Introduction to Peace Studies. "In a world built on violence, one must first be a revolutionary before one can be a pacifist." A. J.

Transcription

1 History 358i; TR 9:35-10:50; Faner 1222 Professor Robbie Lieberman, Dept. of History, 3329 Faner Hall, , Office Hours: Mon. 9:30-11:30, TR 11-1 Introduction to Peace Studies "In a world built on violence, one must first be a revolutionary before one can be a pacifist." A. J. Muste This course will serve as an introduction to Peace Studies as an interdisciplinary field that encompasses the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The goal of the class is to raise your awareness of the history, theory, and practice of alternatives to violence. This is the foundational class for an interdisciplinary minor in Peace Studies students may choose to develop as part of their course of study. We will consider the structural and systemic reasons for violence; the history of peace movements; the role of media in escalating violence and providing solutions; and alternatives to violence in theory and practice. The class demands a serious commitment since it involves a rigorous schedule of readings and discussions as well as several writing assignments. Some of the material in this class may challenge deeply held assumptions and /or arouse controversy; please be especially conscious about treating guest speakers and each other in a respectful manner, contributing your own ideas in such a way that does not inhibit others from expressing themselves. Required Reading: Howlett and Lieberman, For the People: A Documentary History of the Struggle for Peace and Justice in the United States Jerry Lembcke, The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam Selection of readings on D2L Course Schedule: Week One Jan. 15 Jan. 17 Week Two Jan. 22 Jan. 24 Introduction to the course and each other. Planning for peace, from the founding of the U.S. to today. READ: Benjamin Rush, A Plan for a Peace Office of the United States (1792); Dave Chappelle, Fighting With Another Purpose Begin Section One: The U.S. Peace Tradition BRING For The People TO CLASS for this section of the course! U.S. peace history through the 19 th century. READ: For the People, chapter 2 (All documents, pp ), ch. 3 (All documents, pp ). Film Screening: Sir, No Sir 1

2 Week Three Jan. 29 U.S. peace history in the 20 th century. READ: For the People, chapter 4 (Documents 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12); chapter 5 (Documents 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11); chapter 6 (Documents 2, 5, 10). Bring 3 discussion questions about the reading to turn in. Jan. 31 Discuss assigned documents from chapters 2-6. Bring your book and journals to class. Week Four Feb. 5 Feb. 7 U.S. Peace history, 1960s to the present. READ: For the People, Chapter 7 (Documents 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13); Chapter 8 (Documents 1-10) Discuss documents; role play. First paper assignment handed out. Turn in journals. Week Five Feb. 12 Discuss The Spitting Image, Introduction, chapters 1-6 and chapter 10. Feb. 14 First paper due. Discuss conclusions to Section One. Week Six Feb. 19 Feb. 21 Week Seven Feb. 26 Feb. 28 Begin Section Two: The Media, War, and Peace Media Ownership and Militarism. Guest lecture by Prof. Padovani. View: Noam Chomsky, The myth of Liberal READ (D2L) for discussion: Robin Andersen, The Military-Entertainment Complex: Permanent War and the Digital Spectacular ; Tom Engelhardt, The Gulf War as Total Television Advertising, Memes, and Alternative Media. Guest lecture by Prof. Spahr. READ online: Center for Communication and Civic Engagement, Culture Bring an example of culture jamming to class. Second paper assignment handed out. Week Eight March 5 March 7 Art and Media for Peace and Justice. Guest presentation by Prof. Lewison. READ: Grace Lee Boggs, Thinking Dialectically about Solidarity : (D2L): Interview with Grace Lee Boggs (Whirlwind GLB); Interview with Robin Kelly (Whirlwind RDGK). Second paper due. Discuss the uses of media in helping prevent and/or promote violence. Turn in journals. 2

3 Week Nine March 19 March 21 Begin Section Three: Alternatives to War and Violence. Discuss non-violent theory. READ (D2L): Tolstoy, Gandhi, Camus, Sharp. Film screening: A Force More Powerful Week Ten March 26 March 28 Week Eleven April 2 April 4 Is violence part of human nature? READ (D2L): Peace for Beginners, Chapter 1 (Nature); Karen Armstrong, 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life, Chapter 1. Guest presentation by Prof. Lemish and students on Cultures of Peace. The philosophy of nonviolence. Guest lecture by Prof. Stikkers. READ (D2L) for discussion: Schwarz, Tutu, Deming; revisit Sharp. Week Twelve April 9 April 11 Week Thirteen April 16 April 18 Gender and Alternatives to Violence. Guest lecture by Prof. Kapur on women in India. READ (D2L) for discussion: Reardon, Sexism and the War System; Sohaila Abdulali, Other readings to be arranged. Environmental Justice, from the global to the local. Guest lecture by Prof. Weinert. View case study on East St. Louis at and Southern Illinoisans against Fracturing our Environment at for discussion. Week Fourteen April 23 Music and Movements for Peace and Justice. Guest presentation by Father Brown. Third paper assignment handed out with study guide for final exam. April 25 Week Fifteen April 30 May 2 READ (D2L) for discussion: We are [Not] the World: Famine, Apartheid, and the Politics of Rock Music, and The Music Kept Us from Being Paralyzed: A Talk with Bernice Johnson Reagon Panel of local activists. Third paper due. READ (D2L): Loeb, We Don t Have to Be Saints. Conclusions, current issues, evaluations. Turn in Journals. 3

4 May 9 (Thursday), 10:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Final Exam. Course requirements, assignments, and grading: 1. Class commitment. This includes attendance, preparation for class, participation, response journal, turning in assignments on time, and so on. This is worth 35% of your grade page papers at the end of each section of the course. Each of the three papers is worth 15% of your grade, or 45% in all. 4. Final exam. This will be a comprehensive exam for which you will receive a study guide ahead of time. The final is worth 20% of your grade in the class. 5. Extra credit for attending campus and community events related to peace and preparing a one page report. You may get credit for two events, and these must be approved in advance. (One can boost your grade in the course by 2 ½ %, i.e. 25 points out of 1000.) RESPONSE JOURNAL: Each time you see journal response on the syllabus, this means you should write a few paragraphs responding to the reading assignment for that day. Please keep a separate notebook for your peace studies journal so that you can turn it in periodically throughout the semester. These may be informal in terms of style, but I expect you to analyze what you read and not just respond emotionally. What is the author s main point and what makes it compelling or not? You will not receive a letter grade on your journal, but I will review these as part of your commitment to the class. Student learning objectives: By the end of the course, students will a) understand the tradition of peace history in the U.S.; b) have a sense of how several different disciplines approach issues of peace and justice; c) express ideas about peace clearly and coherently in written work and oral presentations; d) communicate a historical understanding of the role of media in both preventing and escalating violence. Class policies: Preparation and Participation This is a class that depends on high quality class discussion. It is important that you take notes on guest lectures and that you carefully complete all reading assignments prior to the beginning of the listed class period. You are expected to share your ideas with your classmates in a thoughtful and respectful manner, even when there is strong disagreement. Be sure to turn off all phones and pagers before class begins. Attendance Attendance is critical in this class. If you miss class more than once or twice, it may seriously affect your grade. I reserve the right to subtract half a grade for every two classes that you miss. Assignments All work must be turned in on time, which means at the beginning of the indicated class periods. Do not skip class in order to complete an assignment. I reserve the right to penalize you for turning in work late (10% per day). If you anticipate difficulty completing an assignment, please talk to me well before the deadline. All papers must be typed, double-spaced, with no more than one inch margins, and in 12 point font. 4

5 Academic Honesty Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine the purpose of the university and diminish the value of your education. Do your own work. If you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask. Plagiarism will not be taken lightly. Students with Special Needs Please identify yourselves to me at the beginning of the semester so that I can work with you to make arrangements for any necessary assistance. Emergency procedures Southern Illinois University Carbondale is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, we ask that you become familiar with the SIUC Emergency Response Plan and Building Emergency Response Team (BERT) program. Emergency response information is available on posters in campus buildings and on BERT s website, the Department of Public Safety s website, (disaster drop-down), and in the pamphlet Emergency Response Guidelines. Know how to respond to each type of emergency. 5