SOCY407

Examines social change from the perspective of comparative and historical sociology to get at the question, 'where are we now?' Students develop a critical appreciation of how scholars construct persuasive explanations for large-scale change focusing on four central questions: the origins of markets and industrial capitalism; the emergence of democracy as opposed to dictatorship; the causes and consequences of social revolution; and the logic of armed conflict. Explanations offered for the changes in question as well as the methods employed are explored. Counterfactual hypotheticals for each central question--that is, what might have been, rather than what historically emerged--are considered.