Critical junctures and beyond
This seminar in honour of Einar Berntzen, analyses the key analytical concept of "critical junctures" and its use in different contexts across the social sciences.
Main content
"Critical junctures" has been a key concept in the comparative-historical approach in the social sciences and in comparative politics. The concept was central to the theories of Stein Rokkan and has been widely applied by numerous scholars working on the political development of different regions of the world. In Latin America, the works of Ruth and David Collier have been central to the development of "critical junctures" as an analytical tool, and their works have later been further developed by many others. Among them is Gerardo Munck who recently edited the book "Critical Junctures and Historical Legacies. Insights and Methods for Comparative Social Science" (2022, Rowman & Littlefield) with David Collier. In order to honour our colleague Einar Berntzen who recently retired, we have invited professor Gerardo Munck to discuss the "critical junctures" framework within our field and the social sciences in general.
Throughout his career Einar Berntzen workd on and with comparative historical methods and applied the concept of critical junctures on his analyses of various works of Stein Rokkan, the study of political cultures and on the political development in Central America, and Latin America more in general.
Munck's lecture will be followed by presentations by professors Per Selle and Einar Berntzen who will focus on the us of "critical junctures" as an analytical framework in the study of indigenous politics and on the recent presidential election in Costa Rica.
We welcome everyone to an interesting seminar!
Program
13.30-13.45: Welcome and introduction by Head of Department, Leiv Marsteintredet (University of Bergen)
13.45-14.45: Building a Historical Science: The Contribution of the Critical Juncture Framework (Gerardo Munck, University of Southern California)
15.00-15.30: Critical Junctures meet Indigeneous Politics (Per Selle, University of Bergen)
15.30-16.00: The 2026 Costa Rican election as a critical juncture (Einar Berntzen, University of Bergen)
16.00-17.00: Reception and refreshments
Einar Berntzen
Einar Berntzen
Born 1955
Cand Polit Comparative Politics 1981.
Employed at the Department since 1982, associate professor since 1989.
Emeritus since 2025.
Author of books on European politics and political culture, in addition to numeour articles on the works of Stein Rokkan, comparative-historical methods, Central American and Latin American politics.
