Advanced Introduction to Theories in the Social Sciences I. Theories in Institutional Change and Stability

Overview 

Questions of policy and institutional change have long occupied political scientists and sociologists. The purpose of this course is to examine several explanations of change in the social sciences with particular attention to the mechanisms through which policies and institutions evolve over time. Classes are organized into two parts. In the first part, the purpose of the readings is to familiarize students with the three main strands of institutional analysis, namely rational choice institutionalism, historical, and sociological institutionalism. These will be compared to other theories, such as conflict theories (action sociology, power resources theories, Marxism) and functionalist/evolutionary theories. In the second part, we will use scholarship on contemporary puzzles to examine how and the extent to which these alternative theories can be combined to provide thorough accounts of policy and institutional change. In particular, we will focus on how social science scholars can help account for the transformations in capitalist systems, of the welfare states, and the opportunities and challenges of the green transition. 

 

Course format

The course is articulated into seven seminars according to the timetable provided below. For each of the meeting, students are required to adopt a pro-active stance based on the reading of all the articles in the reading list. In particular, students are invited to discuss and reflect on the core theoretical assumptions that underpin distinct theories of (and approaches to) institutional change as well as on the relative strengths and weaknesses of each theory with respect to their empirical applications. 

All students in attendance will present and/or discuss one of the readings in the syllabus. At the beginning of the course, the instructor will assign presenters’ role to class participants (with presentations allocated up to 12 minutes during classes). Furthermore, all students will participate to one of the research groups that will be organized at the beginning of the course. Research groups will share research ideas during sessions n. 5, 6 and 7. In preparing the presentation, research groups might think of pitching their idea before a grant committee to get funding to carry out the research. 

In particular, research groups are expected to produce a power point presentation whose purpose is to set out a ‘potential’ research question and the modalities of its investigation (related to the topics discussed in Session 5,6 and 7 respectively). In order to organize presentations, students might want to refer to the following structure: (1) question: motivation and relevance; (2) literature; (3) argument and/or expectations; (4) empirics; (5) provisional conclusions. Please keep in mind that this structure of the presentation is just indicative. Research groups may organize the presentation in other ways or include more slides to present and share ideas. The time allocated for presentation is up to 20 minutes. A collective discussion will follows.

 

Further details on class format and expectations will be provided during the first meeting. 

 

Objectives

At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to identify the assumptions and expectations that characterize distinct theoretical strands in political science research. One major objective of the course is to help students in the organization of their theses' literature review, by reflecting on the modalities through which literature reviews can be organized and with what purposes for the empirical analysis. 

 

Assessment

Final grades will reflect participation and performance in seminar discussions as well as written work.

 PhD students:

(1) Class participation (50%): Participation grade will take into account the quality of contribution to discussions as well as the intensity and engagement in collective reflections.

(2) Presentation (25%): Final grade will take into account the quality of the class presentation of the assigned readings, in terms of clarity and critical engagement 

(3) Essay (25%): Students will be required to write a short memo (2,500 words) that explains how the PhD thesis project speaks to the ‘relevant’ literatures and sheds light on the project’s potential theoretical contribution. Deadline January 14, 2024.

Doctoral students who opt to write a term paper for this course must consult the instructor in advance and agree on a topic. 

Master students:

(1) Class participation (50%): Participation grade will take into account the quality of contribution to discussions as well as the intensity and engagement in collective reflections.

(2) Essay (50%): Students will be required to write a research note (2,500 words) on one of the topics covered during the course.  Deadline January 14, 2024.

   

Schedule

 

Session n. 1 

Paradigms and the social sciences 

(7 November 10 am-12 pm)

In the first session we will focus on the presentation of the course and the functions that theoretical approaches and paradigms perform in social science research. 

 

Required readings: 

1. Lichbach, Mark Irving (2009), “Thinking and Working in the Midst of Things”, in Mark Irving, and Alan S. Zuckerman, eds. Comparative Politic.s Rationality, Culture and Structure. Second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

2. McCauley Adam and Ruggeri, A. (2020), From Questions and Puzzles to Research Project, in Luigi Curini and Franzese, eds. The SAGE Handbook of Research Methods in Political Science and International Relations. 

 

Session n. 2 

Comparing institutions and their implications:  Varieties of Capitalism 

With the participation of David Soskice

(14 November 10am-1pm)

The ‘Varieties of Capitalisms’ approach has inspired, in the last 25 years, a vast range of research on economy, politics, welfare state, organisations and the labour markets. It has impacted debates on globalization and on whether national models will converge or diverge, as well as on the complementarity of different institutions and the possibility of change. The session will focus primarily on examples of research that operationalized the tenets of Varieties of Capitalism theory into discrete research hypotheses on various topics, and on current critiques to the approach.

 

Required reading: 

P Hall and D Soskice (2001), ‘An Introduction to Varieties of Capitalism’, in P Hall and D Soskice (eds) Varieties of Capitalism

R Deeg and G Jackson (2007), ‘Towards a More Dynamic Theory of Capitalist Variety’, Socio-Economic  Review, 5 

 

Further reading: 

L Baccaro and J Pontusson, Rethinking Comparative Political Economy: The Growth Model  Perspective, Politics and Society 44, 2 (2016) 

H Mandel, M Shalev (2009), Gender, Class, and Varieties of Capitalism, Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 16 (2), 161–181,

 

Session n. 3 

Rational choice institutionalism

(21 November 10am – 1pm)

This session focuses on the first major strand of institutional analysis: rational choice institutionalism. In particular, we will focus on the theoretical assumptions, expectations, contributions, and limitations of the scholarship associated with rational choice institutionalism.

 

Required readings:

1. Douglass North and Barry Weingast, (1989) “Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth Century England,” Journal of Economic History (December 1989). 

2. Moe, Terry M. (2005), 'Power and Political Institutions', Perspectives on Politics, 3 (2), 215-33.

 

Session n. 4

Historical, sociological and discursive institutionalism

(27 November 2 - 5 pm)

This session focuses on the other major strands of institutional analysis: historical, sociological and discursive institutionalism. In particular, we will focus on the theoretical assumptions, expectations, contributions, and limitations of the scholarship of these strands.

 

Required reading:

1      Mahoney, James, and Kathleen Thelen (2010) "A Theory of Gradual Institutional Change." In Explaining Institutional Change. Ambiguity, Agency, and Power, edited by James Mahoney and Kathleen Thelen, 1-37. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

2      Berman, Sheri (1998), The Social Democratic Moment: Ideas and Politics in the Making of Interwar Europe (Cambridge: Harvard University Press). [Chapters 1, 2 and 9]

3      Schmidt, Vivien A. (2002) The Future of European Capitalism. Oxford, Oxford University Press. [Introduction, Chapter 5]

 

Further reading:

Thelen, Kathleen (2004), How Institutions Evolve. The Political Economy of Skills in Germany, Britain, the United States, and Japan (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). [Chapters 1, 2 and 6]

Hall, P. A., & Taylor, R. C. (1996). Political science and the three new institutionalisms. Political studies, 44(5), 936-957.

Schmidt, V. A. (2010). Taking ideas and discourse seriously: explaining change through discursive institutionalism as the fourth ‘new institutionalism’. European political science review, 2(1), 1-25.

 

Session n. 5 

The making of neoliberal globalization 

(5 December 10 am -1 pm)

This session focuses on a major change in the global economy with its attendant domestic consequences: the rise of neoliberal globalization. 

  

Required readings:

1. Helleiner, E. (1994) States and the reemergence of global finance: from Bretton Woods to the 1990s.  Ithaca and London, Cornell University Press. [Chapter 1]

2.  Kentikelenis, A. E. and S. Babb (2019) "The Making of Neoliberal Globalization: Norm Substitution and the Politics of Clandestine Institutional Change." American Journal of Sociology 124(6).

 

Further reading:

Erik Olin Wright (2000), Working-Class Power, Capitalist-Class Interests, and Class Compromise, American Journal of Sociology 105 (4)

   

Session n. 6

The evolution and the retrenchment of welfare states

(12 December 10 am – 1 pm) 

 

This session looks at institutional and alternative explanations for the growth or retrenchment of welfare states and social policies, including in the case of exogenous shocks as during the Covid pandemic. 

 

Required readings:

Korpi, W. (2006). Power resources and employer-centered approaches in explanations of welfare states and varieties of capitalism: Protagonists, consenters, and antagonists. World Politics, 58(2), 167-206.

Ebbinghaus, B. (2005). Can path dependence explain institutional change? Two approaches applied to welfare state reform (No. 05/2). MPIfG Discussion Paper.

 

Further readings:

Jones, Lee, and Shahar Hameiri (2022) "COVID-19 and the failure of the neoliberal regulatory state." Review of International Political Economy 29 (4), 1027-1052.

Hooijer, Gerda, and Desmond King (2022) "The Racialized Pandemic: Wave One of COVID-19 and the Reproduction of Global North Inequalities." Perspectives on Politics 20 (2), 507-527.

 

Sessione n.7

The rise of green economy

(19 December 10 am – 1 pm)

 

This session focuses on one of the most consequential transformations capitalist systems are about to confront: the green transition. The session will also shed light on how the green transition is likely to generate serious social and political conflicts and thus transformations.

 

Required readings:

1. Allan, Bentley B., and Jonas O. Meckling (2021) "Creative Learning and Policy Ideas: The Global Rise of Green Growth." Perspectives on Politics 1-19.

2. McNamara, Kathleen R. 2023. “Transforming Europe? The EU's industrial policy and geopolitical turn.” Journal of European Public Policy 1-26.  

 

Further readings

Gabor, Daniela (2021) "The Wall Street Consensus." Development and Change 52 (3), 429-459.