Global political sociology as interpretation and critique

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Global political sociology as interpretation and
critique
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Waltz Made Simpler
Character of the system determines state behavior
3rd image group relations system
Character of the state determines its behavior
2nd image group level state
Character of the sovereign determines state
behavior
1st image unit level individual
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What is political sociology?

• Assumes
• People have multiple motivations for action
• Meanings, culture, symbols matter
• Social structures constrain beliefs and actions
• People tend to naturalize beliefs behaviors
• What does this mean for intl politics?
• States are not identical units act differently
• Sociological (unit state level) factors matter
• Differences in cultures and meanings matter
• Power cannot be defined in simple terms

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How does this apply to Lord of the Flies?

• British class structure
• Historical origins of the class system
• Class in politics and economics
• Class system in war
• Class system in education
• Public (aka, private) school system
• Rankings read off of clothing, caps, accents
• Public schools as system of socialization
  discipline
• Public schools as sources of officer corps
• Public schools and nationalism

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• Naturalized social structures relations
• Gendering power relations
• In public schools on the island
• In the household
• Violencedirect and implied
• In language
• In images symbols
• Savage behaviornot how British boys should
  behave
• Fear paranoia of difference
• Of the unknown and the dark
• Of the beast
• Of each other

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• How do these factor into politics?
• Abuse of those whose class is lower
• Assumptions about who serves whom
• Threats of punishment for dissent
• Disrespect for those who are different
• Legalized theft of others possessions
• Tendencies toward oligarchy
• Reliance on violence when all else fails
• Destruction of the world to protect power