Macrocomparative Methods C. Chase-Dunn 230.650 Fall, 1992 Tuesday 1-3, 526 Merg. This course covers topics in comparative methods for studying social structures. We will consider issues in the philosophy of social science, theory construction, concept formation, qualitative and quantitative methods, units of analysis, variation across time and space, etc. Grading will be based on class participation, a research exercise due December 8 and an in-class essay exam on December 14. Books available in the Hopkins Bookstore are: Aletta Biersack, Clio in Oceania Robert M. Emerson (ed.) Contemporary Field Research Melvin Kohn (ed.) Cross-national Research in Sociology Adam Przeworski and Henry Teune The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry Charles Ragin, The Comparative Method Immanuel Wallerstein, Unthinking Social Science: The Limits of Nineteenth- Century Paradigms Required readings are marked with an asterisk (*) and are on Reserve. Other readings are recommended. Required readings should be read prior to the time of the relevant seminar meeting. September 15 An overview of macrocomparative methods September 22 Relevant issues in the philosophy of social science: Explanation vs. interpretation; nomothetic vs. ideographic approaches; subject and object problems; methodological individualism. *Immanuel Wallerstein, Unthinking Social Science Emile Durkheim, Suicide September 29 Theory construction and concept formation *Arthur Stinchcombe, Constructing Social Theories, Chapter 2 "The logic of scientific inference" *Christopher Chase-Dunn, Global Formation, Chapter 14, "Theory construction" *Bernard P. Cohen, Developing Sociological Knowledge. Chapter 7, "Concepts, definitions and concept formation." Karl Marx, Grundrisse, Introduction, "The method of political economy" Erik O. Wright, Class, Crisis and the State, "Modes of determination and models of determination" October 6 Qualitative methods: fieldwork, case studies, qualitative variables *Robert M. Emerson (ed.) Contemporary Field Research Pp. 1-67, 91-148, 175- 202, 216-234, 253-268 October 13 Historiography, ethnography, historical sociology and comparative methods *Aletta Biersack, Clio in Oceania, Chaps 1-4, 6, 8. *Ronald Aminzade, "Historical sociology and time." Sociological Methods and Research 20,4:456-480 (May), 1992. Robert Franzosi, "The press as a source of socio-historical data: issues in the methodology of data collection from newspapers." Historical Methods 20,1:5-16 (Winter) 1987. Larry W. Isaac and Larry J. Griffen, "Ahistoricism in time-series analyses of historical processes: critique, redirection and illustrations from U.S. labor history," American Sociological Review 54,6: 873-890 (December) 1989. Arthur Stinchcombe, Theoretical Methods in Social History October 20 The logic of comparison: what is the comparative method?, research design (non-experimental methods), units of analysis, conceptual equivalence, comparable measures, Galton's problem, attributes and relations, multilevel models *Morris Zelditch, Jr. "Intelligible comparisons," Pp. 267-308 in Ivan Vallier (ed.) Comparative Methods in Sociology *Charles Ragin, The Comparative Method, Chapters 1-4 John Stuart Mill, A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive, Book III, Chapter 8, "Of the four methods of experimental inquiry," Thomas D. Cook and Donald T. Campbell, Quasi-Experimentation: Design and Analysis for Field Settings October 27 The logic of comparison: variation across space and time *Adam Przeworski and Henry Teune, The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry November 3 The logic of comparison: combining qualitative and quantitative methods *Charles Ragin, The Comparative Method, Chapters 5-9 Nigel Fielding and Jane L. Fielding, Linking Data, Chapter 4, "Linking qualitative and quantitative data" Jeffrey Paige, Agrarian Revolution November 10 Cross-national research in which nation is the context *Melvin Kohn, Cross-national Research in Sociology Introduction and Chapters 3, 6 and 8 Melvin Kohn and Kazymierz Slomczynski, Social Structure and Self-Direction, Chapter 2, "The methodology of the research" Kohn, Cross-national... Chapters 1, 7 and 9 November 17 Cross-national analysis using the national society as unit of analysis: Case studies, time-series, and cross-sections. *Theda Skocpol, States and Social Revolutions, Pp. 33-40 "A comparative historical method" Terence K. Hopkins and Immanuel Wallerstein, "The comparative study of national societies," in Amitai Etzioni and Frederic Dubow (eds.) Comparative Perspectives: Theories and Methods Kohn, Cross-national ..., Chapters 5, 15 and 16 Fernando H. Cardoso and Enzo Faletto, Dependency and Development in Latin America, "Preface to the English edition." Georg P. Muller, Comparative World Data: A Statistical Handbook for Social Science, Johns Hopkins Press, 1988. November 24 The ratio problem and the aggregration problem. Cross-lagged panel analyses and event histories. * Glenn Firebaugh "Growth effects of foreign and domestic investment," American Journal of Sociology 98,1:105-130 (July) 1992. Dale Wimberley, "Investment dependence and alternative explanations of Third World mortality: a cross-national study," American Sociological Review 55:75- 91, 1990. (a panel analysis) Volker Bornschier, Christopher Chase-Dunn and Richard Rubinson, "Cross- national evidence of the effects of foreign investment and aid on economic growth and inequality: a survey of findings and a reanalysis," American Journal of Sociology 84,3: 651-83, 1978 Michael T. Hannan, "Issues in panel analysis of national development: a methodological overview," Pp. 17-36 in John W. Meyer and Michael T. Hannan (eds.) National Development and the World System: Educational, Economic and Political Change, 1950-1970, *David Strang, "From dependency to sovereignty: an event history analysis of decolonization 1870-1987," American Sociological Review 55,6:846-860 December, 1990. Michael T.Hannan and Glen R. Carroll "Dynamics of formal political structure: an event-history analysis," American Sociological Review 46:19-35, 1981. Nancy Tuma and Michael T. Hannan, Social Dynamics: Models and Methods Paul D. Allison, Event History Analysis: Regression for Longitudinal Event Data December 1 The world-system as unit of analysis: historical interpretation, time-series analysis and cluster analysis. *Chase-Dunn, Global Formation Chapters 13 and 15 * Philip McMichael, "Incorporating comparison within a world-historical perspective," American Sociological Review 55,3:385-397, June 1990. Christian Suter, "Long waves in the international financial system: debt- default cycles of sovereign borrowers," Review 12,1:1-49 (Winter) 1989. Morris Zelditch, Jr. "Can you study an army in the laboratory," in Pp. 528-39 in A. Etzioni (ed.) Complex Organizations (2nd edition) 1969. Joshua Goldstein, Long Cycles: Prosperity and War in the Modern Age Kohn, Cross-national ... , Chapter 16, John W. Meyer, "Conceptions of christendom: notes on the distinctiveness of the West" *David Kowalewski, "Periphery praetorianism in cliometric perspective, 1855- 1985." International Journal of Comparative Sociology 32,3-4:289-303, 1991. Terry Boswell, "Colonial empires and the capitalist world-system: a time- series analysis of colonization, 1640-1960," American Sociological Review 54,2: 180-196, 1989. Pat McGowan, "Pitfalls and promise in the quantitative study of the world- system: a reanalysis of Bergesen and Schoenberg's 'Long Waves' of colonialism," Review 8,4:477-500 (Spring) 1985. *Roger J. Nemeth and David A. Smith, "International trade and world-system structure: a multiple network analysis," Review 8,4:517-560 (Spring) 1985. David Snyder and Edward Kick, "Structural position in the world-system and economic growth, 1955-1970: a multiple network analysis of transnational interactions," American Journal of Sociology 84,5:1096-1126, 1979. Exercise Report Due December 8 December 8 Comparing world-systems *Kasja Ekholm and Jonathan Friedman, " 'Capital' imperialism and exploitation in ancient world-systems," Review 6,1:87-110, 1982 *Chase-Dunn and Hall, "Comparing world-systems: concepts and working hypotheses" Probably forthcoming in Social Forces. Christopher Chase-Dunn, Ed Clewett and Elaine Sundahl, "A very small world- system in Northern California: the Wintu and their neighbors." A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, April 8, 1992, Pittsburgh. Chase-Dunn and Hall, Core/Periphery Relations in Precapitalist Worlds, Chapters 2, 3, 4 and Epilogue List of Study questions for final handed out December 8 In-class Final Essay Exam on December 14.