The Graduate School :: Comparative and Historical Social Science

Comparative and Historical Social Science

Contact:

Jim Mahoney

Associate Professor of Political Science and Sociology

601 University Place, Room 241

Evanston, IL 60208-2208

e-mail: james-mahoney@northwestern.edu

phone: 847-491-2626

Program Description

The Comparative and Historical Social Science (CHSS) cluster is an interdisciplinary initiative co-sponsored by the Department of Political Science and the Department of Sociology. The program supports graduate training among students interested in comparative and historical research by providing: a) a common coursework structure integrated with students’ departmental curricula, b) resources for student research, including travel abroad, c) interdisciplinary venues to present work in progress and to receive feedback from faculty and fellow students, and d) opportunities for collaborative research. The program features a core group of faculty internationally renowned for comparative and historical research.

Comparative and historical social science adopts a distinctive set of methodological and theoretical tools for studying the political and social world. These include the following:

Temporally-oriented analysis in which researchers study historical sequences and examine the unfolding of processes over time. The “historical” component of CHSS is not defined by the study of past events; rather, it refers to the use of historical approaches to time and sequence to interpret and explain events in the world.
Theoretically-grounded analysis in which researchers formulate and assess concepts, hypotheses, and interpretations in light of fine-grained evidence from cases. In CHSS, theory development is typically carried out in close relation to particular empirical problems.
Comparative analysis in which researchers systematically juxtapose multiple features of cases to identify the key similarities and differences relevant to their research goals. Close comparison is essential to many of the specific methods of descriptive and causal analysis pursued in the field.
Case-oriented analysis in which researchers develop expertise in one or more countries, areas, or regions in order to solve particular theoretical or empirical problems. Such expertise may be achieved through archival research, in-depth historical reading, and/or field and ethnographic research.

Both the political science and sociology departments offer some classes relevant to these kinds of research, and together they are able to give students essential training in theory, methods, and substantive knowledge in a way unusual for U.S. universities, even those with nationally recognized programs in CHSS.

CHSS is working as a successful interdisciplinary program. For information on affiliated faculty, students, workshops, and an upcoming major visibility conference, please consult our webpage, which is updated regularly: http://www.cics.northwestern.edu/CHSS_Home.html

Admissions

Students apply directly to their chosen department, and they are admitted to their chosen department based on the general procedures used by that department. They then are invited to apply to the Certificate and Cluster Program. In the personal statement of the application, CHSS students may indicate their interest in the program though this is not required. Students may also apply to the program at later points, provided they can still complete all of the requirements of the program. Unless exceptional circumstances apply, students will not be admitted to the program after the start of their second year. Students will be admitted on a rolling basis. Should fellows choose to leave the CHSS program, they continue to be students in the department to which they were admitted, provided of course they remain in good standing. The committee of core CHSS faculty will meet to decide upon all admissions to the Certificate and Cluster Program.

Students interested in pursuing a PhD in Art History, Comparative Literary Studies, English, French and Italian, German Literature and Critical Thought, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Sociology are encouraged to find a second intellectual “home” in this interdisciplinary cluster.

Advising

All CHSS fellows are assigned two advisors: one from their department upon admission and another CHSS advisor from outside their department (also appointed shortly after admission into the program). Students will construct their program in consultation with both advisors. Students include an external faculty member from CHSS as an advisor for the required second year paper and the dissertation committee (different external advisors may be used for the second year paper and the dissertation).

Last updated: Jul 10 2007 9:12AM