Thinking about dissertation
06.30.2004Sometimes, a break from routine is just what you need. Having finished Life of Pi, I've been re-reading David Held's Models of Democracy (in my mind, the best overview of democratic theory literature). Going through Chapter 7, a thought suddenly struck me: A framework for dealing w/ post-October Bolivia!
The key was the debate between neo-pluralists & neo-Marxists over how to explain the "crisis of legitimacy" that plagued Western democracies in the 1960s. While there's great difference between advanced industrial & third world states — certainly enough for reformuation — I think it's a good framework for viewing Bolivian politics. After all, the system didn't entirely break down (though a re-reading of the "breakdown of democracies" literature is in order, too). I think there's enough of a connection there, especially if I keep the idea of Bolivia's representative democratic system as basically "stable" up to recently.
Essentially, both camps provide good analyses into the causes for crisis w/in liberal democratic states. Expanding them to new democracies is important. Which helps make the dissertation more "generalizable" outside just the Bolivian case (always important). And it allows me to keep the previous dissertation concept as a first part, before expanding it to include the post-October reality (unavoidable). Which means flexibility w/o jettisoning the whole previous concept (I was really worried about that, actually). Now I just have to run it by my committee.
Posted by Miguel at 10:47 PM
Comments
My mom had Life of Pi sittin' around on the table when I was last visiting. She said I could borrow it when she was finished.
How did you like it?
Posted by: cat at July 1, 2004 10:26 AM
I never finished Life of Pi... I got more then half way and then got distracted and never went back. I enjoyed the part I had read so far and I received great reviews on it.
Glad disserations ideas are going well. Can't wait to have a PHD in the fam.
Posted by: sam at July 1, 2004 03:33 PM
Life of Pi was an amazing book. Sam, you should finish it. There are quite a few surprises. And it ends w/ you scratching your head. I'm already re-reading it.
Posted by: miguel at July 1, 2004 04:05 PM