Teaching about Terrorism
(From the course taught by Dr Robin-Edward Poulton at Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Richmond)
Divide class into working groups of 1-5 students who produce case studies, present them in class, lead class discussions on specific subject areas
PART 1 - TERRORISTS AND TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
- Defining terrorism
- History of terrorism (facts)
- Motivations and causes (people, profiling)
- Look at Terrorists -Motivations, Profiling, how to spot them...
- Look at relevant concepts like "freedom," "justice," "free press," etc
- Typology of terrorism - Political terrorism and Nationalism, Religious and cultural terrorism (colonialism; propaganda; intolerance), Al-Qaida & Taliban (and Osama's motivations both local and global), Gender terrorism, Eco-terrorism, Urban, Cyber, Bio, Criminal & other terrorisms. Is there such a thing as "religious terrorism"?
- Genocide (group case studies based on a film and library research)
Individual case-study of a terrorist individual: the person When? Where? Why?
A few "pop" tests and a Mid-term test to make sure students are reading and following
PART 2 - STATE TERRORISM & GENOCIDE
- "La Terreur" and the French Revolution
- Stalin and Mao - terror as a political policy for control
- Cambodia case-study (State terrorism and genocide)
- Sierra Leone case-study (political revolt which turned into a reign of terror)
- Ireland case-study (a war of independence which became a haven for mafia terrorists)
- State terrorism (police state, press freedom, propaganda, exporting terrorism)
- "J'accuse" : The Dreyfus Affair as an example of blind injustice and Emile Zola's courage
Skulls from the Cambodian Killing Fields
Group studies of Genocide, graded in groups, and each student individually will write a pair of newspaper articles for the OpEd page of their chosen newspaper. I might accept a protest music review from one or two students.
PART 3 - RESPONDING TO TERRORISM
How should we react, and how do we defend ourselves against terrorism?
- 9/11/01, Civil liberties & Patriot Act
- Counter-terrorism, Home land defense and getting the defense mechanisms right
- Community policing, and relationships between law enforcement, crime, space, and built-up environments faced with fear; Protecting towns/buildings/people against attack and against "failure"
- Helping the victims and getting on with life; teaching in schools and calming children
- Confrontation of points of view: both the FBI and the ACLU are concerned with implementing the Patriot Act. They have different viewpoints because they do different jobs, yet their objectives in defending our civil liberties are broadly similar. How can they be reconciled?
- Analyze one part of the Patriot Act, or the relationship between the causes of terror and our response.
Description
After reviewing the basic concepts of justice in our society and in various other cultures, and the concurrent phenomenon of social order, we will look at theories of violence in America and elsewhere, including the role of cultural influences on violence in the United States. We will explore the rise of militant Islam and Al Qaida, and the radicalization of Osama bin Laden, as well as the causes and the future of terrorism as perceived in 21st century America. Is there a "clash of civilizations?" Dr Poulton thinks there is not. Can we define "Terrorism?" Students will find out in due course! A case-study of an individual terrorist will be graded.
State Terrorism will lead us to Case Studies with which Dr Poulton has been personally involved on several continents: Cambodia (where the Khmer Rouge State ran a Terror system), Sierra Leone (where the State created the conditions for terrorism) and Ireland (where all sides have been practicing terror for centuries). Meanwhile studies of Genocide will be chosen and prepared by students in groups, and each student individually will write a couple of newspaper articles for the OpEd page of their chosen newspaper.
Finally we shall look at responses to terrorism - not only those which are put in place by the FBI, the Richmond police or security guards at private companies and military installations, but also the human and civilian responses Ð and our own personal responses (fear, anger, indifference, resignation, resilience, reason ...). This will include discussion about and analysis of the Patriot Act and Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore's intriguing film about violence in American society.
Students will hear short orienting lectures and political protest music from every continent, participate in discussions, watch a number of films, listen to guest speakers, do short assignments and class activities and carry out project presentations and debates. This is a research-based course that does not emphasize exams.