Overview
France, Russia, China: A Structural Analysis of Social Revolutions
Author(s): Theda Skocpol Source: Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr., 1976), pp. 175-210 Published by: Cambridge University Press
Theda Skocpol - Guided Reading Questions
Part I.
- How does Skocpol's definition of "social revolution" differ from political revolutions, coups, or rebellions?
- How does the international system shape domestic possibilities for revolution?
- What would a purely Marxist (base-superstructure) explanation look like, and how does Skocpol's alternative challenge it?
- Do you find her structural determinism convincing? What might be the costs of underplaying ideology and leadership?
Part II.
- What similarities and differences across France, Russia, and China best support Skocpol's claims?
- How does Skocpol's treatment of revolutionary parties (Jacobins, Bolsheviks, CCP) differ from traditional explanations?
- In each case, how did international pressures specifically undermine the state? Are these mechanisms identical or variable?