Prospectus

This course is not a history of modern Iran. Rather, it considers how social scientists have studied and continue to study Iran.  It evaluates the frameworks they have used, and how Iran has constantly emerged as a deviant case. One might call this the problem of Iranian exceptionalism, and the question is why this problem arises. Is this a feature of the case itself? Or is it a feature of the way in which Iran appears as an object of knowledge within the social sciences? Or perhaps both, and if so, how do we parse the differences?  The course then uses the case of Iran to explore issues in the philosophy of social sciences. Fundamentally, it asks, what are we saying when we say we are doing social science?

The first part of the course examines these questions as they arise within the positivist tradition of social science and the second part of the course examines the questions within the context of the interpretive tradition of social science. Concepts reviewed in the first part of the course will include structural functionalism, structuralism, interest group theories, Marxist and Weberian explanations of social change. Concepts in the second part include discourse analysis, hermeneutics, social movement theories, rationalization and modernity.

Requirements

Conference participation in good faith is essential, including completing all writing or homework assignments in a timely fashion. Because we meet once a week, we need to make the most of the time we have. I will ask students to lead discussions, by offering their views or raising questions for discussion. There will be two writing assignments of approximately 20 pages in length. I will discuss these later.

Readings

All materials for this class are available on reserve. Some are also available for purchase in the bookstore. These are Kurzmann’s The Unthinkable Revolution, Beeman’s, “The Great Satan” vs. the “Mad Mullahs,” Bayat’s, Street Politics, Nafisi’s, Reading Lolita, and Adlekah’s Being Modern in Iran, and Abrahamian’s Tortured Confessions.

Reading list for 2006 Seminar

Some of you are familiar with my general dislike for syllabi. As you know, in advanced courses, I prefer to take as long as it takes rather than remain hostage to a timetable. We cover what we can cover, and that depends on you.  However, to give you a feel for the course as I see it, I’m going to identify roughly weekly readings. Assume that the reading load will be between 150-200 pages per week.  These include selections from these books, but also possibly articles that will address concerns that come up in class.

Week I:  Kurzmann’s Unthinkable Revolution 1-105; Exercise
Week II: Kurzman, 105-172 and Halliday, Iran, 1-103.
Week III: Halliday, Iran, 103-310.
Week IV: Quiz Week
Week V: Bill, The Politics of Iran
Week VI: Binder, Iran, 1-149.
Week VII: Binder, Iran 150-177, 227-237, 254 (start with first full paragraph) to 264; 344-350. 

Spring Break

Week VIII: Haas, Iran, 92-241, Beeman, The “Great Satan” vs. the “Mad Mullahs,” 1-47.
Week IX: Beeman, The “Great Satan” vs. the “Mad Mullahs,” 48-end
Week X: Adelkhah, Being Modern in Iran, Halliday on Ahmadinezhad elections (electronic enclosure)
Week XI: Bayat, Street Politics
Week XII: Mir Hosseini, Islam and Gender, Preface, 1-20, 21-25, 48-51, 83-115, 170-172, 208-209, 213-279
Week XIII: Nafisy, Reading Lolita and Abrahamian, Tortured Confessions, 177-228.