CURRENT ISSUES 2

What is it all about?

Franz-Ferdinand Rothe
Visiting Professor, Communication Studies, VUB

Akim Said Aalou

Teaching Assistant, Sociology, VUB

Alicia Navarro Hernández

Teaching Assistant, Communication Studies, VUB

Anna Luo
Teaching Assistant, Communication Studies, VUB

Jouke Huijzer
Teaching Assistant, Political Sciences, VUB
TODAY

TODAY NEXT WEEK

I introduce the topic, TAs give you a full
the goals, introduction into
the philosophy the assignment
the roadmap
the assignments IN THE MEANTIME
You read the Study
Guide
CI2: An Interdisciplinary
Seminar
consisting of: LECTURES

READING GUEST
SEMINARS SPEAKERS

ASSIGNMENT
CURRENT ISSUES 1
- DIVERSITY -
CURRENT ISSUES 2
- VIOLENCE -
POWER AS BRUTE FORCE

CONSCIOUSNESS
ACCESSIBLE TO
POWER IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM

THE POWER OF LANGUAGE AND

SYMBOLS

THE EMBODIED DIMENSION OF POWER

PHYSICAL VIOLENCE SEEMS TO BE THE
MOST EXPLICIT AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
MANIFESTATION OF POWER.

BUT…
“ “
VIOLENCE
 VIOLENCE IS A WIDESPREAD AND VARIEGATED
SOCIAL PHENOMENON

THERE IS NOT ONE TYPE OF VIOLENCE

VIOLENCE
THERE IS NOT ONE THEORY OR METHOD FOR
UNDERSTANDING IT

VIOLENCE CALLS FOR AN INTERDISCIPLINARY

PERSPECTIVE
 THE TWO TRACKS OF CI2

‘The Anatomy Of Violence’ ‘Hidden Conflicts’

Lectures, Guest Lectures & Reading Your Assignment on an Armed
Groups on the Topic of Violence Conflict / War
 THE TWO TRACKS OF CI2

‘The Anatomy Of Violence’ ‘Hidden Conflicts’

Lectures, Guest Lectures & Reading Your Assignment on an Armed
Groups on the Topic of Violence Conflict / War
 Violence as an integral feature of human relationships

As a phenomenon it occurs in most societies, in most

cultures and most historical periods.
THE NATURE OF
VIOLENCE HENCE: Violence as part of “human nature”?

It’s in our nature

to be violent.
 Violence is NOT a constant across time and space

The quantity and quality of violence varies

considerably across social space and time
DE-NATURALIZING
VIOLENCE Our relationship to violence is not “innate”, but has
to be “learned”

There is a lot of “common sense” surrounding

violence
 Durkheim says:
Don’t believe
“CRITICAL THINKING”: the hype!!!

VIOLENCE Good science starts by breaking

AND with ‘common sense’ beliefs (about
‘COMMON
violence) and the preconceptions
SENSE’
that surround them
 THE ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE
LECTURES READING SEMINARS GUEST SPEAKERS

Provide you with different theoretical perspectives to think

critically about various types of violence

Give you examples of inter-disciplinary aproaches to violence

Contextualize the inputs from our guest speakers

 THE ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE
LECTURES READING SEMINARS GUEST SPEAKERS

Read and discuss key texts on ‘violence’ from the angle of sociology, communication
studies and political science

Three reading groups: March 4/5; March 11/12; March 18/19

All texts for the reading groups will be available on Canvas AFTER this class.

Attendance is compulsory
 THE ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE
LECTURES READING SEMINARS GUEST SPEAKERS

AFTER THIS CLASS: Go to Canvas -> “people” -> “WPO” to sign up for a
group

Check official schedule for

corresponding dates and times

Note: Group 2 ≠ the second

group, ...

(If you need to switch, find a volunteer)

 THE ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE
LECTURES READING SEMINARS GUEST SPEAKERS

Academic and non-academic speakers present their particular perspective

on violence

Lecture of 1to1,5 hours + plenty of time for Q&A afterwards

Guest lectures are compulsory and laptop-free

All guest lectures have been scheduled for AFTER the spring break.
 THE ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE
LECTURES READING SEMINARS GUEST SPEAKERS

(SOME) PAST GUESTS

Izzeldin Abuelaish Zumretay Arkin

Bestselling author, Official spokesperson
Nobel Peace Price for the World Uyghur
Nominee Congress

Tawakkul Karman Dr. Lennart Soberon

Journalist – Human Rights Prof. dr. Mona Lena (Ugent/VUB)
Activist Krook “The violence of
Winner of the Nobel Peace (Rutgers University) Hollywood”
Price Violence against women
in politics
 LECTURES READING SEMINARS GUEST SPEAKERS

THIS
Apr 22
YEAR: Roberto May 21 4pm
Apr 15
Frifrini Prof. dr. em.
Lt. Col. (ret.)
Roger Housen Abram de Swaan
IRCT
“Understanding Torture”
“Going to war” U of Amsterdam
“The mentality of mass murder”

Apr 29
Prof. Dr. May 6 tbd
Hanan Badr Dr. Omran Prof. dr.
Shroufi Don Weenink
Paris Lodron University Salzburg
“Social Media & The Arab Spring” VUB U of Amsterdam
“Political discourses on “The sociology of violence”
the war on Gaza”
 THE TWO TRACKS OF CI2

‘The Anatomy Of Violence’ ‘Hidden Conflicts’

Lectures, Guest Lectures & Reading Your Assignment on an Armed
Groups on the Topic of Violence Conflict / War
ARMED
CONFLICT
AND
SOCIAL
SCIENCES
ARMED
CONFLICT
AND
POLITICAL
SCIENCES
ARMED
CONFLICT
AND
SOCIOLOGY
ARMED
CONFLICT
AND
COMMUNICATION
STUDIES
 POLITICAL SCIENCE
STATE STRUCTURE ?
GEOPOLITICS ?
COLONIALISM ?
…?

COMMUNICATION
SOCIOLOGY STUDIES
IDENTITY ? FREEDOM OF SPEECH ?
CLASS STRUCTURE ? PROPAGANDA ?
SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS ? MISINFORMATION ?
…? …?
 ONGOING
ARMED CONFLICTS
 121 8
ONGOING PROMINENT
IN BELGIAN
ARMED CONFLICTS
NEWS
 NO STRESS!

EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT WILL BE

REVEALED NEXT MONDAY BY THE TA’s FOR THIS CLASS.

INTERDISCIPLINARY PAPER ON A HIDDEN CONFLICT

INTRODUCTION POLITICAL COMMUNICATION SOCIOLOGY INTERDISCIPLINARY

SCIENCE STUDIES CONCLUSION

Analyze an assigned armed conflict through the lens of political science,

sociology & communication studies
Produce a paper (8000-9000 words) that analyzes the conflict using the
combined tools of the 3 disciplines
INTERDISCIPLINARY INFOGRAPHIC

How do we communicate our ideas/findings?

Identify the core interdisciplinary findings of your paper

Present them in a visual way to a lay audience

Class on March 25: “Visual Methodologies”

GUIDANCE
YOU WILL GET…

A class dedicated to the paper (examples, questions, themes, sources…) by our TAs

A theoretical and practical class on visually designing your own infographic

An example of a good paper and good infographics

In-depth written feedback on your first assignment (introduction & 1st section)

One 30 min feedback session on your first assignment

One (optional) feedback session to discuss the design of your infographic

 CURRENT ISSUES 2

PUTTING THE SOCIAL BACK IN

SOCIAL SCIENCE
 YOU DO YOU!

For the assignment you will be divided into teams of 3 – 4 students

You decide HOW you divide the work between you as a team, BUT…

…neither your paper nor your infographic should LOOK or FEEL like
group work

…the quality of the feedback we give will depend on HOW you

organize your work
 TO DO

After this class: go to Canvas -> “people” -> “Hidden Conflicts Assignment
Groups”

Figure out the team you are in and match the number to the list with hidden
conflicts (available on Canvas) to figure out which conflict you will work on

The moment EVERYONE in your time has found each other: send an email to
alicia.navarro.hernandez@vub.be to let us know

The quicker you find each other, the quicker you can start organizing for the
assignment
WHY?
ZERO-TOLERANCE FOR FREE-RIDERS

At the end of the semester you have to evaluate your team members (through Canvas)

Everyone thinks you did a Everyone thinks you failed to do

stellar job? Your individual your part? You will have to submit

grade goes up INDIVIDUAL assignment in second

session

Two types of students hate this assignment: “free riders” and “individualistic achievers”
Last years the large majority of groups worked together just
fine, but…

…if you feel that there is an issue within the team as a whole or
with a particular individual, you inform us about it ASAP.

Don’t complain about your group AFTER you submitted the final
assignment.
 YOUR GRADE FOR CI2

Participation in reading groups & attendance at guest lectures (individual) = 10%

1 intermediate paper (group) = 20%

+
1 final paper (group) = 40%
+
1 interdisciplinary infographic (group) = 30%

+/- on the peer evaluation No Exam

SECOND SESSION

If you get a failing grade, you will have to submit an INDIVIDUAL

assignment of the same length on the same topic

Grades for participation (10%) are transferred to second session and final
paper makes up 90% of your final grade

DEADLINE: Friday August 16

WHAT WILL THE SEMESTER LOOK LIKE?
 THIS
12/2: SEMESTER
Lecture “CI2: What is it all about?”

19/2: Lecture “Hidden Conflicts: Introducing the assignment”

Deadline ‘We found all group members’ email: 20/2

26/2: Lecture “Genocide against the Tutsi: An inter-disciplinary approach”

Week of 04/3: Communication studies reading groups

11/3: Lecture “Violence and the Social Sciences”

Week of 11/3: Political science reading groups

Week of 18/3: Sociology reading groups

Deadline SUB-assignment: Monday March 18

25/3: Lecture “Visual Methodologies: Introduction to your infographics”

Week of 25/3: Feedback sessions on sub-assignment (optional)

15/4: Guest lecture: Lt. Col. (ret.) Roger Housen - “Going to war”
THIS SEMESTER
Week of 15/4: Crafting your own infographic: A hands-on class (TBC)

22/4: Guest lecture: Roberto Frifrini (IRCT) – “Understanding Torture”

Week of 29/4: Visual feedback sessions (optional)

29/4: Guest Lecture: Prof. Dr Hanan Badr (PLU Salzburg) – “Social Media and the Arab Spring”

06/5: Guest lecture: Dr. Omran Shroufi (VUB) – “Political discourses on the war on Gaza”

13/5: Harvesting lecture: Making sense of what we’ve learned

Deadline Infographic: Thursday May 16 @ 5 pm

Tuesday 21/5, 4pm: Final guest lecture: Prof. dr. em. Abram de Swaan (U of Amsterdam) - “The mentality of mass
murder” – Followed by exhibition of your infographics (TBC)

Deadline final paper: May 16 – May 23 @ 5 pm

Deadline individual assignment second session: Friday 16th of August @ 5 pm

KEY
THISDATES
SEMESTER

Deadline SUB-assignment: Monday March 18

Deadline infographic: Thursday May 16 @5pm

Deadline paper: May 16 - 23 @5pm

May 21, 4pm: Closing lecture, exhibition and reception

 TRIGGER WARNING!

THERE WON’T (ALWAYS) BE TRIGGER

WARNINGS!
CONTACT

For all questions related to the course itself, please send an e-mail to
rothe.franz-ferdinand@vub.be

For all questions related to the ASSIGNMENT, please send an e-mail to

alicia.navarro.hernandez@vub.be

Always mention the course (CI2) and, if necessary, your group number
in your email
EMAIL ETIQUETTE

Emails without subject, address or greeting will not be answered.

If you ask questions about information that is readily available on Canvas, we

may not reply.

Rude emails will not be answered.

You send 1 email, we receive more than 50 each day. Replying takes time,
please be patient.
YOUR TO-DOs

REGISTER for this course on CANVAS and spread the word!

SIGN-UP for reading groups on Canvas (WPO) and check the times

CHECK which assignment group you belong to & get in touch with
your team-members

KEEP AN EYE on Canvas for documents, announcements, etc.

READ the Study Guide on Canvas

NEXT WEEK
Your TAs give you a full
introduction into the assignment.
QUESTIONS?