Browsing by Autor "Angela Leonard"

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History of Violence in America
(2010) Angela Leonard
Course Description This course surveys the history of in American society, culture, and thought. The structure is both thematic and chronological, with particular attention and importance given to group violence, hence, issues of gender, race, ethnicity, and class. Violence knows no bounds. And its consequences often reach and rattle the very foundation of this country’s infrastructure, affecting the political, economic, and social aspects of our lives. This course will have on occasion prominent speakers who will address these topics. To reach some understanding of as dynamic, we will begin the course with an examination of various theories of violence, such as: 1) structural as an invisible by-product of the country’s social and economic systems; 2) violence as symptomatic of powerlessness; 3) constructive vs. destructive violence; and 4) the coexistence of Western imperialism and the assertion of international political legitimacy. Violence has been a salient feature in America’s past and present, and it portends to play a prominent role in the future. Because the characteristic is so pervasive, it is used to formulate and justify policies that govern our behavior and influence our thoughts. Some of these policies and attitudes have done more harm than good. This course, therefore, includes a required service learning component which may empower you to challenge conventional stereotypes, attitudes, and images held of de-valued groups by introducing you to cultural, historical and social realities different from your own. It is also hoped that exposure to subtle forms of social will stimulate a plethora of ideas that could serve as alternative solutions to social injustice.