There is no shortage of popular commentary on the state of higher education in the U.S. That much... more There is no shortage of popular commentary on the state of higher education in the U.S. That much of it is far off the mark in terms of the actual situation of higher education is perhaps par for the course. Yet those of us with actual knowledge of the state of higher education, and its contemporary challenges and opportunities, must weigh in, not just for our own interests, but because there is much more at stake for the future of democracy. The resources of political theory and political science are particularly useful to address some of the key problems of higher education. We must weigh in, and not just about NSF funding for political science.
... His primary teaching interests are women and politics, congressional politics, and media and ... more ... His primary teaching interests are women and politics, congressional politics, and media and politics. Jyl Josephson is assistant professor of political science at Illinois State University, where she teaches public policy and state and local gov-ernment. ...
Community organizations that have historically depended upon in-person organizing methods faced p... more Community organizations that have historically depended upon in-person organizing methods faced particular challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. We studied a U.S.-based network of community organizations to examine how they did their organizing work during the pandemic. Based on data collection of public information about the organizations and semi-structured interviews with key leaders, we studied the methods of organizing and the organizations’ use of various tools, digital and otherwise, and asked leaders about how the experience of organizing during the pandemic might change their future approach to organizing. We found that these organizations were able to continue their work in part because they already had established relationships among leaders and were able to adapt their familiar organizing tools to the new situation, effectively engaging in “reorganizing” during the pandemic.
It is time to reclaim the egalitarian democratic purposes of public universities. Public universi... more It is time to reclaim the egalitarian democratic purposes of public universities. Public universities and colleges play a crucial political and public role in a democratic society. Yet much of the higher education literature looks at higher education through an economic framework. This paper argues that a healthy and broadly accessible higher education system serves the democratic public interest in a democratic polity such as the United States. It concludes by arguing that public universities could serve the public interest more effectively with an expansive view of who the “public” is and of their role as anchor institutions for democracy.
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, inObergefell v. Hodges, that the Fourteenth Amend... more On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, inObergefell v. Hodges, that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution forbids legal discrimination against same-sex marriage. The decision sent shock waves throughout the country, with both supporters and opponents regarding it as signal of dramatic shifts in public opinion and a revolutionary development on the road to sex-gender equality. Just two days earlier, on June 24, 2015, Stephen Macedo’sJust Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriagewas published. Macedo has always worked at the intersection of legal theory, normative theory, and public policy, andJust Marriedoffers a nuanced liberal democratic defense of marriage equality with striking resonance in light ofObergefell. We have thus invited a range of scholars on LGBT rights, and LGBT politics more generally, to comment on his book.
The field of empirical scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) poli... more The field of empirical scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) political and social movements that developed in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century has much to contribute to analysis of these movements and their political and cultural contexts. Empirical studies have examined LGBTQ movements in comparison to other types of social movements, finding similarities and alliances as well as distinctive elements. We have learned how LGBTQ movements operate in different global and local contexts, as well as how they interact with different kinds of political systems. Scholars have studied how broader social attitudes have evolved and responded to LGBTQ movements, and the way that backlash to these movements operate in different times and places. At the same time, the theoretical literature that grounds and interprets these studies contributes not just to the epistemology of social movements, but to understandings of the purposes of social and pol...
This article builds on the political science literature on the pedagogy of civic engagement by di... more This article builds on the political science literature on the pedagogy of civic engagement by discussing a recent pedagogical experiment that treats community partners as leaders and full participants in the design and implementation of community-engaged learning. The courses discussed here combine democratic theory, community organizing and leadership development, and partnership between students and a community organization in carrying out research and action projects on affordable housing.
American are inveterate reformers. Their belief in the efficacy of reform dates back to at least ... more American are inveterate reformers. Their belief in the efficacy of reform dates back to at least the Declaration of Independence and one could probably make the case that the so-called Mayflower Compact constituted a reform of the original charter governing the Crown's ...
Abstract: President Obama has made a point of marking Father's Day with discussions of polic... more Abstract: President Obama has made a point of marking Father's Day with discussions of policies related to fathers and families. These programs are an update and continuation of programs initiated in the Clinton Administration and greatly expanded in the Bush ...
In this essay, the authors offer the case of Iceland as a "language frontier" for the trans* comm... more In this essay, the authors offer the case of Iceland as a "language frontier" for the trans* community, given the nationalistic linguistic context and the deeply gendered nature of the Icelandic language. We begin by briefly outlining the legal situation with respect to trans* identification and the ability to transition. We then outline the conflict over terminology in the context of the Icelandic language and Icelandic national identity. Using empirical interview data, we discuss the difficulty Icelandic poses as a language for trans* identified people, given the deeply gendered nature of the language. We see no easy solution to this complex problem of language, nationalism, and identity.
Introduction 1 O ne purpose of public schools in the United States is to foster democratic citize... more Introduction 1 O ne purpose of public schools in the United States is to foster democratic citizenship. On this basic purpose progres-sives and conservatives agree, although there is great disagreement regarding what type of citizenship should be encouraged as well as what types of activities will promote or foster citizenship. It is in part this politically charged nature of public schools that makes them sites of great social and political contestation. During the so-called " culture wars, " of the 1980s and 90s schools were certainly a site for confrontation between social conservative and Left/progressive forces. Disputes over the teaching of " values " in schools, and over, for example, the history standards in the early 1990s, are evidence of the ways in which conservatives see schools as a place for preserving their vision of U.S. political life and practice. By the same token, progressive groups have seen schools as sites for political transformation. And...
There is no shortage of popular commentary on the state of higher education in the U.S. That much... more There is no shortage of popular commentary on the state of higher education in the U.S. That much of it is far off the mark in terms of the actual situation of higher education is perhaps par for the course. Yet those of us with actual knowledge of the state of higher education, and its contemporary challenges and opportunities, must weigh in, not just for our own interests, but because there is much more at stake for the future of democracy. The resources of political theory and political science are particularly useful to address some of the key problems of higher education. We must weigh in, and not just about NSF funding for political science.
... His primary teaching interests are women and politics, congressional politics, and media and ... more ... His primary teaching interests are women and politics, congressional politics, and media and politics. Jyl Josephson is assistant professor of political science at Illinois State University, where she teaches public policy and state and local gov-ernment. ...
Community organizations that have historically depended upon in-person organizing methods faced p... more Community organizations that have historically depended upon in-person organizing methods faced particular challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. We studied a U.S.-based network of community organizations to examine how they did their organizing work during the pandemic. Based on data collection of public information about the organizations and semi-structured interviews with key leaders, we studied the methods of organizing and the organizations’ use of various tools, digital and otherwise, and asked leaders about how the experience of organizing during the pandemic might change their future approach to organizing. We found that these organizations were able to continue their work in part because they already had established relationships among leaders and were able to adapt their familiar organizing tools to the new situation, effectively engaging in “reorganizing” during the pandemic.
It is time to reclaim the egalitarian democratic purposes of public universities. Public universi... more It is time to reclaim the egalitarian democratic purposes of public universities. Public universities and colleges play a crucial political and public role in a democratic society. Yet much of the higher education literature looks at higher education through an economic framework. This paper argues that a healthy and broadly accessible higher education system serves the democratic public interest in a democratic polity such as the United States. It concludes by arguing that public universities could serve the public interest more effectively with an expansive view of who the “public” is and of their role as anchor institutions for democracy.
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, inObergefell v. Hodges, that the Fourteenth Amend... more On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, inObergefell v. Hodges, that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution forbids legal discrimination against same-sex marriage. The decision sent shock waves throughout the country, with both supporters and opponents regarding it as signal of dramatic shifts in public opinion and a revolutionary development on the road to sex-gender equality. Just two days earlier, on June 24, 2015, Stephen Macedo’sJust Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriagewas published. Macedo has always worked at the intersection of legal theory, normative theory, and public policy, andJust Marriedoffers a nuanced liberal democratic defense of marriage equality with striking resonance in light ofObergefell. We have thus invited a range of scholars on LGBT rights, and LGBT politics more generally, to comment on his book.
The field of empirical scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) poli... more The field of empirical scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) political and social movements that developed in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century has much to contribute to analysis of these movements and their political and cultural contexts. Empirical studies have examined LGBTQ movements in comparison to other types of social movements, finding similarities and alliances as well as distinctive elements. We have learned how LGBTQ movements operate in different global and local contexts, as well as how they interact with different kinds of political systems. Scholars have studied how broader social attitudes have evolved and responded to LGBTQ movements, and the way that backlash to these movements operate in different times and places. At the same time, the theoretical literature that grounds and interprets these studies contributes not just to the epistemology of social movements, but to understandings of the purposes of social and pol...
This article builds on the political science literature on the pedagogy of civic engagement by di... more This article builds on the political science literature on the pedagogy of civic engagement by discussing a recent pedagogical experiment that treats community partners as leaders and full participants in the design and implementation of community-engaged learning. The courses discussed here combine democratic theory, community organizing and leadership development, and partnership between students and a community organization in carrying out research and action projects on affordable housing.
American are inveterate reformers. Their belief in the efficacy of reform dates back to at least ... more American are inveterate reformers. Their belief in the efficacy of reform dates back to at least the Declaration of Independence and one could probably make the case that the so-called Mayflower Compact constituted a reform of the original charter governing the Crown's ...
Abstract: President Obama has made a point of marking Father's Day with discussions of polic... more Abstract: President Obama has made a point of marking Father's Day with discussions of policies related to fathers and families. These programs are an update and continuation of programs initiated in the Clinton Administration and greatly expanded in the Bush ...
In this essay, the authors offer the case of Iceland as a "language frontier" for the trans* comm... more In this essay, the authors offer the case of Iceland as a "language frontier" for the trans* community, given the nationalistic linguistic context and the deeply gendered nature of the Icelandic language. We begin by briefly outlining the legal situation with respect to trans* identification and the ability to transition. We then outline the conflict over terminology in the context of the Icelandic language and Icelandic national identity. Using empirical interview data, we discuss the difficulty Icelandic poses as a language for trans* identified people, given the deeply gendered nature of the language. We see no easy solution to this complex problem of language, nationalism, and identity.
Introduction 1 O ne purpose of public schools in the United States is to foster democratic citize... more Introduction 1 O ne purpose of public schools in the United States is to foster democratic citizenship. On this basic purpose progres-sives and conservatives agree, although there is great disagreement regarding what type of citizenship should be encouraged as well as what types of activities will promote or foster citizenship. It is in part this politically charged nature of public schools that makes them sites of great social and political contestation. During the so-called " culture wars, " of the 1980s and 90s schools were certainly a site for confrontation between social conservative and Left/progressive forces. Disputes over the teaching of " values " in schools, and over, for example, the history standards in the early 1990s, are evidence of the ways in which conservatives see schools as a place for preserving their vision of U.S. political life and practice. By the same token, progressive groups have seen schools as sites for political transformation. And...
This is a special topics course in political theory. The course will make some reference to texts... more This is a special topics course in political theory. The course will make some reference to texts in the history of political thought, so if you have already taken core theory courses such as Early, Modern, or American political theory you will find some of those texts relevant to this course. We will be reading contemporary political theorists who draw on the historical tradition of political theory to make their arguments.
NOTE: this syllabus will not be printed and distributed; with the exception of quizzes, printed m... more NOTE: this syllabus will not be printed and distributed; with the exception of quizzes, printed materials will not be distributed in this course. All materials will be available through Blackboard. Thus, if you wish to have a printed copy of course materials you should print them. My apologies if this creates inconveniences; this is both a cost--cutting and an environmental measure on the part of the university. Course description: This course explores LGBTI political movements and related public policies in the United States,and locates these within historical contexts and with reference to theories about gender and sexuality. The importance of intersecting identity categories such as race, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity will be explored as they impact political mobilization and public policy strategies and impacts of the movement. What role should the state play in regulating the relation between sexual identity and expression? What is at stake in the debates over same--sex marriage and the claims by sexual minorities for equal rights? How have responses to the LGBTI movement, including anti--gay political organizing, affected the political landscape and the strategies of the movement? Is it possible for sexual minorities to become full participants in democratic citizenship? How is the US context for LGBTI activism unique, and how is it similar to other national political contexts?
This is an interdisciplinary course that examines approaches to research and research methodologi... more This is an interdisciplinary course that examines approaches to research and research methodologies used by feminist scholars to study issues related to women, gender and sexuality. This course also serves as the research methods course for the political science department, and will acquaint the graduate student with some of the basic approaches used by political scientists in their research. The course is designed to expand the graduate student's knowledge of feminist theories and methods in the social sciences, and to encourage discussion and critical thinking about contemporary debates among feminist and gender studies scholars. The course will also provide the graduate student with basic tools to apply social science feminist research methods in their own research and/or to understand the ways that feminist research and methods have brought new questions, ideas, and knowledge to a particular area of the student's area of study.
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