PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 1
PLSC 308.2
Political Violence and Revolution
Fall 2014
MW 12:30-1:45 pm
119 Marshall
CRN: 14352
Professor Petra Hendrickson
602H Pray-Harrold
MW 11:00-12:15 (and by appointment)
phendri2@emich.edu
Course Description
This course examines political violence and revolution in comparative and international
perspective. It considers theories and cases of structural violence rooted in social injustice;
diverse forms and motives of political violence (such as war, rebellion, terrorism, ethnic conflict,
national liberation); patterns and cycles of violence and non-violent alternatives; and the
dynamics of revolution.
Course Objectives
In this course, students will:
 Characterize the four broad categories of political violence
 Differentiate root causes of various forms of violence
 Draw parallels between current events and class material
 Compare the theories and cases of different forms of political violence
 Categorize instances of political violence into the four classes
 Analyze differences in tactics and outcomes between cases within the same class of
violence
Required Readings
The reading load for this course will be moderate-to-heavy: around 30-40 pages per class period.
On rare occasions a heavier reading load will be assigned. We will utilize a variety of sources in
order to provide a richer understanding of both theories and historical accounts of manifestations
of political violence. All readings will be posted on the EMU Online PLSC 308 course website
(http://www.emuonline.edu).
Course Requirements
Although the information bolded below is the most pertinent, it is vital that students read the
entirety of the requirement to ensure they complete the task according to the guidelines. In this
course students are expected to:
 Complete Indiana University plagiarism test and turn in accompanying certificate of
completion within the first three weeks of class (by September 17). Plagiarism is
dishonest, unethical and unacceptable. This test requires students to identify instances of
plagiarism, which will greatly reduce the possibility of unintentional plagiarism
committed because of lack of knowledge of what qualifies as plagiarism. The test can be
found at the following address: https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/plagiarism_test.html. If
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 2
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you cannot receive a certificate of completion, you must provide proof of five failed
attempts, in addition to proof that you have answered 9 practice-test questions correctly.
(5%)
Complete required reading. The reading load in this class will be moderate to heavy,
with the sum of reading assignments ranging from 30-40 pages per class period. On rare
occasions the reading load will be a bit heavier. Students are expected to read the
assignments carefully and come to class prepared to discuss, ask questions and make
analytical connections between the readings and lecture.
Analyze the film shown in class in a 2-3 page paper that responds to the guiding
questions provided by the instructor (due October 1). The questions are designed to
encourage a critical viewing of the film, and should be kept in mind while watching the
movie. (10%)
Take a midterm exam (October 15) and a final exam (December 17). The final exam
will be non-cumulative. (Midterm worth 15%, Final worth 20%; 35% total)
Engage the texts and recent news articles in 4 brief analytical papers (2 pages each)
throughout the semester. These papers should relate a course reading to a
recent(ish) news article to a topic covered in each of the four classes of political
violence (i.e., use one reading from each unit to discuss a news story). News articles
should have been written no more than 5 years ago. Options for analysis include
assessing how the theories covered in the unit apply to the event covered in the news
story; how the facts of the case in the news story compare to the events of a specific case
discussed during the unit; and whether there are any major differences between the
concepts covered in the unit and the way the news story is framed (i.e., if economic
inequality is a potential explanation for society v. state violence, does the news story
discuss this, or does it focus on some other root cause, such as political exclusion?).
Paper topics are not limited to the examples above. Students are encouraged to generate
their own criterion or criteria for analysis. Students are also encouraged to consult with
the instructor if they are having difficulty developing an analysis. Each paper is due after
the unit to which it is tied (except for the paper for the final unit, which will be due before
the unit concludes). The due dates are as follows: state v. state (September 22); state
v. society (October 20); society v. state (November 24); society v. society (December
3). (7.5% each; 30% total)
Write a 5-6 page case-study paper investigating a case of political violence in more
depth. Choose one case of political violence (it can either be a single event or a longerterm situation. Using the theoretical frameworks covered throughout the course, explore
your case more fully. What is the historical background of the case: was/is it rooted in a
cause that developed slowly over time or was/is it the result of a much more recent
trigger? What broad types of political violence were used in your case? Does the case,
when examined over a longer period of time, fit “neatly” into one of the four units or do
multiple forms of political violence occur within your case? What specific tactics seem to
have been most common? (For instance, if you are looking at a case that could be
described as state vs. society, did the state seem to have one or two specific policies they
used more often? Did the societal group have a primary method of response and/or
provocation? The questions above are by no means exhaustive of what you can/should
investigate, but they are a good starting point; if you have any questions as you work on
this paper, I strongly encourage you to contact me, whether through email or during my
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 3
office hours. Outside research is required: you may use the assigned readings, lectures
and insights from class discussions, but you should also plan to use a minimum of 4
additional academic-quality sources if you choose an incident covered in class and a
minimum of 6 academic-quality sources if you choose an incident not covered in class.
Note: utilizing sources does not refer only to using direct quotes. This paper is due
December 10. (20%)
Late Assignments and Make-Up Exams
Late assignments will be docked considerably. If I have not received your paper within the time
frame described below (before class begins on the due date; no more than 12 hours after email
indicating the paper has not been received), you will only receive half credit for it. Additionally,
late assignments must be received no later than one week after the initial due date to receive any
credit whatsoever.
The midterm must be made up within two weeks of the original test date (by October 29). The
final exam may be taken early in special circumstances, but must be made up by the end of finals
week (by December 17). The format of make-up exams may differ from the format of the exam
provided during the assigned class period.
Attendance
I expect students to attend all classes, arrive on time, remain for the entire period, and bring the
day’s readings with you to class. Although attendance is not required per se, you are responsible
for any and all material covered in lecture. Completion of the provided guiding questions for
each reading will prove extremely valuable, and will be worth up to a 5% bonus on the exams
(that is, if your original score is a 90, but you complete all the guiding questions, you will receive
a 95%).
Paper Format Requirements
All papers must conform to the following specifications: 1” margins on all sides, 12-point Times
New Roman font, double-spaced, last name and page number on each page and appropriate intext citations, as well as a complete works cited page at the end of the document. For the 4 short
analysis papers, it is necessary to cite both the news article you as well as any assigned readings
you utilize. For the case study paper due at the end of the semester, it is necessary to cite any
readings you draw insights from. If you choose to utilize lecture material, you should identify it
as such, but you do not have to provide a formal citation. However, it is necessary to include intext citations when referencing specific points and arguments raised in any of your sources.
Students can use the citation format of their choice from the following list: APA, Chicago, MLA,
and citation style should be consistent throughout the paper. Purdue University’s Online Writing
Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/) has guides to the various citation styles available on
their website. Papers must be submitted electronically via EMU-Online dropboxes by the
beginning of class. I will confirm receipt (or lack of receipt) of papers within 12 hours; if you
have submitted, but I have not received, your paper, you will have an additional 12 hours from
the time of my email to submit it with no penalty. Physical copies of papers will not be
accepted.
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 4
Writing Support
The University Writing Center (115 Halle Library; 487-0694) offers one-to-one writing
consulting for both undergraduate and graduate students. Students can make appointments or
drop in between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on Fridays. Students should bring a draft of what they’re working on and their
assignment sheet. The UWC opens for the Fall 2014 semester on Monday, September 8.
The UWC also offers small group workshops on various topics related to writing (e.g.,
Organizing Your Writing; Incorporating Evidence; Revising Your Writing; Conquering
Commas; Using APA or MLA). Workshops are offered at different times in the UWC. Visit the
UWC page (http://www.emich.edu/uwc) to see our workshop calendar. To register for a
workshop, click the link from the UWC page for the type of workshop you wish to attend.
The UWC also has several satellite sites across campus. These satellites provide writing support
to students within the various colleges. For more information about our satellite locations and
hours, visit the UWC web site: http://www.emich.edu/uwc.
The Academic Projects Center (116 Halle Library) also offers one-to-one writing consulting for
students, in addition to consulting on research and technology-related issues. The APC is open
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays for drop-in consultations. Additional information
about the APC can be found at http://www.emich.edu/apc. Students visiting the Academic
Projects Center or any of the satellites of the University Writing Center should also bring with
them a draft of what they’re working on and their assignment sheet.
Academic Dishonesty
In addition to being a wholesale bad idea, plagiarism is also forbidden by the EMU Code of
Student Conduct. Any assignment that is plagiarized to any extent will receive a score of zero.
Cheating on exams is also forbidden and will also result in a zero on the exam.
Classroom Etiquette
Laptops are permitted in class only for the purpose of taking notes. Other uses are not allowed,
and if students are repeat offenders, i.e., caught more than once using their laptop for
unauthorized purposes will have their in-class laptop privileges revoked. Use of other forms of
technology, especially cell phones, is absolutely not permitted.
Disclaimer
It may become necessary to alter the schedule provided below. In such an occurrence, students
will be notified well in advance and provided with an updated electronic copy of the syllabus.
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 5
Grading System and Scale
The percentage values allocated to course components are listed after the description of the
course component. The grading scale breaks down as follows:
Grade Value
A
AB+
B
BC+
Percentage Range
93-100%
90-92.9%
87-89.9%
83-86.9%
80-82.9%
77-79.9%
Grade Value
C
CD+
D
DF
Percentage Range
73-76.9%
70-72.9%
67-69.9%
63-66.9%
60-62.9%
below 59.9%
Schedule of Lecture Topics and Reading Assignments
Reading assignments should be completed PRIOR to the class period for which they are listed.
Wednesday, September 3: Syllabus Day, Introduction to the Course and Writing
Discussion
Monday, September 8: Intro to Political Violence
Topics:
 Four broad classes:
o State v. State
o State v. Society
o Society v. State
o Society v. Society
Readings:
 Fujii, Lee Ann. 2013. “The Puzzle of Extra-Lethal Violence.” Perspectives on Politics
11(2): 410-426.
 Ralph, Sarah. 2012. “Introduction: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of
Violence.” In The Archeology of Violence: Interdisciplinary Approaches. Sarah Ralph,
ed. Albany: State University of New York Press. 1-13.
UNIT 1: STATE V. STATE
Wednesday, September 10: Coup d’État
Topics:
 Definition
 Theories
 Cases
o Chile 1973
Readings:
 Bankowicz, Marek. 2012. “Technique of Coup D’Etat.” Coup D’Etat: A Critical
Theoretical Synthesis. Westport, CT: Praeger. n.p.
 Rector, John L. 2003. “Reform Turns to Revolution, 1958-73.” The History of Chile.
New York: Palgrave Macmillon. 155-183. (read p. 172-183 only)
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 6
UNIT 2: STATE V. SOCIETY
Monday, September 15: Colonial Repression
Topics:
 Colonial repression
 Rape of Nanking
Readings:
 Yoshida, Takashi. 2006. “Japan: Mobilizing the Nation, Sanitizing Aggression.” The
Making of the “Rape of Nanking”: History and Memory in Japan, China, and the United
States. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 11-26.
 Yoshida, Takashi. 2006. “China: Intolerable Atrocities.” The Making of the “Rape of
Nanking”: History and Memory in Japan, China, and the United States. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. 27-36.
Wednesday, September 17: Minority Repression
Topics:
 Jim Crow in US
 Apartheid
Readings:
 Worden, Nigel. 2012. “White Supremacy, Segregation and Apartheid.” The Making of
Modern South Africa: Conquest, Apartheid, Democracy. 5th ed. Oxford: WileyBlackwell. 73-103.
Due:
 Indiana University Plagiarism Certificate
Monday, September 22: Political Repression
Topics:
 The fight against Communism
Activity: Begin watching The Act of Killing
Readings:
 Applebaum, Anne. 2004. “The Great Terror and Its Aftermath.” Gulag: A History.
Harpswell, ME: Anchor. 92-115.
Due:
 State v. State analysis paper
Wednesday, September 24: Political Repression (Continued)
Activity: Finish watching The Act of Killing
Monday, September 29: Foundations of Genocide
Topics:
 Conceptualizations of genocide
 Alternative terms and justifications
Readings:
 Lemkin, Raphael. 1944. “Genocide.” Axis Rule in Occupied Europe: Laws of
Occupation, Analysis of Government, Proposals for Redress. Washington: Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace. 79-95. (Only read p. 79-90)
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 7
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UN Convention on Genocide
Stanton, Gregory. “8 Stages of Genocide.”
Wednesday, October 1: Genocidal Motivations
Topics: Why and how people are able to commit genocide
Readings:
 Blass, Thomas. 2002. “Perpetrator Behavior as Destructive Obedience: An Evaluation of
Stanley Milgram’s Perspective, the Most Famous Influential Social-Psychological
Approach to the Holocaust.” In Understanding Genocide: The Social Psychology of the
Holocaust. Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber, eds. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
91-112.
 Waller, James. 2002. “Killers of Conviction: Groups, Ideology, and Extraordinary Evil.”
Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing. Oxford:
Oxford University Press. 29-54. (only read p. 29-49)
Due:
 The Act of Killing film analysis
Monday, October 6: Cases of Genocide, Pre-WWII
Topics:
 Indigenous Peoples
Readings:
 Levarch, Michael. 1997. “National Overview.” Bringing Them Home: National Inquiry
into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their
Families. Sydney: Commonwealth of Australia. 22-32 (of PDF; pages of document not
numbered).
 Davidson, Lawrence. 2012. “Cultural Genocide and the American Indians.” Cultural
Genocide. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 21-43.
Wednesday, October 8: Cases of Genocide, WWII-Present
Topics:
 Holocaust
Readings:
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/nazi_genocide_timeline/index_embed.
shtml
 Dutton, Donald G. 2007. “The Holocaust.” The Psychology of Genocide, Massacres, and
Extreme Violence: Why “Normal” People Come to Commit Atrocities. Westport, CT:
Praeger. 38-61.
Monday, October 13: Dirty Wars/Torture
Topics:
 Latin America
 US War on Terror
Readings:
 Bornemann, Alberto Ulloa. 2007. “A Sad and Cruel Underground.” Surviving Mexico’s
Dirty War: A Political Prisoner’s Memoir. Arthur Schmidt and Aurora Camacho de
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 8

Schmidt, eds. and trans. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 18-67. (only read p. 1823, p. 25-33 & p.36-42)
Lewis, Paul H. 2002. “The Inferno.” Guerrillas and Generals: The “Dirty War” in
Argentina. Westport, CT: Praeger. 147-162.
Wednesday, October 15: MIDTERM EXAM
UNIT 3: SOCIETY V. STATE
Monday, October 20: Kidnapping
Topics:
 FARC
Readings:
 Brittain, James J., and James Petras. 2009. “An Overview of the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP): A History of Radicalism in the
Countryside.” Revolutionary Social Change in Colombia: The Origin and Direction of
the FARC-EP. London: Pluto Press. 1-15.
 Rabasa, Angel, Peter Chalk, and John Gordon. 2011. “Counterinsurgency Transition
Case Study: Colombia.” From Insurgency to Stability, Volume II: Insights from Selected
Case Studies. Santa Monica: RAND. 41-73. (only read p. 41-54)
Due:
 State v. Society analysis paper
Wednesday, October 22: Theories of Revolution
Topics:
 Causes
Readings:
 Van Inwegen, Patrick. 2011. “Understanding Revolution.” Understanding Revolution.
Boulder: Lynne Rienner. 1-20.
 Van Inwegen, Patrick. 2011. “The ‘Life Course’ of a Revolution.” Understanding
Revolution. Boulder: Lynne Rienner. 21-34.
Monday, October 27: Cases of Revolution: Iran
Topics:
 Iran
Readings:
 Abrahamian, Ervand. 1980. “Structural Causes of the Iranian Revolution.” MERIP
Reports 87: 21-26.
 Parsa, Misagh. 1989. “The Final Collapse.” Social Origins of the Iranian Revolution.
New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 223-248.
Wednesday, October 29: Arab Spring
Topics:
 Background
 Paths of different countries
 Theories
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 9
Readings:
 Gelvin, James L. 2012. “A Revolutionary Wave?” The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone
Needs to Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1-33. (only read p. 4-32)
 Ben-Dor, Gabriel. 2013. “Democratization Processes in the Middle East and Arab
World.” In The Arab Spring, Democracy and Security: Domestic and International
Ramifications. New York: Routledge. 12-32. (only read p. 12-28)
Monday, November 3: Nonviolent Resistance
Topics:
 Overview of nonviolent resistance
 Examples of nonviolence campaigns
Readings:
 Chenowith, Erica, and Maria J. Stephan. 2011. “After the Campaign: The Consequences
of Nonviolent and Violent Resistance.” Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic
of Nonviolent Conflict. New York: Columbia University Press. 201-219.
 Howes, Dustin Ells. 2013. “The Failure of Pacifism and the Success of Nonviolence.”
Perspectives on Politics 11(2): 427-446.
Wednesday, November 5: Nonviolent Revolutions
Topics:
 Color Revolutions in Eastern Europe
Readings:
 Mitchell, Lincoln A. 2012. “Introduction.” Color Revolutions. Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press. 1-16.
 Way, Lucan. 2008. “The Real Causes of the Color Revolutions.” Journal of Democracy
19(3): 55-69.
Monday, November 10: Foundations of the Study of Civil War
Topics:
 Theories
 Approaches
Readings:
 Lounsbery, Marie Olson, and Frederic Pearson. 2009. “Conflict Processes During Civil
Wars.” Civil Wars: Internal Struggles, Global Consequences. Toronto: University of
Toronto Press. 119-154.
Wednesday, November 12: Cases of Civil War, Before 1991
Topics:
 Spain
Readings:
 Casanova, Julian. 2013a. “Timeline.” A Short History of the Spanish Civil War. London:
I.B. Tauris. 20-21.
 Casanova, Julian. 2013b. “The Roots of the Conflict.” A Short History of the Spanish
Civil War. London: I.B. Tauris.12-19.
Monday, November 17: Cases of Civil War, 1991-Present
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 10
Topics:
 Former Yugoslavia
Readings:
 Kollander, Patricia. 2004. “The Civil War in Former Yugoslavia and the International
Intervention.” In Reflections on the Balkan Wars: Ten Years After the Breakup of
Yugoslavia. Jeffrey S. Morton, R. Craig Nation, Paul Forage and Stefano Bianchini, eds.
New York: Palgrave Macmillon. 3-22. (only read p. 3-17)
 Job, Cvijeto. 1993. “Yugoslavia’s Ethnic Furies.” Foreign Policy 92: 52-74.
Wednesday, November 19: Transnational Terrorism
Topics:
 Al Qaeda
 Suicide terrorism
Readings:
 Atran, Scott. 2003. “Genesis of Suicide Terrorism.” Science 299: 1534-1539.
 Burke, Jason. 2004. “Al Qaeda.” Foreign Policy 142: 18-26.
 Sedgwick, Mark. 2004. “Al-Qaeda and the Nature of Religious Terrorism.” Terrorism
and Political Violence 16(4): 795-814.
Monday, November 24: Domestic Terrorism
Topics:
 Red Army Faction/Baader-Meinhof Gang
Readings:
 Della Porta, Donatella. 1995. “The Logic of Underground Organizations.” Social
Movements, Political Violence, and the State: A Comparative Analysis of Italy and
Germany. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 113-135.
 Meinhof, Ulrike. 2008 [1968]. “Counter-Violence (1968).” Everybody Talks About the
Weather…We Don’t: The Writings of Ulrike Meinhof. New York: Seven Stories Press.
234-238.
 Meinhof, Ulrike. 2008 [1968]. “From Protest to Resistance (1968).” Everybody Talks
About the Weather…We Don’t: The Writings of Ulrike Meinhof. New York: Seven
Stories Press. 239-243.
 Meinhof, Ulrike. 2008 [1968]. “Setting Fire to Department Stores (1968).” Everybody
Talks About the Weather…We Don’t: The Writings of Ulrike Meinhof. New York: Seven
Stories Press. 244-248.
Due:
 Society v. State analysis paper
Wednesday, November 26: NO CLASS
UNIT 4: SOCIETY V. SOCIETY
Monday, December 1: Identity Violence I
 Partition Violence in British India
Readings:
PLSC 308.2 Syllabus 11

Nair, Neeti. 2011. “Partition Violence and the Question of Responsibility.” Changing
Homelands: Hindu Politics and the Partition of India. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press. 179-218. (read p. 179-192 and p. 211-218, AS WELL AS one of the
following sections: p. 192-200; p. 200-206; p. 206-211)
Wednesday, December 3: Identity Violence II
Topics:
 Sectarian Violence in Iraq
Readings:
 TBA
Due:
 Society v. Society analysis paper
Monday, December 8: Riots
Topics:
 US race riots
Readings:
 Sitkoff, Harvard. 2010. “The Detroit Race Riot of 1943.” Toward Freedom Land: The
Long Struggle for Racial Equality in America. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press.
43-64.
 Hartigan, John. 1999. “Introduction.” Racial Situations: Class Predicaments of Whiteness
in Detroit. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 3-23.
Wednesday, December 10: Lynching
Topics:
 United States
Readings:
 Berg, Manfred. 2011. “‘Indescribable Barbarism’: The Lynching of African Americans in
the Age of Jim Crow.” Popular Justice: A History of Lynching in America. Blue Ridge
Summit, PA: Ivan R. Dee. 90-116.
Due:
 5-6 page case-study paper
Wednesday, December 17: FINAL EXAM (11:30 am – 1:00 pm)