POLI 381 Democracy and Discipline (3)

This is first and foremost a political theory course; as such, its focus will be normative. In this class, we will examine the relationship between liberal democratic forms of politics and punitive social control practices. The first part of the class will raise basic issues connected to punishment, social discipline, and democratic politics. The second and third sections will closely engage influential texts in the history of social thought, familiarizing you with the core ideas related to the relationship between social organization and discipline. The fourth section will engage with current political theory scholarship on punishment and politics, including a particular focus on the injustices arising from (and inherent in) mass incarceration and mass conviction. The final section of the course will consider alternative models of discipline (including restorative justice) and the place of forgiveness in democratic politics.
Course Frequency: Occasional