I. Perspectives from the Four Major Theoretical Perspectives
A. Perspectives from Conflict Theory.
1. C. Wright Mills and the Power Elite. How might Mills analysis of the
central goal of the power elite--creating a world safe for American business
interests--inform our view of the U.S. role in the world, and in particular,
our frequent support of nondemocractic governments (e.g. the Saudi monarchy,
the overthrow of Allende in Chile, our recent support, alone among OAS members,
of the temporary overthrow of the democratically elected government of Venezuela).
What about Mills' argument that the sociological imagination and an activist
citzenry is ultimately the antedote to the anti-democratic tendencies of the
power elite? .
2. Wallerstein: Capitalist World Systems Theory. .To what extent do we agree
that the flows of resources, people, and profits among core and periphery,
and the institutions that promote capitalism world-wide (World Bank, International
Monetary Fund, NAFTA, GATT) are a major cause of continued and even accelerating
poverty in countries of the periphery? U.S. businesses world-wide (e.g., McDonalds
in Peking), U.S. factories... prosperity for educated middle classes, jobs
at very low wages for unskilled
3. Marcuse: One Dimensional Man. What do we think of Marcuse's argument
that the culture of capitalism and its creation of human beings as consumers
has ultimately proved more powerful than Marx ever expected, so that any prospect
of socialist revolution becomes more unlikely or at least more distant? What
are the ways in which this one-dimensional consumerism ("you are what
you buy") increases the credibility of cultural critiques by religious
fundamentalists?
B. Perspectives from Functionalism.
1. Parsons and the pattern variables. Is there the kind of connection between
democracy and capitalism that functionalists like Parsons saw, as he analyzed
the culture and values that he put together into a very positive vision of
modernity? Is there, or should there be, an appeal to people in all societies
and cultures for a value system that stresses universalism, achievement, and
the like?
2. Merton and the subversion of functionalism. What are the dysfunctions
of modernity--for individuals, for nations? For example, we know that a modern
world economy leaves out small peasant farmers, who cannot compete with agribusiness.
We also know that because of the vast oversupply of unskilled labor on a world-wide
basis, the advance of world capitalism means increased inequality between
the college educated, managerial elite, and the unskilled workers in every
country.
C. Symbolic interactionism: If we see the world as socially and symbolically
constructed, what are the events and policies that affect the social construction
of America in the eyes of other nations and their citizens?
1. Events and policies that support a world-wide vision of the United
States as "the first new nation" (Lipset)
a. The first country to experience a revolution against European colonialism:
Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War
b. A nation that has at least periodically been exceptionally open to
immigrants. Last 30 years one of the peaks in immigration, including large
numbers from Asia, Latin America, and Africa, averaging around 1 million
per year. Center
for Immigration Studies.
c. American students abroad in 2001: 143,530
Foreign students in U.S. colleges: 547,867 (largest numbers from China,
Japan, India)... tend to be middle and upper class
Detroit
Free Press
d. Extension of equality via social movements, legislation, court decisions
(feminism, civil rights).
e. The American role in World War II and the Marshall Plan that followed
( more than 1.2% of GDP into the Marshall
Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after WWII)
f. American role in the United Nations and the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
g. Role in the former Yugoslavia
2. Events and policies that support a view of the United States as a self-centered
empire
a. U.S. and the United Nations
2) lack of membership in UNESCO
b. Foreign aid by the U.S. vs. other countries, in relation to the United
Nations' targets: USAID
Recent proposal by President Bush to gradually increase our international
aid from $10 billion to $15 billion, provided beneficiary nations meet certain
criterion, still leaves us with little more than 0.1% of GDP
c. U.S. rejection of International Criminal Court. New
York Times.
e. Withdrawal from Kyoto Accords. The Economist: "Kyoto
Dumped"
f. Tourism and lack of language skills... "the ugly American"
35,000,000+ on overseas flights per year (of course, many who travel multiple
times, so this overestimates total # of Americans involved)
g. U.S. military policies that are perceived as anti-Islam
h. Support for "free trade," whatever the consequences. e.g.,
U.S. opposition to the World Health Organization's agreement with 171 countries
to prevent the spread of smoking-related diseases. The WHO estimates 4.9
million premature deaths per year from tobacco-related illnesses.
3. More ambiguous aspects of American world involvement
a. Pop culture, sports, clothing, cds, videos
b. American (transnational) businesses overseas
D. Rational Choice theory: Look at international relations purely in terms
of interests (benefits and costs)... e.g. the Nixon doctrine about Chile...
Osama Bin Laden doing much the same thing vis a vis the United States... attacking
the United States as the way to promote Islamic fundamentalism