Course
Description:
This course incorporates case studies and creative expression by active
artist-peace builders working in different media throughout the World. Students
will investigate the sources, causes, processes and products that reside at the
intersection of peace and popular culture. Students will interpret, analyze and evaluate examples from
art, music, poetry, literature, museums, gardens, trails, film, television,
magazine, cartoon, radio, Internet, video game, and comic book publishing
industries. Satisfies the General Education Social Context and Institutions and
Artistic and Creative Expression and Writing Intensive Requirements. 3 credits.
Questions
students will investigate:
1. What is the relationship between
popular culture and peace?
2. Is the momentum of popular culture
directed toward glorifying violence rather than non-violence? Why? So what?
3. If pop culture leads us away from
peace, what alternative values would assist humanity in the achievement of
peace?
4. How can
popular culture help build relationships that contribute to non-violent social
change?
5. In the
aftermath of violence, how can artists help restore peopleÕs capacities to
imagine, listen, create and build relationships of trust?
6. What
Òupstream approachÓ to Peace Studies means and why is it important?
Learning
Outcomes:
1.
Students will understand how popular culture functions in relation to positive
peace action in government, business and education.
2.
Students will interpret, analyze and evaluate primary and secondary sources in
popular culture to determine how peace and pop culture shape each other.
3.
Students will investigate how public demand for freedom from war and violence
influences music, film, television, radio, video game, and book and comic book publishing
industries, and visa versa.
4.
Using examples from this course, students will articulate how a culture of war
can be transformed into a culture of peace by positive socio-political action
at the intersection of peace and popular culture.
5.
Through regular reactions and responses students will articulate how the
popular culture of a society can influence human behavior toward violence and
destruction or empathy and peace.
6.
Students will demonstrate an awareness of artistic/creative intentions in
aesthetic practices developed in popular culture to promote a culture of peace.
7.
Students will develop the skills and intellectual tools required to make and
understand artistic and creative decisions related to peace and pop
culture.
8.
Students will evaluate artistic and creative forms of expression related to
creating a culture of peace.
9.
Through regular reactions and responses students will engage in critical
thinking and creative processes related to peace and popular culture.
10.
Students will discover how the sources and products of pop culture impact the
causes of, and movement towards, a culture in which peace is popular. When pop
culture leads us away from peace, students will explore alternative activities
that would help achieve peace.
Faculty
Information: Dr. James F. Toner, Telephone 581-4090,
jim.toner@umit.maine.edu
Instructional
Materials and Methods: With the exception of
science fiction novel Forever Peace (Remembering Tomorrow) by Joe Halderman, all
instructional materials are available online. This includes the Elements
of Style
by William Strunk, and Notes on ÔThe
GazeÕ: John BergerÕs Ways of Seeing by Daniel Chandler. The following additional sources are suggested references
available on URSUS: Pop Art by Lucy Lippard, Pop Art: A Critical History by Steven Henry Madoff, and Ways
of Seeing by
John Berger. The method of instruction is seminar. Course is divided into 12 lessons. Each lesson requires the following class participation (1) a
studentÕs formal reaction to content and (2) studentÕs formal response to
another studentÕs reaction. Graded
class participation evaluates studentÕs ability to reflectively inquire,
interpret, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, create and perhaps participate in
socio-political action.
Grading
and Course Expectations:
24
reaction & response essays (see Appendix 2): 40%
Test
#1 15%
Test
#2 20%
Test #3 25%
Total 100%
|
Course
Infrastructure and Access
This course uses both FirstClass and WebCT and requires
a fast connection to the Internet, e.g. cable or DSL. Please direct all technical questions to help@umit.maine.edu
Lessons
1-12: It is
critical that Peace Studies incorporate explorations of what popular culture
tells about cultural understandings of the efficacy of violence, the gendered
implications of peace and war, historical roots of violence, dehumanization and
stereotyping. Popular culture can be understood in many ways, e.g. as
representing the dream life of the nation, as political and moral influences,
sometimes negative, sometimes positive, and as a repository of collective
beliefs and values influenced by gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, disability,
religion and/or sexual orientation.
1. What is popular culture and why is
it important to peace?
Popular Culture: A Definition
Popular
Culture: Resources for Critical Analysis
Textual,
Historical, Audiences, Production, Cultural Imperialism
Visit
and evaluate sources on popular culture
Browse
The Center for the Study of Popular Culture
Browse
NPR Popular Culture
ÒA Conversation with a Floundering Father,Ó Arthur Asa Berger,
Americana: The Journal of American
Popular Culture 1900 to present
Browse
The Journal of Popular Culture
Browse
Popular
Culture Database: General, Film, Television, Popular fiction, Authors, Journals,
Magazines and Publications
ÒPopular CultureÕs War on MenÓ – Tod Hoffman
Writing
expectations – The Elements
of Style
by William Strunk
2. Peace Plans and Advocacy:
Illustrations in Popular Culture
Seeds of Peace Charter on Uprooting Hatred and Terror: Statement by the Committee on Popular
Culture
Scan
Robin WilliamsÕ Plan for Peace
Explore
Bridges of Peace – The nonprofit organization
ÒBridges of PeaceÓ - The song by Eric D.
Investigate
Peace Magazine
Browse
and listen: Peace is
in our hands
by Humaniversity Sound Studio
Visit
Democracy Now!
Visit Free Speech Network
Explore
LinkTV
Jokes for Peace – Stand Up For Peace Show
3. Case Study: A Peace Pilgrimage
I Am
by Peace Pilgrim
Peace
Pilgrim, An American Sage (movie)
4. Pop Music: Anti-war/Pro-peace
We Want Peace - Lenny Kravitz
Soundtrack for Peace Project – Not in Our Name - Shine
Onegoodmove: Anti-war songs
Peace
Jukebox
(see appendix 2)
5. Peace Museums, Monuments, Gardens,
Trails and Architects
International Network of Museums for Peace
Museums
of Peace and Tolerance
'Invicta pax' Monuments, Memorials and peace: an analysis of the Canadian Peacekeeping Monument,
Ottawa. - Paul Gough
Voices
for Freedom, Voices of Veterans, Voices against Violence
The London Peace Trail by The Movement for the Abolition of War
6. Creative Peace in Art and Poetry
Yonath Art Gallery 2 – The Middle East Conflict Between Israel and
Palestine
Middle East Peace conference or The Last Supper
Peace Demonstration in Tel-Aviv
Peace in Art -- Transforming
Weapons -- Cambodia
Visions of Peace Art Collection
Visual Art – text & sculpture - Pieta Dijkstra
Wall, Tower and Gates for Peace - - Clara Halter
ÒA Brave and Startling Truth,Ó by Maya Angelou
"Man of Peace" - Bob Dylan
Poetry on Peace - Edited by Peter Y. Chou
Peace is a fiction of our Faith – A Poem by Emily Dickinson
7. Photographs, Cartoons and Toys about
Peace
Peace Team - The Humor Archives
The Rise of Peace: The Comic Book CreatorÕs Party
Culture and Comics - Multicultural Perspective
Choose a lie and hear him tell it.
A Perfect World: Making the
World a Better Place One Cartoon at a Time
Victorian Peace Network - Iraq Campaign
Nuclear Weapons in Popular Culture
Terrorist
Information Awareness
Toys for Peace – Ray Korona & Pete Seeger
War
and Peace in American Popular Culture: Supermen, Super-Soldiers, and the
Recasting of Whiteness. - Aldo J. Regalado
8. Peace Radio, Television and Video Games
Highlights of the FTC Report on Media Violence
Ten Imperatives to Prevent Deadly Conflict and Terrorism
Peace on Television – Peace Direct
Peace Talks – A Radio Show
ÒVideo Game World Gives Peace a ChanceÓ by Mike Musgrove
Peace Maker – A Video Game to Teach Peace
SmartWar
SuperStation
Waging Peace on the Internet -
Oxblood Ruffin
9. Peace Films
Whispers on the Wind – a movie for world peace
The Peace Patriots (watch excerpts from documentary)
Wage Peace (movie)
Le Tigre movie - ÒNew
KicksÓ
10. Science Fiction and Forever Peace
No in the Name of Peace - Agnese Ginocchio
Forever
Peace (Remembering Tomorrow) by Joe Haldeman (text)
11.
Peace Visions, Images and Futures
Vision of Peace – Ray Korona
Protecting America from America – Karen L. Scheek
The Peace Alliance – Listen to audio message from Joaquin Phoenix
U.S. Department of Peace – Read the House of Representatives Bill H.R.
3760
A Conversation with Walter Cronkite and Congressman Dennis Kucinich
United
States Institute of Peace
Best
Practices and Innovative Programs (USIP)
Call for Revolution - Young Rebels
Peace Studies' War Against America - Brian Sayre
Peace of Mind – Lookwood
Oxymoron
– Peace force? Peacemaker
missile?
Rep. Barbara LeeÕs Speech to House of Representatives as she cast only vote against
the use of military force in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (written by Bob Dylan and performed by Avril Lavigne)
12. ÒPartnership PedagogyÓ and Positive
Peace Action in Pop Culture
Teaching
for Peace in Higher Education: Overcoming the Challenges to Addressing Structure and
Methods by Laura L. Finley, The Online Journal of Peace
and Conflict Resolution
Dissident Voice – A Radical Newsletter in the Struggle for Peace
and Justice
Nonviolent Action – The Albert Einstein Institution
The Student Peace Action Network
Peace at Last – Retiring in Peace
ÒDangerous
IdeaÓ - a
political system built on empathy
□
Academic
honesty
Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism and
all forms of misrepresentation in academic work, and is unacceptable at The
University of Maine. As stated in
the University of MaineÕs online undergraduate ÒStudent Handbook,Ó plagiarism
(the submission of anotherÕs work without appropriate attribution) and cheating
are violations of The University of Maine Student Conduct Code. An instructor who has probable cause or
reason to believe a student has cheated may act upon such evidence, and should
report the case to the supervising faculty member or the Department Chair for
appropriate action.
□
Students
with disabilities
If you have a disability for
which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Ann Smith,
Director of Disabilities Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319, as early as
possible in the term.
Appendix
1. Peace Jukebox (a sample of
songs)
Safe From US, IDC
My Journey to
Baghdad, Narmin Zangana
War No More, Wyclef Jean
Life During
Wartime, Green Day
March of
Death, Zack De La Rocha & DJ
Shadow
Gift of Gab, Michael Franti & Spearhead
BaBu, Jurassic5
Lateff, Lyrics Born
Mass Destruction, Faithless
What Would You Do? Paris
Taskforce &
Braintax: Arrest The President, Rawdog
What For? Maya
Jupiter
Countries At War, Visionary Underground
State of the World,
Lifesavas
We Want Your Soul,
FREE*LAND
The Unelected
President, Crass
We Want a
Ceasefire, Change
The Unpeople, The Unpeople
21 Today, Slovo
Real – Liquid Blue
Who Are the Free
– Stefanie Seskin
God Bless
the World – Greg Jones
Peace Not War, GM Baby
Counter War
Terrorism, Train of Thought
Revolutionation, Carpetface
Fight Back, Son of Nun
WMD Day, Angel
True Nature, JaneÕs Addiction
Welcome to the
Occupation, Brad Postlethwaite
Albright Monument,
Baghdad, Propagandi
Animal, Ani DiFranco
On The Face Of It, The Evens
DonÕt Kill, Hamell On Trial
In the Run to the
Top, Karma Sutra
Jello From The Sky,
Gertrude
Masters of
Deception, Ghetto Priest
Gratitude, Saritah
The Day The World
Said Stop the War, Robb Johnson
Making Up, Liquid Blue
Peace Attack, Sonic Youth
Power To
The Peaceful, Anti Flag
Self Evident, Ani DiFranco
Combat Rock, Sleather-Kinney
The Price of Oil, Billy Bragg
U S Forces, Midnight Oil
JacobÕs Ladder, Chumbawamba
Not in Our Name, Tariq Ali
On the US
Elections, Noam Chomsky
We Want Peace, Ingrid Laubrock Quintet
Life, Bush & Blair
United States, Seize the Day
Appendix 2. The Reaction and Response Criteria
Focus your thinking and
writing.
Students will write one
reaction essay and one response essay for each of the 12 lessons. Please limit the content of your
reactions and your responses to compact mini-essays of three paragraphs
each. See below.
The Reaction Essay
1st Paragraph - INTERPRET-
What does/do the source(s) say? In
a paragraph of approximately five carefully worded sentences, identify
significant points or ideas or aspects of the lesson source(s) that you find
particularly relevant to our course theme of "Peace and Pop Culture."
This might be a sourceÕs thesis or 1-2 principal points or a dominant theme,
but it must be conceptually significant for the lesson as a whole as well as
genuinely relevant to our course theme.
Translate clearly and concisely in your own words and in a manner that
will make it understandable even to someone who has not read the original
material. Provide examples from
the lesson content as evidence to support your interpretation.
2d Paragraph –
ANALYZE - What does/do the source(s) mean? In another paragraph of about five carefully worded
sentences, explain the significance of what you have articulated in your first
paragraph, focusing on some specific implication or ramification apropos of our
course theme of "Peace and Pop Culture.Ó Then break down or deconstruct the source into component
parts so its organizational structure may be understood. Also, continue to
express yourself in a manner that will make your explanation clear to someone
who has not studied the original material. Provide examples from the lesson content as evidence to
support your analysis.
3d Paragraph – In a
final paragraph of about five carefully worded sentences (A) SYNTHESIZE: Build
a structure or pattern from the diverse lesson sources. Put parts together to form a whole with
emphasis on creating a new meaning or construction and (B) EVALUATE: So
what? Why do these sources and
synthesis matter? Make judgments
about the value of ideas or sources. Why we should care about the implication or
ramification you have explained in your analysis and synthesis. Extrapolate beyond the original
material and give us something new but relevant (i.e., to our course theme of
"Peace and Pop CultureÓ) to think about. Make your synthesis and evaluation clear to someone who has
not read the original material.
Provide examples from the lesson content to illustrate your synthesis
and support your evaluation.
The Response Essay
Identify some particularly
enlightening observation(s) or insight(s) or some glaring misinterpretation(s),
oversight(s) or faulty judgment(s) you have gleaned from your examination of
your classmatesÕ "reactions."
1. Then, in your first
paragraph, in your own words, clearly and concisely articulate the point you
choose to address, citing the classmate.
2. In your second
paragraph, explain why the point(s) is/are illuminating or faulty. Bring evidence from the lesson content
to support your explanation.
3. Finally, in your third
paragraph, tell the rest of us why we, as a group examining "Peace and Pop
Culture,Ó should care about the point(s) you have identified and explained.
Appendix 3 –
Student Assessment
Lesson 1 presents the
resources for critical analysis of popular culture, Òways of seeingÓ pop art,
and the rules of usage and principles of composition. Students will apply these resources, Òways of seeingÓ and
rules as they investigate the topics and sources in following lessons and
complete their 24 written assignments and 3 tests.
A) How professor will
grade reaction essays and response essays:
0 =
poor or missing assignment
1 =
fair
2 =
good
3 =
very good
4 =
excellent
*****************************************************************
0) Poor or missing assignment
– shows lack of effort. Does
not attempt to follow format or criteria. Does not have learner outcomes in
mind.
1) Fair - Knows the format
requirements of the essay, spends time looking over the lesson content,
provides minimum effort by summarizing lesson content with little or no
interpretation, analysis, synthesis or evaluation.
2. Good - Shows a desire to
learn the subject material, will spend time reaching his or her conclusions
through interpretation and questioning of his or her own and others
beliefs. Asks and answers ÒhowÓ
and ÒwhyÓ questions. Translates
the meaning of primary and secondary sources in his or her own words. Needs to better understand the meaning
of analysis, synthesis and evaluation, and to apply that meaning to writing a
clear, concise, focused essay supported by evidence found in the lesson
sources.
3. Very Good - Gives
outstanding effort interpreting, i.e. translating, and analyzing, i.e.
deconstructing, sources. Uses evidence from the lesson content to illustrate
his or her interpretation and analysis.
Understands significance of important concepts and action.
4. Excellent –
Superior work interpreting, analyzing and evaluating lesson content.
Synthesizes sources and uses evidence from lesson to create new thesis. Recommends areas for further
investigation. Seeks to apply
lessons learned.
B) How instructor will
construct tests:
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