation has been in permitted events including the March for Women’s Lives in D.C. ‘04 for reproductive rights, the mass march throughout NYC against the RNC convention and the Iraq War, a rally in Central Park for the National Organization of Women and recently a march to city hall for Occupy LA. Yet all the acts of civil disobedience, I’ve just stood by and watched merely supporting in theory. I saw close to fifty people lay down at Broadway and 22nd to symbolize the dead in Iraq. I watched as a school bus came to load the lot of em, arrested in mass, to the Chelsea Piers where hundreds were being held for spontaneous acts of civil disobedience around the city. I was stuck by how brave these protestors were, many ‘going limp’ as the police dragged them away. 

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I Do Not Fear It: I Have Been There

I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root; It is what you fear. I do not fear it: I have been there.

Sylvia Plath’s poem “Elm” has always spoke to me. I have been there too. At the bottom.

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Feminist TV Review: Prime Suspect

Maria Bello stars in a new series on NBC called ‘Prime Suspect,’ airing Mondays at 10 p.m., that is currently struggling in the ratings. It is quite a shame because her character, Detective Jane Timoney, embodies many of the traits we need to see embodied in females in media.

Being a homicide detective in an all male police department, Jane is constantly battling sexism, under-estimation and frankly being shut out by the boys club. The show feels very cinematic and doesn’t have the inauthenticity of many procedurals. The feminist messages I find on the show aren’t presented in a preachy manner or feel pushed. It is simply the experience of a female detective, from a female perspective, honest and raw. It is no coincidence that the series was created by a female, Lynda La Plante and re-imagined for the U.S. by Alexandra Cunningham. Not to mention the plot lines aren’t boring or predictable. But it is truly the characterization that shines, even those of her male co-workers.

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Stop Saying “I’m not a Feminist But…”

I often hear my generation utter “I’m not a Feminist but…” or “I’m not political but….” followed by a feminist and/or political statement. There is an aversion to labels and a general apathy to proclaiming political opinions. I credit a sense of powerlessness and disappointment in government as the source of this indifference. As well, young women tend to believe that equality has already been gained and proclamations of female empowerment are no longer necessary. Yet female life experience proves otherwise. Young women tend to lack the consciousness that many of their problems are gender centered and that it isn’t a ‘personal’ conflict but a shared experience with other women/girls. 

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