POL SCI 113A
Problems in 20th-Century and Contemporary Political Theory
Description: Lecture, three or four hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Study and interpretation of theorists who have focused their analyses on social and political problems of 20th century. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Professor Dienstag is a very intelligent person with a lot of valuable insight to offer. My class was small and discussion based so I did not get to witness his ability to lecture and teach very much. However, he gave great insight to the works we were examining. I only wish he was more approachable in his demeanor with students and presenting a more open, comfortable environment when discussing to help students feel more empowered to speak. At times, it did not seem like he respected our ideas. But otherwise, he is an excellent Professor and worth taking particularly if you are interested in theory.
Professor Dienstag is a very intelligent person with a lot of valuable insight to offer. My class was small and discussion based so I did not get to witness his ability to lecture and teach very much. However, he gave great insight to the works we were examining. I only wish he was more approachable in his demeanor with students and presenting a more open, comfortable environment when discussing to help students feel more empowered to speak. At times, it did not seem like he respected our ideas. But otherwise, he is an excellent Professor and worth taking particularly if you are interested in theory.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2025 - I almost dropped this class after the second week, but thankfully, I didn't. This class wasn't impossible, but if you haven't taken a theory class before, then it will be one of the harder ones. I would say it's on the harder end of the political science classes offered at UCLA. The class is as follows: - One mandatory discussion per week: you review the political thinker discussed during that week, and each group must share an answer to the question. That's your participation grade. - One student presentation per quarter during the discussion. You pick your book and/or author to present on, and you pick the week. Very manageable. - Final and midterm paper, about 4 pages double-spaced. Also very manageable. *go to office hours to get your paper reviewed before the deadline!! Helps you TREMENDOUSLY!! If you're interested in political theory and philosophy, I would take this class. I'm not too enthusiastic about political theory, but I genuinely found it interesting. Try to read the books, or else it literally will not make sense. And go to his lectures: he speaks really fast, but he is genuinely a very good speaker, and you can tell he is one of the (rare) professors who is very passionate about the subject. What really helped me get an A in the class (and I cannot stress this enough) is 1) going to his lectures and 2) taking notes like a transcript. His speaking notes are what will allow you to succeed in the class for the essays and presentation. The important takeaways are in his speaking notes; taking notes of the slides is NOT enough.
Spring 2025 - I almost dropped this class after the second week, but thankfully, I didn't. This class wasn't impossible, but if you haven't taken a theory class before, then it will be one of the harder ones. I would say it's on the harder end of the political science classes offered at UCLA. The class is as follows: - One mandatory discussion per week: you review the political thinker discussed during that week, and each group must share an answer to the question. That's your participation grade. - One student presentation per quarter during the discussion. You pick your book and/or author to present on, and you pick the week. Very manageable. - Final and midterm paper, about 4 pages double-spaced. Also very manageable. *go to office hours to get your paper reviewed before the deadline!! Helps you TREMENDOUSLY!! If you're interested in political theory and philosophy, I would take this class. I'm not too enthusiastic about political theory, but I genuinely found it interesting. Try to read the books, or else it literally will not make sense. And go to his lectures: he speaks really fast, but he is genuinely a very good speaker, and you can tell he is one of the (rare) professors who is very passionate about the subject. What really helped me get an A in the class (and I cannot stress this enough) is 1) going to his lectures and 2) taking notes like a transcript. His speaking notes are what will allow you to succeed in the class for the essays and presentation. The important takeaways are in his speaking notes; taking notes of the slides is NOT enough.
Most Helpful Review
Professor Rocco has a very structured lecture routine-ppt. slides that are setup purposively, something he doesn't stray far from. In lecture it is largely one sided communication, with inquiry limited to his limited office hours. He is very knowledgable about the material, which is really interesting on its own (Marcuse, Freire and Gramsci), and he gives a good explanation of their respective theories in layman terms. The reading isn't absolutely required for the class since he gives all the material he requires on the final in lecture, but it does help a lot (especially with Gramsci). This class is helpful for theory/philosophy of institutional power, political organizing, critical pedagogy, etc. I would suggest this class for someone already interested in the subject, maybe not for someone who is bedazzled by the title and thinks it a glamour course: the final essays are not glamorous. But I would suggest opting in for the weekly page responses, comprising up to 25% of your grade. It takes a lot of pressure of your otherwise sole determinator of your grade-the final. I also took Rocco for PS10, and I would suggest taking him for upperdiv rather than the lower- he cares more.
Professor Rocco has a very structured lecture routine-ppt. slides that are setup purposively, something he doesn't stray far from. In lecture it is largely one sided communication, with inquiry limited to his limited office hours. He is very knowledgable about the material, which is really interesting on its own (Marcuse, Freire and Gramsci), and he gives a good explanation of their respective theories in layman terms. The reading isn't absolutely required for the class since he gives all the material he requires on the final in lecture, but it does help a lot (especially with Gramsci). This class is helpful for theory/philosophy of institutional power, political organizing, critical pedagogy, etc. I would suggest this class for someone already interested in the subject, maybe not for someone who is bedazzled by the title and thinks it a glamour course: the final essays are not glamorous. But I would suggest opting in for the weekly page responses, comprising up to 25% of your grade. It takes a lot of pressure of your otherwise sole determinator of your grade-the final. I also took Rocco for PS10, and I would suggest taking him for upperdiv rather than the lower- he cares more.
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