COURSE Anth 345 AGGRESSION, WAR, AND PEACE (Theory)
TIME 10:30-11:45 am. TTh Spring Semester 2002
PLACE Webster 113 University of Hawaii - Manoa
INSTRUCTOR Dr. Les Sponsel, Professor
Office: Saunders Hall 317
Hours: 1:00-4:00 pm Tuesdays
(or by appointment)
Phone: 956-8507
Email: sponsel@hawaii.edu
ORIENTATION
True security rests on a supportive and sustainable ecological base, on spiritual as well as material well-being, on trust and reliance in one's neighbors, and on justice and understanding in a disarmed world (Frank Barnaby, ed., 1988, The Gaia Peace Atlas, NY: Doubleday, p. 212).
This course explores contemporary as well as enduring questions, problems, and issues of violence, war, nonviolence, and peace. These matters are far more than merely academic, and they are assuming new meaning and significance as a result of 9/11 and its aftermath including the recent "war on terrorism":
(1) Are violence and war the inevitable expressions of human nature?
(2) How do war and peace vary temporally, spatially and culturally?
(3) How do geographic, ecological, economic, political, religious, ethnic, and historical factors influence war and peace?
(4) What happens when a society is militarized?
(5) What is terrorism, and what are the differences between state and non-state terrorism?
(6) How are morality and ethics involved in violence, war, nonviolence, and peace, including the study of them?
(7) How does anthropology help inform our understanding of the recent "war on terrorism"?
(8) What are the future possibilities of war and peace?
2.
These and related matters are critically analyzed through anthropological perspectives on the tribal, ethnic, ritual, and symbolic aspects of nonviolence and peace as well as violence, war, and terrorism. The class also examines the phenomena of positive peace (absence of war plus presence of nonviolence, social and economic justice, and human rights). Course material is covered through selected case studies within a regional survey of the world. However, extra attention is given to the Middle East (Israel, Palestine), Southwest Asia (Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran), South Asia (India, Pakistan, Kashmir), and Africa (Sudan, Somalia).
LEARNING COMMUNITY
Anth 345 is part of a Learning Community (LC) with Dr. Joe Morgan's Geog 336 Geography of Peace and War. (Geog 336 meets 9:00-10:15 TTh in the same room). Students are strongly encouraged to take both courses as a Learning Community, but may elect only one. The instructors coordinate their classes by following the same regional framework and through asynchronous dialog on the course website (http://www.blackboard.hawaii.edu, click on Anth345). Students in the Learning Community are required to participate regularly in the weekly discussions on the course website.
OBJECTIVES
This semester the 345 course has three main objectives:
(1) familiarize students with selected topics, problems, issues, and resources in the phenomena of nonviolence, peace, violence, war, and terrorism, emphasizing a regional survey of the contemporary world through case studies;
(2) explore, critically analyze, and debate primary and related questions about these phenomena; and
(3) compare and contrast the anthropological and geographical perspectives on these phenomena for the Learning Community.
FORMAT
This class is not writing or reading intensive, but it certainly is both thinking and discussion intensive. The format emphasizes general class and small group discussions as well as debates including on current affairs, and reports on leading anthropological scholars in war studies and/or peace studies. (See the course website document "Leading Scholars on the Anthropology of War and Peace). Resource persons will be invited 3.
as guest participants. Usually Tuesdays will be devoted to a discussion of class readings, and Thursdays to an open discussion of current events, especially on the recent "war on terrorism" and relevant anthropological background.
Students are encouraged to regularly monitor, explore, and briefly report orally or in writing relevant cases of nonviolence, peace, violence, war, and terrorism for class discussion from sources such as:
(1) television news programs like CSPAN, Crossfire (CNN), Frontline (PBS), Larry King Live (CNN), Lehrer Newshour (PBS), Nightline (ABC), This Week (ABC, Sundays), and Worldview (CNN);
(2) newspapers and news magazines like The Honolulu Advertiser, The Nation, The New York Times, Newsweek, The Progressive, Time, U.S. News and World Report, Washington Post, World Press; and/or
(3) internet resources (see course website document).
GRADE
The final grade for the course is based on the following:
(1) regular participation in class discussions and/or on the course website (25%),
(2) a written intellectual biography on an anthropological scholar in war studies and/or peace studies with a one page summary as a class handout and oral presentation during a symposium at the end of the semester (25%);
(3) a mid-term take-home essay examination answering two of the eight questions previous mentioned (20%); and
(4) a final take-home essay examination revising and updating the mid-term plus adding an answer to a third question (30%).
Extra credit may be earned by writing reaction papers to any of the readings (required or recommended) or to videos (in class or recommended), and/or a book review or extra research report. The book review may be based on one or more of the course texts or other appropriate titles. (Prior approval from the instructor must be obtained for book reviews of titles not mentioned in class or for topics of any research reports).
No student will receive an A or B in the course without regular attendance and active participation in class.
4.
Students are expected to arrive at class on time, remain attentive, and avoid conversation or other behavior that distracts other students and the instructor. Students who disrupt class in any way or sleep in class will be ask to leave the room. The second time this happens one whole letter grade will be deducted from the final course grade, and likewise for a third time, etc.
U.S. Constitution First Amendment rights (freedom of speech) and academic freedom will be respected (see course website document "Freedom of Speech"). Anyone is welcome to say or write anything with only three restrictions--- it is relevant, polite, and concise. Being polite includes respecting the sensitivities of others and allowing others an opportunity to join in the class discussion. There is no "party line" in this course, in fact students are encouraged to disagree with the instructor, course material, and each other whenever they wish to do so. The ultimate purpose of this course is to cultivate anthropologically informed critical analysis, discussion, and debate about significant matters regarding the phenomena of nonviolence, peace, violence, war, and terrorism. In a genuine democracy education is supposed to open minds, not close them.
READINGS
Every student is required to read and discuss in class the Kelly book and the chapters as scheduled of at least one other book of their choice:
Kelly, Raymond C., 2000, Warless Societies and the Origin of War. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press ($19.95 new, $15.00 used).
Aijmer, Goran, and Jon Abbink, eds., 2000, Meanings of Violence: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. New York, NY: Berg ($24.50 new, $18.40 used).
Sluka, Jeffrey A., ed., 2000, Death Squad: The Anthropology of State Terrorism. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press ($18.50 new, $13.50 used).
Sponsel, Leslie E., and Thomas Gregor, eds., 1994, The Anthropology of Peace and Nonviolence. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers ($18.95 new, $14.25 used).
Chapters in these books will be discussed in class as relevant to particular topics or regions.
5.
Students will also need to do additional individual reading throughout the semester to research their intellectual biography on an anthropological scholar. A one-page progress report will be required at the last class meeting before the end of each month except for May.
The following are especially recommended for reference:
a good current world map such as National Geographic or Rand McNally (check in bookstores)
Rand McNally 2000, World Facts and Maps, Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.
Kurtz, Lester, Editor-in-Chief, 1999, Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict, San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Volumes 1-3 (Hamilton Library Reference HM886 .E53 1999).
Foreign Affairs journal current and back issues D410 .F761
Country volumes in The World Bibliographical Series of ABC-CLIO Press
(Also see annual reports and web site material from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch).
SCHEDULE
DATE TOPIC READINGS
January
15T Introduction
17Th Peace & war: Kelly - Preface,
Origin & evolution Introduction, Ch. 1
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22T " Kelly - 2
24Th " Kelly - 3
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29T " Kelly - 4
31Th Synopsis & discussion Aijmer - Pre, Intro, 1-2
Sluka - Pre, Intro
Sponsel - Foreword, Pre,
1, 3, 11
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6.
February
5T Europe Aijmer - 3 Spain,
Sluka - 1 Spain
Sluka - 5 Ireland
7Th
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12T Middle East
(Israeli-Palestinian)
14Th
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19T Middle East
21Th
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26T Southwest Asia
(Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran)
28Th
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March
5T South Asia Sluka - 2 India
(India-Pakistan) Sluka - 8 India
7Th
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12T Northern Africa Aijmer - 4 Ethiopia
(Ethiopia, Libya,
Sudan, Somalia)
14Th ***** Mid-term Examination Due *****
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19T Subsaharan Africa Aijmer - 5 Kenya
(Sierra Leone) Sponsel - 4, 8 Tanzania
21Th
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26 & 28 SPRING RECESS
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7.
April
2T East Asia Aijmer 6-7 China
4Th
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9T Muslims in China
11Th Indigenous peoples in Burma
(Myanmar)
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16T Southeast Asia Sluka - 6 East Timor
(East Timor) Sluka - 7 Philippines
Sponsel - 7 Malaysia
18Th
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23T Pacific
(Marshall Islands)
25Th
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30T Latin America Aijmer - 8 Colombia
Sluka - 3 Argentina
Sluka - 4 Guatemala
Sponsel - 5 Mexico
Sponsel - 9-10 Amazon
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May
2Th
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7T Open discussion Sluka - Conclusion
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14T 9:45-11:45 am. Symposium: Leading scholars in the anthropology of war & peace studies: summary of intellectual biographies
Final Examination & Written Report Due
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