The structure of an undergraduate major and student learning: A cross-institutional study of political science programs at thirty-two colleges and universities

Is there a relationship between the way an undergraduate major in the social sciences is structured and student learning? In this paper, I address the relationship between the structure of the undergraduate major and student learning using data from the political science discipline. To assess the impact of the structure of the major on student achievement, a 29-item electronic questionnaire was employed. I find a very strong relationship between the degree to which a political science major program is structured and student knowledge, even when controlling for plausible alternative explanations for student performance. The results support the notion that majors that are characterized by a sequenced set of courses, the existence of a senior seminar or capstone course, and a required research methodology course taken early on in a Student's career, better prepare political science students than do relatively unstructured majors.Is there a relationship between the way an undergraduate major in the social sciences is structured and student learning? This is an extremely important and central question for social scientists in higher education for two reasons: (1) in this era of “assessment,” social science disciplines are coming under increasing pressure to demonstrate their utility in undergraduate education; (2) unlike other factors that affect student success (such as student ability and ambition) departments can more easily manipulate the structure of undergraduate majors (at least relatively speaking). Thus, understanding the relationship between the structure of the undergraduate major and student development is potentially a key element in instituting effective reforms in the undergraduate curriculum at colleges and universities across the country.In this paper, I address the relationship between the structure of the undergraduate major and student learning using data from the political science discipline. Indeed, there has been considerable interest in recent years in political science as to whether the structure of the undergraduate major has an impact on student learning. Some scholars have argued that the way a major is structured directly affects student development. For instance Wahlke (1991) criticized those political science undergraduate programs that had only a few required courses and other courses were offered as electives without any effort at sequencing them. Indeed, both the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) report on the Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the report produced by the APSA Task Force on Political Science (Wahlke, 1991), noted that unstructured programs are incapable of promoting the necessary skills required of political science students. The AACU report argued that only a consciously structured major that promotes sequential learning creates the “building blocks of knowledge that lead to more sophisticated understanding and … leaps of the imagination and efforts at synthesis” (AACU, 1985, p. 24). The development of thinking skills cannot be accomplished “merely by cumulative exposure to more and more … subject matter”. Majors which emphasize breadth at the expense of depth result in “shallow learning unless students also grasp the assumptions, arguments, approaches, and controversies that have shaped particular claims and findings” (Wahlke, 1991, p. 49).Thus, how a political science major is structured is posited to be related to student learning. However, despite this assertion, relatively little empirical work has been done that systematically examines the relationship between the structure of the major and the development of political science undergraduates. Some works have described programs that seek to emulate the recommendations made by the APSA Task Force and AACU reports, but do not offer evidence that such programs have a positive impact on student learning (Breuning, Parker, & Ishiyama, 2001). Other works have sought to establish a connection between the structure of the major and student reasoning styles by comparing two institutions (Ishiyama & Hartlaub, 2003). However, no studies to date have systematically compared across a number of institutions to demonstrate an empirical connection between the structure of the political science major and student learning. This paper seeks to investigate the purported connection between the structure of the political science major and some aspects of student learning by analyzing data collected from a survey of (32) colleges and universities from across the United States.     

Kurt Lewin's Leadership Studies and His Legacy to Social Psychology: Is There Nothing as Practical as a Good Theory?

This paper re‐examines Kurt Lewin's classic leadership studies, using them as a concrete example to explore his wider legacy to social psychology. Lewin distinguished between advanced “Galileian” science, which was based on analysing particular examples, and backward “Aristotelian” science, which used statistical analyses. Close examination of the way Lewin wrote about the leadership studies reveals that he used the sort of binary, value‐laden concepts that he criticised as “Aristotelian”. Such concepts, especially those of “democracy” and “autocracy”, affected the way that he analysed the results and the ways that later social scientists have understood, and misunderstood, the studies. It is argued that Lewin's famous motto—“there is nothing as practical as a good theory”—is too simple to fit the tensions between the leadership studies and his own views of what counts as good theory.     

古典学的人类学相关性:还原并反思地引申一种主张

近代人类学的奠基者曾高度重视借鉴古典学的研究成果。20世纪初，学科理念发生巨变。此后数十年间，古典学者继续借鉴人类学思想，而现代新人类学中重视古典学的学者却越来越少。20世纪60年代初，克拉克洪在其所著《论人类学与古典学的关系》一书中对这一变化表示喜忧参半。他乐见人类学思想渗入古典学，担忧人类学因减少汲取古典学的养分而丢失其本来的品质。克拉克洪指出，人类学的根基是人文与科学，此二者均为古希腊人的发明，现代新人类学要保持其品格，便有必要重返古希腊。鉴于克氏主张的重要性，本文力图对之加以还原，并在此基础上进行反思。本文认为，克拉克洪有规避西学人类学的神学关联及过度渲染古希腊特殊性的倾向，更存在以“文化”概念“消化”文野关联的问题。要扭转这类倾向，克服这类问题，应有选择地丰富古典旧人类学有关“中间环节”的看法。     

教师本色 学者风范——忆恩师杨德泉先生

杨德泉先生生前系中国宋史研究会理事、陕西师范大学历史系教授、陕西历史博物馆筹建处主任兼党组书记。他一生热爱党的教育事业,钟情教师职业,在长期的教学实践中形成了富有自己鲜明特色的教学艺术与风格,深受学生爱戴。他献身史学研究,学识渊博,功底深厚,严谨勤奋,在唐宋史、陕西地方史等研究方面成绩卓著,创获颇丰。     

生命与伦理:齐美尔生命哲学基础上的个体法则

以其早年对货币经济下的个体处境及两种个体主义的思考为背景，晚年的齐美尔在生命哲学的基础上集中阐述了有关伦理准则的个体法则。西方的主导伦理思想视伦理为普遍法则对个体行动的约束，普遍法则的合法性建立在一种二元对立的、机械的、理性的、目的论的视角之上。个体法则却以作为应该的个体生命为源泉，打破了以康德为代表的西方伦理思想中的各种视角局限，同时回应了齐美尔早年有关货币经济、文化悲剧和个体主义的思考，提供了一种与功利主义、利己主义等不同的个体主义话语。     

赵树理的创作生涯与社会政治学模式

历来的赵树理研究,均未能从一个时代文艺模式的兴起与衰落上,来说明赵树理的创作生涯。赵树理的作品和他本人的经历,对于社会政治学模式来说,其实是一个相当典型的例子。赵树理本与民间文艺有深厚的联系,有长期运用民间形式写作的经历。赵树理的小说确实可以看作是雅俗交汇的产物。赵树理是当时新文艺方向的代表。当他上升为整个文艺界学习的榜样时,并且要求他的创作符合于某种文艺理论的全面要求时,赵树理就难以适应新形势对他的要求了。一方面赵树理确应提高一步,提高其作品的概括性,但另一方面社会政治学模式所要求的典型形象中有着一种观念化的设定,这同赵树理向着实际的、易于吸纳事物复杂性的眼光,又难以协调。还有一个矛盾,即提高艺术水平的问题。赵树理主要是在一种民间大众文艺环境中发展起来的,他所熟悉的是如何适合群众的阅读欣赏习惯来写作的。赵树理遇到此种历史的尴尬,就其实质而言,反映了大众化文艺运动在走向全国后所面临的发展困难。社会政治学模式的观念设定,连像赵树理这样曾在为政治作宣传上获得一片喝彩的作家都难以适应了。与农民自在的文艺有着血缘联系的赵树理,要成为一个大作家,他应在思想的深刻性及艺术表现的多样性、丰富性上,有一个重大的发展,并愈益具有世界性的艺术眼光才行。赵树理虽集雅俗于一身,却是俗多于雅,因而他应向着雅的方向有一个更大的提升。他的创作存在三个缺点:一是"重事轻人",二是"旧的多新的少",即"写旧人旧事容易生活化,但写新人新事有些免不了概念化",三是"在一个作品中按常规应出现的人和事,本该是应有尽有",但因求速效,而将作品中应该有脑子里却没有的人和事省略了,"结果成了有多少写多少"。对这三个缺点的认识,表明赵树理对于他50年代初强调的"赶任务"写作的主张有了理性上的否定。赵树理的颓势是显然的:一是他的写实作风难以适应社会政治学模式,二是他的艺术上的危机也日益严重。赵树理经历了从社会政治学模式确立到衰亡的全过程。     

A Person Without a Past: Robert Michels and Alfred Schutz and the Sociology of the “Stranger”

Robert Michels and Alfred Schutz might not seem to have much in common. Michels was a political sociologist and Schütz was a philosopher of phenomenology, but they shared one crucial thing: they were both strangers in foreign countries. Michels left Germany for Italy and Switzerland because he was not permitted to complete the second degree necessary to teach at the university level while Schutz was compelled to leave Austria for France and the United States because of his Jewish background. Their experiences of trying to adapt in a foreign country prompted them to reflect on what it means to be “the stranger” (“Der Fremde”). Michels wrote “Materialien zu einer Soziologie des Fremden” in 1925 and Schutz published “The Stranger: An Essay in Social Psychology” in 1944. While Schutz’ article has been repeatedly cited, there does not seem to be a study devoted to it. Michels' article remains among his most neglected writings. However, both works offer a theoretical and contextual account of the obstacles the stranger encounters when trying to understand and to acclimate oneself to a new environment. As Schutz noted, the stranger is a person “without a past”, and Michels suggested, is also a person with an uncertain future.     

Harre's Social Philosophy and Political Philosophy: A Social Scientific Critique

In his article, “Saving Critical Realism,” Harre (2009 ) relates his revised philosophy of science to a social philosophy concerning the nature of society, and to a political philosophy regarding the nature of freedom and reform. I argue that his social philosophy and political philosophy rest upon an individualistic sense of society and freedom. I demonstrate that his individualism is factually and politically untenable. (I shall not comment on his philosophy of science, although the errors in his social and political philosophies make it suspect.) I counterpose an alternative social philosophy and political philosophy that are based on a structural model of society, freedom, and social change. My critique demonstrates how social science can adjudicate claims of structuralist vs. individualist social and political philosophy. It also argues that social science must constitute the basis for formulating political ideals of freedom and social organization if these are to be viable.     

李四光与民国时期中外地质学交流

李四光在民国时期中外地质学交流史上有着显著的地位。他与英国地质学的渊源,使其一系列具有创新意识的学术论著在英国发表、出版,并赴英讲学、参加国际地质会议;作为中国地质学会创始人,他与该会外籍会员有着广泛的学术交流;他在借鉴西方地质学理论和观点的同时,或修正、补充前说,或辩驳推翻谬论,创造地质力学、蜓科分类学等新理论、新方法;他以其在国内外地质学界的地位和影响,为地质留学生提供指导和帮助。     

Radical Interactionism: Going Beyond Mead*

George Herbert Mead argues that human society is comprised of six basic institutions—language, family, economics, religion, polity, and science. I do not believe that he can be criticized for making institutions the cornerstones of a society, but he can definitely be criticized for his explanation of how our basic institutions originate, how these institutions operate in society after their inception, and how they later change, modifying society in the process. The problem with Mead's explanation of these three critical matters is that he based them on his principle of “sociality” rather than on the principle of “domination.” If Mead's principle of sociality is replaced by the principle of domination and his notion of the “generalized other” is replaced by the notion of the “phantom community,” then most of these problems can be largely solved. Thus, in this paper, I will not only point out the key problems in Mead's theory of society, but I will also offer solutions to them based on the notions of domination and the “phantom community.” The end product is a “radical interactionism” that surpasses Mead's original interactionism in identifying the part that both domination and the composite “other” play in every known human society—big and small, and past and present.     

"让日常生活成为艺术":一种后马克思的都市化乌托邦构想

列斐伏尔既是西方马克思主义的创始人,也是20世纪70年代以来所谓"后马克思哲学思潮"的不自觉推动者。其主要表现之一,就是他在《现代世界中的日常生活》中所提出的以现代都市日常生活为平台的文化革命概念。他认为,马克思哲学基本上是"过时了"的工业主义、生产主义话语;马克思的经济、政治与文化革命宏观构想仍是一种理性设计范畴。但问题在于,列斐伏尔的总体性文化革命理想却是没有经济基础的"空中楼阁"。     

Critical Latitude

From his educational background both in France and America, Professor Pavel not only expresses his endorsement, understanding and judgment of the concept of “imposed interpretation,” but also his opinion and further academic expectations. The article has three parts. First, he confirms the existence of the specific problems of “imposed interpretation,” “subjective assumption prior to interpretation,” and “reversed route of cognition.” Second, he points out that the phenomen on of imposed interpretation is not unique in contemporary times and has existed in Western literary research since the beginning of the 19^th century— from the Zeitgeist of the age of Hegel, the social environment of positivism, the narratology of structuralism, and to contemporary literary critique, all of which have the feature of using concepts to cover the multiformity of literary works. Pavel finally points out that the contemporary phenomen on of “imposed interpretation” embodies the features of American culture and exposes the problem of American education. He hopes that scholars can keep critical latitude and vitality while rectifying the errors in literary research.     

Hypothesis, Faith, and Commitment: William James' Critique of Science

William James is remembered as the philosopher of pragmatism, but he was principally the founder of modern scientific psychology. During the period of his most intense scientific involvement James developed a trenchant critique of science. This was not a rejection of science but an attempt to identify limitations of the contemporary conceptualization of science. In particular, James emphasized the failure of science to understand its basis in human emotions. James developed a scientific theory of emotions in which the importance of emotion in cognition and decision-making is central. James' appreciation of the significance of emotions in science has continuing value. Nevertheless, his characterization of science in terms of its method introduces tensions in his account that an emphasis on the social dimensions of science, which he implicitly acknowledged, tends to resolve.     

广松涉物象化论在日本左翼运动中的位置与影响

战后日本的旧左翼运动呈现追随大众现实意识状态的倾向,新左翼运动旗手广松涉对此展开批判,他主张发达资本主义国家的革命具有首要意义,认为马克思主义迎来了“第三阶段”,在日本应该通过理论斗争与实践运动相结合的方式实现社会变革。一般被视为纯哲学问题的广松物象化论就是用来指导新左翼运动的理论武器。与“异化革命”论相比,物象化论是对资本主义价值体系进行的原理上的、更加彻底的批判,因而不容易与现实运动形成直接关联,广松立足于物象化论的革命论自然也无法解决他自己所批判的在革命运动中“前卫”与“大众”相脱离的问题。     

觉醒与抗争:北洋军阀吴佩孚民族意识述评

吴佩孚作为北洋军阀的直系首领,在激烈动荡的年代,曾纵横捭阖,翻云覆雨;或排斥异己,挑起战端,给中华民族带来巨大的灾难。长期以来,被视作"反动军阀"与"人民公敌",然而,这并非其人生的全部。"五四"时期以"爱国将军"声名鹊起;北伐之后,落魄下野,即使处境艰难,仍以家国为念,面对日伪的威逼利诱,依然洁身自好,自全名节,浓厚的民族意识渗透其一生的方方面面,晚年演绎了一段失败英雄的悲壮传奇。     

“桑梓情谊”的现代转化：费孝通社会理论的情感维度

费孝通的社会理论在社会结构方面更受学界重视，而其中的情感维度尚未得到足够关注。本文试图在费孝通早年有关中国现代化的理论视域中，梳理他有关“桑梓情谊”与“亲属情谊”“乡土工业”“村镇地方团体”之间关系的探索和讨论，进而呈现费孝通社会理论中对于情感的重视。 在费孝通看来，中国的现代化应该以中国传统社会组织为基础来嫁接西方现代技术， 从而推动整个社会从传统向现代的有效过渡。 在此过程中，他尝试将既旧且新的“桑梓情谊”阐释为现代中国社会的情感基础。 文章认为，“桑梓情谊”表征并构造了本地的根源与大社会的流动以及地方与国家的人际关联， 是理解费孝通社会理论之情感维度的关键，对我们思考当代中国现代化建设也有一定的启示。     

“知者乐水”与“上善若水”--论柳诗“枯澹”之美

苏轼评柳宗元诗,好用“澹泊”“枯澹”等语,意指其诗歌创作形貌朴实而情韵丰满。所谓“枯澹”之美实与儒家所倡“中和之美”、道家所倡“法天贵真”本质相同。柳诗中具有“枯澹”之美的作品,集中创作于元和五年至元和十年之间。在此期间,柳宗元深受儒、道两家“知者乐水”“上善若水”等观点的影响,力求改变“躁进”心态,愤懑之意减淡,内心日趋平和,诗歌创作讲求自然,故这一时期的作品呈现“枯澹”之貌。此外,移居愚溪也是造成柳宗元诗歌风格变化的原因之一,而苏轼的个人处境和遭遇,也使他格外看重柳诗的平淡自然之作。     

修身、成圣与革命：五四时期道德主义者的激进化

五四运动后“救亡”与“启蒙”、“政治”与“文化”的交织与竞逐是我们理解中国近代史的一条线索。既有研究多将恽代英呈现为一个具有道德主义色彩和儒家伦理底蕴的五四知识分子，然而顺着这一思路，我们却难以理解他为何从温和的道德结社转向革命。本文认为，恽代英精神世界中的心学底色，以及他对青年会社会服务经验的借鉴，使他形成了与共产主义者相通的道德认知；道德结社的困境则促使他走向政党运动，以群众运动实践自己的道德理想。恽代英的早期经历为我们呈现了过渡时代具有儒学底蕴的知识分子面对现代政治秩序时的道德困惑，这有助于我们理解中国共产主义革命对德性的强调以及儒家中国的现代转化。     

民国首任北平市长何其巩

何其巩是民国时期一位具有爱国和民主思想的国民党官员。早年为冯玉祥将军秘书。 192 8年北京设立特别市 ,为首任北平市长。 1936年转入教育界 ,为中国大学校长。抗日战争时期 ,坚持在沦陷区办学 ,始终抵住了日伪势力 ,使中国大学发展成为沦陷区一块抗日教育基地及文化界的抗日阵地。 194 9年他拒绝南迁 ,迎接和平解放