Social scientists often claim that there is an intimate relationship between culture and politics. They, unfortunately, have made scant progress in elaborating the theoretical resources needed to analyze that relationship. This has led several observers to conclude that the "systemic study of politics and culture is moribund". Our aim in this seminar is to remedy this sorry state. More specifically, we will try to identify the theoretical resources that might allow more cogent analyses of the relation between culture and politics. In the process we will range across disciplines, with readings drawn from anthropology, economics, history, philosopy, political science and sociology. The course is run as a seminar, which means that all students must participate actively.
