Fall 2020  |  POL 3423 Section 001: Politics of Disruption: Violence and Its Alternatives (17201)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Repeat Credit Limit:
4 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Online Course
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/08/2020 - 12/16/2020
Tue, Thu 11:15AM - 12:30PM
Off Campus
UMN REMOTE
Enrollment Status:
Closed (55 of 55 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Political struggles aimed at undermining the existing political order have been a pervasive feature of global politics. Modern states have constantly been sites of relentless challenges from their citizenry, which sometimes take the form of non-violent action while on other occasions manifest in terrorism and violence. This course introduces students to the politics of disruption and violent and non-violent struggles targeted at bringing about political change. We will study a range of manifestations of such struggles focusing on some well-known cases such as the US civil rights movement, the Arab Springs, the Ferguson riots and the Islamic State (ISIS). Can non-violent resistance succeed against a coercive state? Why do individuals and groups participate in high-risk political struggles? What explains patterns of violence in civil conflicts? What are the effects of violence? What facilitates peace? This course will enable you to answer these questions.
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?sarbahi+POL3423+Fall2020 This course is completely online in a synchronous format. The course will meet online at the scheduled times.
Class Description:
Political struggles aimed at undermining the existing political order have been a pervasive feature of global politics. Modern states have constantly been sites of relentless challenges from their citizenry, which sometimes take the form of non-violent action while on other occasions manifest in terrorism and violence. This course introduces students to the politics of disruption - violent and non-violent struggles targeted at bringing about political change. We will study a range of manifestations of such struggles focusing on some well-known cases such as the US civil rights movement, the Arab Springs, the Ferguson riots and the Islamic State (ISIS). Can non-violent resistance succeed against a coercive state? Why do individuals and groups participate in high-risk political struggles? What explains patterns of violence in civil conflicts? What are the effects of violence? What facilitates peace? This course will enable you to answer these questions.

The course will begin with an examination of alternatives to political violence. The focus will be primarily on India's non-violent struggle for independence from the British rule under the leadership of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, but we will also spend some time on the US civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa with Dr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela in the lead. Students will be familiarized with definitional, conceptual and practical distinctions between various forms and manifestations of violent and non-violent struggles. To facilitate a better understanding, we will study a carefully-selected list of cases in-depth during the course of the semester.

Our discussion on political violence will be structured around four broad themes, which are:

1. Causes underlying violence;
2. Dynamics of conflict -- focusing on such questions as who participates in violent activities, how violence and violent actors are organized, and what can we learn from the pattern of violence;
3. Consequences of violence, both short-term and long-term; and,
4. Prevention and termination of violence.

This course will instill in students a strong sense of their role as historical agents by: a) facilitating a deeper understanding of the problems and challenges confronting much of humanity; b) inculcating an ability to assess the performance of policies, programs, actions and interventions aimed at addressing these challenges; c) imparting knowledge about the continuous struggles of individuals and groups against the existing political order; and, d) demonstrating the working, performance and implications of the methods and techniques deployed by individuals and groups to change political order. Students will learn that the issues raised by this course confront the larger global community including both the developing and the developed world. The course materials, assignments and class discussions are all directed towards encouraging students to reflect on the implications of the issues and themes covered across diverse cultural and political contexts across the world. We will be constantly engaged in deliberating and discussing the wider applicability and relevance of arguments advanced or developed and experiences acquired in the studied cases.

The class time will be apportioned between lectures (40 percent), multimedia presentations (35 percent) and discussions, both individual and group based (25 percent). The multimedia presentations will incorporate movies, documentaries, media reports, speeches, memoirs, etc.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Open to all undergraduate students
Learning Objectives:
This course fulfills the Council on Liberal Education (CLE) Global Perspectives Theme. The first four weeks of the course will be devoted to nonviolent resistance. The remainder of the course will cover key topical issues related to political violence mentioned above. During the course of the semester, we will:
1. Undertake a close examination of approaches to nonviolent resistance;
2. Learn about the dynamics of mass protest, especially conditions underlying successful mobilization and action;
3. Examine factors contributing to political violence;
4. Study violent action involving mass killing and the role of international community in mitigating such episodes;
5. Study the global problem of terrorism and approaches to addressing it; and,
6. Examine the challenge of ending violent conflict and problems of peace-making and peace-building
Grading:
1. Class Participation: 15%
2. Seven Short Assignments: 40%
a. In-class (Three):} 12% (100-150 words)
b. Homework (Four):} 28% (1-2 pages, single-space)
3. Individual/Group Research Assignment: 20% (7-8 pages, double-space)
4. Final Paper: 25% (9-10 pages, double-space)
Exam Format:
No exams
Class Format:
40% Lecture
35% Film/Video
25% Discussion
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/17201/1209
Past Syllabi:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/sarbahi_POL3423_Spring2018.pdf (Spring 2018)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
17 October 2017

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