Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session
Course Description
The normal syllabus for this class has been reorganized to focus primarily on the War in Iraq. As in previous years, the class still examines war in cross-cultural perspective, asking whether war is intrinsic to human nature, what causes war, how particular cultural experiences of war differ, and how war has affected American culture. In the first third of the semester, we will read accounts of wars ranging from headhunting in the rainforest to Medieval European war and contemporary war in Rwanda. The remainder of the class will focus on the American experience of war in Vietnam and Iraq. Having established Vietnam as a frame (albeit an ambiguous one) for what follows, we will look at American reactions to September 11, the debate for and against invading Iraq, the reporting in the media of war in Iraq, and recent accounts of the unraveling of that war. Diverse viewpoints are welcomed, and in the past students in the class have come from all across the ideological spectrum.
Course Requirements
The requirements for this course are one short paper and one longer paper preceded by a brief class presentation. The short paper will be on readings in the first third of the class. The longer paper will be on a topic, chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor, related to the War on Terror or the invasion of Iraq. Students will, in addition, be evaluated on the basis of their participation in class discussions and should come to class punctually, prepared to take part in discussion. Regular class attendance is expected. There will be no final exam.
Calendar
| LEC # | TOPICS | key dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | |
| Part 1: Theoretical Perspectives | ||
| 2 | Is War “Natural”? | |
| 3 | War and Sociobiology | |
| 4 | Experiences of War and Violence I | |
| 5 | Experiences of War and Violence II | |
| 6-8 | Civil War and Genocide in Rwanda | |
| 9 | Darfur | |
| 10 | Reconciliation After War? | First paper due 2 days after Lecture 10 |
| Part II: America at War | ||
| 11 | Vietnam I | |
| 12 | After Vietnam | |
| 13-14 | The First Gulf War | |
| 15 | Media and the First Gulf War | |
| 16 | September 11 | |
| 17 | For and Against Invading Iraq I | |
| 18 | For and Against Invading Iraq II | |
| 19 | Manufacturing Consent for War | |
| 20 | Media and the War on Terror | |
| 21 | Behind Enemy Lines | |
| 22 | Abu Ghraib | |
| 23 | Class Presentations | |
| 24 | Class Presentations (cont.) | Second paper due |
