Psychosocial Perspectives on TerrorismPSYC/ANS0 2000, Fall 2004Instructor: Dr. Linda M. WoolfOffice Hours:
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Texts:
- Hoffman, B. (1998). Inside terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Reich, W. (Ed.) (1998). Origins of terrorism: Psychologies, ideologies, theologies, states of mind. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press.
- Selected readings to be provided or placed on reserve in the library - each noted below.
Course Description:
On September 11, 2001 many of us in the United States experienced for the first time the effects of terrorism. Terrorism is not a new phenomena and many researchers have been struggling to understand the root causes and effects of terrorism. In this class, we will examine the psychosocial roots and impact of terrorism. We will examine the "why" of terrorism. Are terrorists psychopaths? Are terrorists just inherently evil? Or is the issue much more complex than this, particularly when we take into consideration a variety of partisan perspectives? Within this context, we will examine the various types of terrorism such as religious, state-sponsored, and individual acts of terrorism.During the class we will also examine the impact of terrorism on many levels from the individual to national level. We will discuss topics related to the personal experience of trauma due to terrorism, such as normal emotional reactions to personal attack, PTSD, grief, coping, and the challenge to just world thinking. On a group level we will examine broader issues such as stereotyping, in-group/out-group behaviors, moral exclusion, displacement of aggression, nationalism, propaganda, and dehumanization.
The class is designed to meet credit and course requirements within the following additional programs: International Studies, International Human Rights, Multicultural Studies.
Course Objectives:
- Objective: To examine the question of "What is terrorism?" As part of that examination, we will evaluate
the problems associated with defining terrorism.
- Objective: To become familiar with the various forms of terrorism including individual, religious, ideological, and state-sponsored terrorism.
- Objective: To explore and evaluate the various cultural factors which may play a role in the promotion of
terrorism including poverty, desperation, fanaticism, political influence, globalization, economic development,
greed, and war. These cultural factors will also be examined from the perspective of partisan perceptions.
- Objective: To examine the underlying group factors behind terrorism such as intergroup polarization,
within-group glorification, moral exclusion, the power of the situation, nationalism, and partisan perceptions.
We will evaluate the research concerning these factors and evaluate the appropriateness of applying these
concepts to instances of both domestic and international terrorism.
- Objective: To explore the question of what motivates an individual terrorist to commit an act of terrorism.
We will look at questions such as "Is there a terrorist psychology?" and "What motivates a suicide bomber?" and examine what enables individuals to perpetrate acts of terrorism.
- Objective: To evaluate the multifaceted role of the media and its effects on victims of terrorist attacks,
groups which promote terrorism, bystanders to terrorism, and the elite from all sides.
- Objective: To examine the psychological impact of terrorism on victims and witnesses and the various
treatment strategies needed to facilitate recovery from trauma.
- Objective: To explore and evaluate the broader strategies for group and cultural recovery from terrorism
particularly those strategies that facilitate the promotion of peace and tolerance for diversity.
- Objective: To provide students with the opportunity to engage in psychosocial analyses of a particular
instance of terrorism and another topic of interest to the student related to terrorism.
- Objective: To further develop students written and oral presentation skills. To provide students the
opportunity to learn additional presentation skills specifically those related to poster presentations.
Incoming Competencies:
All students should be capable of working at the undergraduate level.
Class Meetings:
The class will meet on Tuesdays from 5:30 - 9:30. Classroom attendance is strongly recommended as class discussion will greatly enhance your understanding of the material presented in this class. Also, material will be presented that is not in any of the books and class participation/discussion will constitute a percentage of your final grade.
This course will be challenging for several reasons. First, it entails a fair amount of reading. If this is to be a good class, it is essential for everyone to do the reading, come to class, and be prepared to participate in the discussion. Second, this course is difficult because of its almost unrelieved concentration on human suffering and extreme, deliberately inflicted cruelty; the information presented in this class is difficult to read and difficult to discuss. There will be opportunities for class members to discuss thoughts and feelings that arise during the course.
Course Requirements:
Two exams, an analysis paper analyzing an instance of terrorism, group poster projects, and class participation/discussion are required for this course.All grades will be assigned on a scale of 0 - 100 with:
| 90 - 100 | A-,A | Excellent |
| 80 - 89 | B-,B,B+ | Above Average |
| 70 - 79 | C-,C,C+ | Average |
| 60 - 69 | D-,D,D+ | Below Average |
| Less than 60 | F | Failing |
Percent of Grade:
Examinations 60% Analysis Paper 20% Group poster projects 10% Class Part./Disc. 10%
Examinations: The exams are designed to test for an understanding of the terms, theories, ideas, and historical events related to terrorism as presented in text, readings, lecture, and discussion. The exams will include multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay. Exams will be worth 60 percent of your final grade.
Policy: All exams must be taken on the date scheduled. In case of an emergency, the instructor must be notified. No make-up exams will be given if you fail to notify and discuss your situation with the instructor. It is up to the instructor's discretion whether to offer or not offer a make-up exam. Please note that no extra credit work will be made available to make-up for a poor test grade.Analysis Paper: The purpose of the analysis paper is to provide you, the student, with the opportunity to analyze and instance of terrorism from a psychosocial perspective. You should gather information from books, journal articles, and governmental resources to provide the background information necessary for your analysis. Once you have gathered your data, write an analysis of the situation using the various psychosocial constructs as discussed in class. For example, be sure to include a discussion of cultural, group, and individual factors; a discussion and evaluation of possible motives and partisan perceptions; a discussion of the role of the media; an overview of the impact on victims; and a discussion of strategies being taken for individual and cultural recovery. In other words, I want a coherent synopsis and analysis of a specific instance of terrorism from a psychosocial perspective. All topics must be approved by the instructor in writing. Submit a paragraph via email (woolflm@webster.edu) outlining your ideas and provide a list of primary sources to be used in your paper by September 7. The analysis paper is worth 20 percent of your final grade. Deadline for acceptance of papers is October 5.
Note: These deadlines are not suggestions; papers accepted following the deadline will experience a drop in grade(s) except in cases of emergency discussed with the instructor.
Group poster projects: Group poster projects: Students, in pairs or individually, will be required to put together a poster for presentation to the class concerning terrorism. There is a great deal of flexibility on the topic but ALL topics must be approved by the instructor. This will provide you the opportunity to explore another topic related to terrorism from a psychosocial perspective. For example, you might want to focus on the structure and functioning of a particular type of terrorist group or the psychological factors impacting victims of a specific type of terrorist attack. Specifics about how to put together a poster presentation will be discussed in class. Note that use of Powerpoint can facilitate the creation of a poster presentation as the information can easily be printed out for display. Some general information concerning poster presentations can be found at What is a Poster? Note that poster presentations are a commonly used method of presenting research and ideas at professional conferences (i.e. American Psychological Association Annual Convention or the Great Plains student psychology conference).The poster project will be worth 10 percent of your final grade.
All papers and posters must be typed in APA format. If you are in doubt as to what this means, see me for details.
Class Participation & Discussion: Please realize that your participation in this class is extremely important. As such, class participation will constitute 10 percent of your final grade. The class participation grade will derive from regular attendance and everyday discussion and analysis. Please be aware that skipping class (unexcused absences) will impact your grade in this area.
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact me or the Director of the Academic Resource Center, as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion.Plagiarism (attempting to pass of the work of another as one's own) is not acceptable and will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment and will be turned over to the appropriate university source for disciplinary action. In addition, cheating on exams will also result in the same fate.
This site will help you avoid the problem of plagiarism particularly plagiarism resulting from paraphrasing too closely to the original source. - Establishing Authorship by Paul C. Smith, Alverno College
Late withdraws from this class will not be approved by the instructor except in cases of emergency discussed with the instructor. No late withdraws will be approved on the basis of poor class performance.
This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor's discretion. All changes concerning course requirements will be provided in writing. Changes concerning exam dates may be made at the instructor's discretion and communicated verbally to the class.
It is understood that remaining in this course (not dropping or withdrawing from this course) constitutes an agreement to abide by the terms outlined in this syllabus and an acceptance of the requirements outlined in this document. No grade of Incomplete will be issued for this course.
COURSE OUTLINE | |
For the readings below, the abbreviation of IT will be used to represent Inside Terrorism and OoT will be used to represent Origins of Terrorism. Optional readings are provided as a starting point for those who want to learn more about specific topics discussed in class. | |
Date | Topic & Readings |
| August 24 | Introduction to class What is terrorism? Types of terrorism Readings:
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| August 31 | Cultural roots and factors associated with terrorism Readings:
Additional optional readings:
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| September 7 | The power of the group and situation Readings:
Additional optional readings:
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| September 14 | EXAM I Individual motivations and factors Readings:
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| September 21 | Terrorism and the media The role of the elite Readings:
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| September 27 | Psychosocial effects of terrorism Treatment and recovery Readings:
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| October 5 | Towards peace and tolerance Readings:
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| October 12 | FINAL EXAM Poster Presentations! |
Additional optional readings:
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