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MPCT 304: Psychological, religious, cultural and educational perspectives on violence, war and peace
Module MPCT 304 examines cognitive history, rituals and symbolic communication as an influence on peoples’ orientation and inclination to accept or take part in violence, war or peace activities, and how rhetoric and education may affect orientations to meaning and action. This will be highlighted through contributions from philosophy, social anthropology, religious science and pedagogy.
Lecturers at the modules within MPCT304: Psychological, religious, cultural and educational perspectives on violence, war and peace
Please click on the module code for the reading lists
MPCT304-1 (Psychology) Professor Floyd Rudmin
MPCT304-2 (Religious studies) Research fellow Torjer Berglund,
MPCT304-3 (Social anthropology) Assistant professor Bror Olsen
MPCT304-4 (Pedagogics) Professor Jens Ivar Nergaard, associate professor Paul Opdal
MPCT304-5 (Comparative literature) Associate professor Anniken Greve
PRESENTATION OF MODULES AND READING LISTS:
Please note that all literature marked with an asterisk* are sold in compendiums at the Secretariat at the Faculty of Social science.
Books may be bought at Akademisk kvarter (the University bookshop).
MPCT 304-1: Cognitive History Lesson Plan
Course leader: Floyd Rudmin, Dept. of Psychology
Ten Lectures:
- Biases in human cognition:
cognitive schema, memory biases of primacy, recency, salience, visibility bias, confirmation bias, fundamental error of attribution, social conformity
- Psychology of beliefs:
Bayes theorem, James: pragmatism and inertia, Gilbert: disbelief as a secondary operation, Abelson: beliefs as possessions,
- Psychology of nation perception:
national self-identity, anthropomorphizaton, collectivism
- Teaching of History:
text books, movies, literature, oral history
- Different kinds of history:
political history vs. social history, historiography, social memory, mentalitee, psychohistory, historiometry
- Revisionist histories:
holocaust deniers, Japan on WWII, Turkey on Armenia,
- Conspiracy Theory:
paranoia, amateur history
- Survey study of historians:
reaction to iconoclastic history
- Case Study: WWII & Mein Kampf
- Case Study: Bosnian Civil War
Cognitive History Reading List
- Rudmin, F. (1997) Questions of U.S. Hostility Towards Canada: A Cognitive History of Blind-Eye Perception
- Ignatieff, M. (1993). Blood and Belonging. London: Chatto & Windus.
- Moshinsky, A., & Bar-Hillel, M. (2002). Where did 1850 happen first - In America or in Europe. Psychological Science, 13 (1), 20-26.
- Kimball, J. (1984). The influence of ideology on interpretive disagreement: A report on a survey of diplomatic, military and peace historians on the causes of 20th century US wars. History Teacher, 17 (3), 355-383.
- Rudmin, F. (in press). Why iconoclastic information is unbelievable: A survey of historians' disbeliefs.
Exercises:
A) Watch historic film and write report f how it influences beliefs
B) Pick one contemporary conflict and use nwspaper sources to identify important historic beliefs.
MPCT-304-2: Religion and conflict, war and peace
Course leader: Torjer Berglund (10 hours, 5 lectures), Dept. of religious studies
Religion is an important source of people’s images and metaphors of the world. As such, religion and religious phenomena may be used as an instrument of power as well as in counter power strategies.
Course 2 includes a theoretical and empirical component. The theoretical component presents they way in which myths, symbols and rituals of a more or less explicit religious character may be applied in political rhetoric and action. Knowledge of symbolic/mythical communication is important both in order to understand the rhetoric of war and grand politics, and in order to conduct fertile peace work. In the empirical component we draw on the theoretical foundation in order to understand concrete movements and incidents. We examine conflicts of a grand political nature, but also different religio-political strategies of resistance, like e.g. holy war, militant/apocalyptic movements, withdrawal and non-violence.
Reading list:
* Aho, James A. 1997: “The Apocalypse of Modernity”. I Thomas Robbins og Susan J. Palmer (red.): Millenium, Messiahs and Meyhem. Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements, s. 61-72. Routledge. New York/London.
* Bell, Catherine 1997: “Characteristics of Ritual-like Activities”. I Ritual. Perspectives and Dimensions, s. 138-170. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
* Benavides, Gustavo 1989: “Religious Articulations of Power”. I Gustavo Benavides og M.W. Daly (red.): Religion and Political Power, s. 1-13. State University of New York Press.
* Fowler, Robert Booth og Allen D. Hertzke 1995: “Theories of Religion, Culture and American Politics”. I Religion and Politics in America. Faith, Culture, and Strategic Choices, s.236-252. Westview Press. Boulder, Colorado.
* Haynes, Jeff 1998: “Introduction”. I Religion in Global Politics, s. 1-19. Longman. London/New York.
Juergensmeyer, Mark 2000: Terror in the Mind of God. The Global Rise of Religious Violence, kap. 1 og 7-11 (s. 3-15 og 119-244). University of California Press. Los Angeles.
* Lammers, Stephen E. 1990: “Approaches to Limits on War in Western Just War Theory”. I James Turner Johnson og John Kelsay (red.): Cross, Crescent and Sword. The Justification and Limitation of War in Western and Islamic Tradition, s. 51-78. Greenwood Press. New York.
* Lincoln, Bruce 1994: “Constructing Authority”. I Authority. Construction and Corrosion, s. 1-13. University of Chicago Press. Chicago.
* Lincoln, Bruce 1998: “Conflict”. I Mark C. Taylor (red.): Critical Terms for Religious Studies, s. 55-69. University of Chicago Press. Chicago.
* MacQueen, Graeme 1988: “Whose Sacred History? Reflections on Myth and Dominance.” I Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses 17, s. 143-157.
* Sachedina, Abdulaziz A. 1990: “The Development of Jihad in Islamic Revelation and History”. I James Turner Johnson og John Kelsay (red.): Cross, Crescent and Sword. The Justification and Limitation of War in Western and Islamic Tradition, s. 35-50. Greenwood Press. New York.
MPCT304-2: Contribution to Peace and conflict transformation by The Department of Religious studies
Reading list:
* Aho, James A. 1997: “The Apocalypse of Modernity”. I Thomas Robbins og Susan J. Palmer (red.): Millenium, Messiahs and Meyhem. Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements, s. 61-72. Routledge. New York/London.
* Bell, Catherine 1997: “Characteristics of Ritual-like Activities”. I Ritual. Perspectives and Dimensions, s. 138-170. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
* Benavides, Gustavo 1989: “Religious Articulations of Power”. I Gustavo Benavides og M.W. Daly (red.): Religion and Political Power, s. 1-13. State University of New York Press.
* Fowler, Robert Booth og Allen D. Hertzke 1995: “Theories of Religion, Culture and American Politics”. I Religion and Politics in America. Faith, Culture, and Strategic Choices, s.236-252. Westview Press. Boulder, Colorado.
* Haynes, Jeff 1998: “Introduction”. I Religion in Global Politics, s. 1-19. Longman. London/New York.
Juergensmeyer, Mark 2000: Terror in the Mind of God. The Global Rise of Religious Violence, kap. 1 og 7-11 (s. 3-15 og 119-244). University of California Press. Los Angeles.
* Lammers, Stephen E. 1990: “Approaches to Limits on War in Western Just War Theory”. I James Turner Johnson og John Kelsay (red.): Cross, Crescent and Sword. The Justification and Limitation of War in Western and Islamic Tradition, s. 51-78. Greenwood Press. New York.
* Lincoln, Bruce 1994: “Constructing Authority”. I Authority. Construction and Corrosion, s. 1-13. University of Chicago Press. Chicago.
* Lincoln, Bruce 1998: “Conflict”. I Mark C. Taylor (red.): Critical Terms for Religious Studies, s. 55-69. University of Chicago Press. Chicago.
* MacQueen, Graeme 1988: “Whose Sacred History? Reflections on Myth and Dominance.” I Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses 17, s. 143-157.
* Sachedina, Abdulaziz A. 1990: “The Development of Jihad in Islamic Revelation and History”. I James Turner Johnson og John Kelsay (red.): Cross, Crescent and Sword. The Justification and Limitation of War in Western and Islamic Tradition, s. 35-50. Greenwood Press. New York.
MPCT 304-3: A Cultural Perspective on Violence, War and Peace Culture and Conflict
Course leader: Bror Olsen, Dept. of Social Anthropology.
Duration: 10 hours, 5 lectures.
What is culture, and what about culture is relevant for understanding conflicts?
The notion of culture and cultural difference is important for how anthropologists view universal approaches towards violence and conflict. While humanitarian agencies, public health and other organisations can sound like there is a quick fix - model for how to create peace and stop conflict, anthropologists will focus on the understanding of the local communities and on what matters the most for them. At the same time: Not every difference between societies should be understood in terms of cultural difference. One vital perspective in this respect is that culture difference as such should not be seen as an explanation for the degree of structural violence that can be observed in a number of societies around the world. Cultures also contain understandings of how to stop violence and keep conflicts from escalating. Some of the articles here demonstrate how specific cultural evaluations can be used and is used in strategies where conflicts and violence is handled according to specific cultural contexts.
Cultural System and Social Conflicts
1. Culture
Sharp, Lauriston ([1952] 1968): «Steel axes for Stone Age Australians». In E. LeClair and H.K. Schneider (ed.) Economic Anthropology. Readings in Theory and Analysis. New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston. P. 181-194 (13)
Barth, Fredrik (1971): «Role Dilemmas and Father-Son Dominance in Middle Eastern Kinship Systems». In Francis L.K. Hsu (ed): Kinship and Culture, Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company. P. 87-96 (10)
Berreman, Gerald D. (1962): «Behind Many Masks. Ethnography and Impression Management in an Himalayan Village». New York: Ithaca. Society for applied Anthropology, Monograph 4 (20).
Kopytoff, Igor (1986): «The Cultural Biography of Things: Commoditization as a Process», In Arjun Appadurai (ed.): The Social Life of Things. Commodities in Cultural Perspective. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. P.427 - 453 (27)
Lee, Richard ([1984] 1993): «Eating Christmas in the Kalahari» Appendix in The Dobe Ju/’hoansi. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace. P. 183-188 (6)
2. Conflict
Khalaf, Sulayman N. 1990. «Settlement of Violence in Beduin Society» Ethnology 29 (3): 225-242 (18).
Bateson, Gregory 1972: «Metalogue: Why do Things get in a Muddle?», «Metalogue: Why do Frenchmen?», «Cybernetic Explanation», «From Versailles to Cybernetics»: Steps to an Ecology of Mind». New York: Ballantine Books. P. 3-8, 9-13, 399-410 and 469-477 (32)
Gluckman, Max 1973: «The peace in the Feud». In Custom and Conflict in Africa. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. P. 1-26 (26)
Bax, Mart. 2000: «Barbarization of a Bosnian Pilgrimage Centre». In J.M. Halpern&D.A. Kideckel (eds.): Neighboors at War. Anthropological Perspectives on Yougoslav Ethnicity, Culture and History. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press. P. 187-202 (16).
Thaiss, Gustav. 1978: «The conceptualization of Social Change Through Metaphor.» Journal of African and Asian Studies 13: 1-13 (13)
Skalnìk, Peter 1999: «Authority Versus Power. A view From Social Anthropology». In Angela Carter (ed.): The Autority of Power. Empowerment and Disenpowerment. Asa Monographs 26, London: Routledge. P. 163-174 (12)
Sluka, Jeffrey A. 1996: «The Writing on the Wall. Peace Process Images, Symbols and Murals in Northern Ireland». Critique of Anthropology 16 (4) 281-287 (7)
Weine, Stevan M. 2000: «Redefining Merhamet After a historical Nightmare». In J.M. Halpern & D.A.Kideckel (eds.) .): Neighboors at War. Anthropological Perspectives on Yougoslav Ethnicity, Culture and History. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press. P. 401-412 (12)
Farmer, Paul (1997) «On Suffering and Structural Violence: A view From Below». In Social Suffering. Ed. Kleinman, A., Das, V and Lock, M. University of California Press. Berkeley. P. 261-281. (21)
Rabinowitz, Dan (2000): «Postnational Palestine/Israel? Globalisation, Diaspora, Transnationalism, and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict». In Critical Inquiry 26 (4): 757-772 (16)
Saugestad, Sidsel (1972): «The Two Sides of the House». In Cohen (ed.): Belonging,. Identity and Social Organisation in British Rural Cultures. P.131-164. Manchester University Press. (34)
=282 pages
Course MPCT 304-4: Education, conflict and peace
Duration: 10 hours, 5 lectures.
Please click on MPCT304-4 at the top of the page for more information.
In course 4 we examine educational and rhetorical influences on how conflicts are perceived and handled, and how they may promote violent or more peaceful ways of solving conflicts with empathy and creativity at the micro level. Forms of discipline in homes and schools, conflict management, stereotypes and majority-minority relations, dominant and dominated peer group relations and teacher-student relations, inside and outside the school environment are examined as to how they may affect, reproduce or break traditional patterns of conflict resolution.
Rhetoric and communication about, and in the process of, conflicts and conflicting views are addressed, with particular attention directed towards pragmatic communication and dialogue. This course may include training sessions on how to work with violent conflicts among children and adolescents, such as bullying relations.
MPCT304-5 Literature in conflict Department of Comparative Literature, Associate professor Anniken Greve and Rune Henriksen
Reading list:
Main book: Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness,
Please click on MPCT304-5 at the top of the page for more information.
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