SOCY 49.18 Third World Revolutions
This course presents a comparative analysis of the three major revolutions of the latter part of the twentieth century: Iran, Nicaragua, and the Philippines. The course begins with a discussion of major theories of revolutions, including works that focus on class analysis, ideological conflicts, and the state. In the second half of the term, the course explores the revolutions in Iran, Nicaragua, and the Philippines, focusing on the causes of the conflicts, the revolutionary processes, and their alternative outcomes: Islamic fundamentalism in Iran, revolutionary socialism in Nicaragua, and the restoration of liberal democracy in the Philippines. The latter part of the course relies on documentary films that contain actual footages of the revolutionary struggles and their outcomes in the three countries.