Faculty

Sidney Plotkin wearing a light blue collared shirt and blue sweater against a gray background.

Sidney Plotkin
Professor of Political Science on the Margaret Stiles Halleck Chair

News

Books by Faculty

Book cover with illustration and text that reads: People of the Image: Jews and Art by Marc Michael Epstein.
People of the Image: Jews and Art by Marc Michael Epstein.
Book cover titled "Robed Representatives: How Black Judges Advocate in American Courts" by Taneisha Means Davis. A painting shows an individual in a black robe at a judicial bench next to a person at a lower desk, with a flag and seal in a courtroom.
Robed Representatives: How Black Judges Advocate in American Courts by Taneisha Means.
Book cover that reads: Optical Interference and Dynamic Diffraction: Research methods for undergraduates by Jenny Magnes and Juan Merlo-Ramírez
Optical Interference and Dynamic Diffraction: Research methods for undergraduates by Jenny Magnes and Juan Merlo-Ramírez.
Image of a train with a text overlay that reads: The Social Life of Trains, A Journey, Amitava Kumar.
The Social Life of Indian Trains by Amitava Kumar.
Book cover with painting depicting people standing around a patient in a bed with text that reads: What We Mourn: Child Death and the Politics of Grief in Nineteenth-Century Britain, by Lydia Murdoch.
What We Mourn: Child Death and the Politics of Grief in Nineteenth-Century Britain by Lydia Murdoch.
A red book cover featuring the decorative top of an ancient architectural column, above which are the words, "The White Pedestal: How White Nationalists Use Ancient Greece and Rome to Justify Hate, Curtis Dozier.
The White Pedestal: How White Nationalists Use Ancient Greece and Rome to Justify Hate by Curtis Dozier
Book cover with a person's face obscured by text that reads: This is a true war story, My Improbable History with Vietnam, by Robert K. Brigham.
This Is a True War Story: My Improbable History with Vietnam by Robert K. Brigham.
Book cover with an illustration of leaves and a frog, and text that reads: Applied Statistics with R: A Practical Guide for the Life Sciences and Beyond, second edition, by Justin Touchon.
Applied Statistics with R by Justin Touchon.
Book cover with an architectural drawing and text that reads: Yvonne Elet, Urban Landscape in the Third Rome, Raphael's Villa and Mussolini's Forum.
Urban Landscape in the Third Rome: Raphael’s Villa and Mussolini’s Forum by Yvonne Elet.
Illustrative book cover with text that reads: Indigenous Poetics.
Indigenous Poetics by Molly S. McGlennen.
Book cover with text that reads: The Green Book An Observer's Notebook Amitava Kumar.
The Green Book by Amitava Kumar.
Book cover with sports equipment and text that reads: More Than Just a Game: How the Youth Sports Industry Is Changing the Way We Parent and What to Do About It, providing much-needed perspective about the billion-dollar youth-sports industry. By Christopher Bjork and William Hoynes.
More than Just a Game: How the Youth Sports Industry Is Changing the Way We Parent and What to Do About It by Christopher Bjork and William Hoynes.
Book cover with text that reads: Fraternal Critique, The Politics of Muslim Community in France, by Kirsten Wesselhoeft.
Fraternal Critique: The Politics of Muslim Community in France by Kirsten Wesselhoeft.
Forest illustration with text overlay that reads: Governing Forests by Arpitha Kodiveri.
Governing Forests by Arpitha Kodiveri.
Book cover with a painted portrait of a person with text that reads: The Complete Poems of Samuel Johnson Edited By Robert D. Brown, Robert DeMaria, Jr.
The Complete Poems of Samuel Johnson, co-edited by Robert DeMaria Jr. and Robert D. Brown.
Book cover with a photo of seated people gathered on a lawn and text that reads: Liberal Education and Democratic Citizenship, Michael H. McCarthy.
Liberal Education and Democratic Citizenship by Michael H. McCarthy.
Book cover with a starry night sky background and text that reads: Key Constallations, Interpreting tonality in film, by Táhirih Motazedian.
Key Constellations: Interpreting Tonality in Film by Tahirih Motazedian.
Image of a book cover for 'Monstrous Work & Radical Satisfaction' by Eve Dunbar, depicting four black and white portrait photos of African American women.
Monstrous Work & Radical Satisfaction: Black Women Writing Under Segregation by Eve Dunbar.
Book cover that reads, "She-Wolves: The Untold Story of Women on Wall Street." In the background is a select of a $100 bill with red a lip-mark kiss.
She-Wolves: the Untold History of Women on Wall Street by Paulina Bren.
Book cover that reads, "The Art of Populism in US Politics: Pro-Trump DIY Popular Culture" with an edgy, blurry image that is cosmetic.
The Art of Populism in US Politics: Pro-Trump DIY Popular Culture by Justin Patch.
Green tinted book cover showing people holding signs in protest with text overlayed that reads: Civic Activism in South Korea: The Intertwining of Democracy and Neoliberalism by Seungsook Moon.
Civic Activism in South Korea: The Intertwining of Democracy and Neoliberalism by Seungsook Moon.
A yellow book cover with an illustration of the shape of a person's head with a landscape photo filling the shape and text that reads: My Beloved Life, a novel, Amitava Kumar.
My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar.
Book cover with two rainbow illustrations and text that reads: Spaces on the Spectrum: How Autism Movements Resist Experts and Create Knowledge. Catherine Tan.
Spaces on the Spectrum: How Autism Movements Resist Experts and Create Knowledge by Catherine Tan.
Book cover with yellow text on a green background that reads: The Yellow Book: A Traveller’s Diary by Amitava Kumar
The Yellow Book: A Traveller’s Diary by Amitava Kumar.
Book cover with a quilt as a background and words that read: Stitching Love and Loss: A Gee’s Bend Quilt.
Stitching Love and Loss: A Gee’s Bend Quilt by Lisa Gail Collins.
Book cover with illustration of hands holding plants and text that reads: Say, Listen: Writing as Care, a new book by The Black | Indigenous 100s Collective.
Say, Listen: Writing as Care by Kimberly Williams Brown.
Book cover that reads Key Constellations: Interpreting Tonality in Film
Key Constellations: Interpreting Tonality in Film by Táhirih Motazedian.
Book cover with white background and abstract art with the title: Rappresentare per includere. Metodi, strumenti e testi per un italiano plurale
Rappresentare per includere. Metodi, strumenti e testi per un italiano plurale by Alberto Gelmi.
Bookcover with the text, Behind the Seams: Women, Fashion, and Work in 19th-Century France by Susan Hiner, over a painting of a person working with a garment
Behind the Seams: Women, Fashion, and Work in 19th-Century France by Susan Hiner.
Book cover with title the reads Taking Our Water for the City by April M. Beisaw.
Taking Our Water for the City: The Archaeology of New York City’s Watershed Communities by April M. Beisaw.
Book cover with detail of a painting with people on horseback and text that reads: From Christians to Europeans.
From Christians to Europeans: Pope Pius II and the Concept of the Modern Western Identity by Nancy Bisaha.
Book Cover with a title that reads: The Coronavirus Pandemic and Inequality: A Global Perspective
The Coronavirus Pandemic and Inequality: A Global Perspective by editor and contributing author, Shirley Johnson-Lans.
Book cover of a group of people on horseback with text that reads: Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western, Mia Mask.
Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western by Mia Mask.
Blue book cover with text that reads: The Blue Book A Writers Journal by Amitava Kumar.
The Blue Book: A Writer’s Journal by Amitava Kumar.

The Vassar Institute for the Liberal Arts

The Institute convenes scholars and thought leaders from Vassar, our local area and around the globe. Learn more