Appendix: Lantis Class Syllabus
War and Peace on Film
Political Science 229: Special Topics in International Relations
The College of Wooster
Spring 2010
Dr. Jeffrey Lantis
Kauke 107, #2408
Office Hours:
MT 3:30-4:30 pm
Course Description
“War” and “Peace” are two of the most important topics in the study of international relations.
Many believe that these conditions are inextricably linked—that we truly cannot understand one
without the other. This course will explore classic and contemporary issues in international
peace and security through the media of film, literature, and scholarly works. Key sections of
the class examine the origins of war, international terrorism, just-war theory, peace studies, and
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. More broadly, we critically analyze issues
central to human nature including conflict and harmony, wartime experiences, questions of
heroism and glory, national identity and conceptions of the “other” through films and popular
writings. This course will prompt students to not only examine their own assumptions about
historical narratives of peace and security but also to recognize the symbiotic relationship
between popular culture and international relations.
Course Objectives
This is an advanced class. It is expected that you have had prior coursework in the discipline or
related areas of study. The class is designed as a seminar where we will critically analyze
concepts in international peace and security. Educational objectives for this class include to:
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provide a strong foundation in modern studies of peace and security;
•
re-examine assumptions and explore critical questions regarding the root causes
of war and peace;
•
place theories in international security and peace studies in a meaningful context;
•
better understand the origins of peace and conflict through the means of
alternative pedagogies;
•
strengthen research, writing, and analytical skills.
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Course Requirements
Students are expected to attend class and participate actively in seminar discussions. Students
will complete a number of assignments, including response papers, group discussion exercises, a
war and remembrance paper, a just-war theory paper, a critical essay on heroism, and midterm
and final examinations. Assignments will be weighted in the following manner:
Comprehensive Participation
Midterm Exam
War and Remembrance Paper
Response Papers
Just-War Theory Paper
Critical Essay on Heroism on Film
Take-Home Final Exam
20%
15%
10%
15%
10%
10%
20%
Required Texts
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Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing About Film, Seventh Edition, 2009
Bruce Hoffmann, Inside Terrorism, Revised Edition, 2006
Joseph Cirincione, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons, 2007
John Crawford, The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier’s Account of
the War in Iraq, 2006
Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, 2006
Mark Bowden, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, 2000
Readings on Electronic Reserve
Content Warning
This course contains film and literature content that is designed for mature audiences; some may
find this material uncomfortable. Many of the themes in this class deal with violence and a
negative view of humanity. Please consider carefully whether this is the type of course material
you are prepared for, and share any concerns or questions that you may have as soon as possible.
Comprehensive Participation and Professionalism
Students are expected to attend all class sessions, prepare course material in advance, and
participate actively in class discussions. Indeed, key components of your participation and
professionalism grade will be anchored in work in class. Readings must be completed by the
class session for which they are assigned. Students should be prepared to take notes during film
showings and are expected to make conceptual linkages between film content, theoretical
frameworks, and class readings. Students who are engaged in the course and employ a high
degree of professionalism (i.e., balancing quantity and quality of engagement) will receive high
marks for this portion of the total grade (20%). Simply attending the course regularly without
participation will result in a loss of participation points. Because this class meets only once a
week, two or more absences may result in failure of the course.
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Response Papers
Students will complete response papers that reflect on theoretical foundations, films, and
readings. Typically, these papers will include a brief synopsis of a film clip viewed in class as
well as an analysis of a topic related to class readings. Each paper should be 3-4 typed, doublespaced pages and should apply careful and consistent source citation methods (footnotes and
bibliography). Together, the response papers are worth 15% of the final grade, and more
information on each assignment will be presented in class.
War and Remembrance Paper
How we remember war and peace is vital for any nation’s cultural narrative. This assignment
tasks you to research a war or peace memorial that you find particularly compelling, detail the
history of the memorial and the meaning that you interpret therein. You must do two things for
this paper: 1) Print out a color picture of the memorial you are describing and bring it with you
to class; 2) Develop a detailed paper that examines the following themes about the memorial:
What is the memorial? What is the visual signature or design of the memorial? And what
conflict or peace event does it commemorate? What is the history of the development of the
memorial (i.e., Who proposed it? Was it controversial? Were design issues a critical factor?).
Finally, what is your interpretation of the memorial in relation to theories and cases we have
reviewed in class (i.e., What theories does it illustrate, struggles does it unveil, etc.?). This paper
should be 4-5 typed, double spaced pages, and should apply careful and consistent source
citations methods (Chicago style, with endnotes and bibliography). The assignment is worth
10% of the course grade.
Just-War Theory Paper
This assignment provides an opportunity to critically examine conflict through the lens of justwar theory. The first step in this assignment is to describe the major tenets of just-war theory as
presented in class and related literature. Second, carefully apply the criteria of just-war theory to
an assigned conflict case study and critically analyze whether or not it meets the major criteria.
In all cases, students should develop a strong analytical interpretation of justice, ethics, and war
using this contemporary example. This paper should be 4-5 typed, double spaced pages, and
should apply careful and consistent source citations methods (Chicago style, with endnotes and
bibliography). The assignment is worth 10% of the course grade.
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Critical Essay on Heroism on Film
What is “heroism”? What does it mean for an actor or an action to be described as heroic?
Develop a critical film essay, according to guidelines in Corrigan’s Short Guide to Writing About
Film, in which you examine a film and its depiction of heroism. Explore ways in which scenes
do or do not exhibit heroism according to your definition. Your critical essay must include a
thesis and supporting illustrations to develop it, as well as demonstrate that you have internalized
Corrigan’s interpretation of film analysis. Critical and creative applications to the topic are
encouraged. One caveat: the film selected may not be one viewed in this class. This paper
should be 4-5 typed, double spaced pages, and should apply careful and consistent source
citations methods (Chicago style, with endnotes and bibliography). The assignment is worth
10% of the course grade.
Course Expectations
1. Please read the assigned materials before class meeting; they provide the basis for
class discussions.
2. Turn off all cellphones and personal electronic devices before class as a courtesy to others. If
you bring a laptop computer to class, it should be used for note-taking or in-class writing
assignments only.
3. Papers should be submitted in hard copy. I will not accept e-mail versions of student
papers.
4. Late papers lose half a grade level for each day they are late.
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Course Outline
I. War, Peace, and Politics (Week 1)
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “Bush’s Revolution,” Current History,
November 2003, pp.83-90 (e-reserve)
President Barack Obama, “The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Speech
at the U.S. Army Military Academy, West Point, New York, December 1, 2009
(e-reserve)
Transcript of Speech by General George S. Patton, from “Patton,” Twentieth Century
Fox, 1969, 1:00-8:00 (e-reserve)
Reading in Class:
Chris Hedges, “Introduction,” War is the Force that Gives Us Meaning, 2002,
pp.1-17
* Films and Film Clips: Three Kings (1999); Patton (1970); President Bush’s Address to the
Nation, September 11, 2001 (2001); The Hurt Locker (2009)
II. Classic Explanations of the Origins of International Conflict (Week 2)
Jack S. Levy, “The Causes of War and the Conditions of Peace,” Annual Review of
Political Science, vol.1, 1998, pp.139-165 (e-reserve)
John G. Stoessinger, Chapter 1: The Iron Dice: World War I,” Chapter 1 in Why Nations
Go to War, Tenth Edition, 2008, pp.3-60 (e-reserve)
Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing About Film, Seventh Edition, 2009,
pp.vii-181
Reading in Class:
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Michael Kamber and Tim Arango, “4,000 U.S. Deaths, and a Handful of Images,”
The New York Times, July 26, 2008, p.A1
* Films and Film Clips: Canadian Bacon (1995); Henry V (1989); Why We Fight, Series (1943);
Wag the Dog (1997); Why We Fight, Documentary (2005)
* Response Paper: America and War, Due January 19, 7:00 pm
III. The Evolution of Modern Warfare (Week 3 and 5)
Michael Sheehan, “The Evolution of Modern Warfare,” Chapter 2 in Strategy in
the Contemporary World, edited by John Baylis, James Wirtz, Colin S. Gray, and
Eliot Cohen, 2007, pp.43-65 (e-reserve)
Stephen E. Ambrose, D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II,
1994, Select chapters, pp.19-26, 166-177, and 196-224 (e-reserve)
Max Boot, The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American
Power, 2002, Select chapters, pp.xiii-xx and 286-317 (e-reserve)
Ernest Giglio, “Picturing Vietnam on Film,” Chapter 9 in Here’s Looking at You:
Hollywood, Film, and Politics, 2007, pp.201-220 (e-reserve)
Readings in Class:
Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, 1895, Chapters 4 and 5, pp.33-41
* Films and Film Clips: Saving Private Ryan (1998); Band of Brothers, Episode #2
(2001); The Green Berets (1968); The Fog of War (2003); Platoon (1986)
* War and Remembrance Paper: Due February 9, 7:00 pm
IV. Terrorism, Homeland Insecurity, and the War on Terror (Week 6)
Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism, 2006, pp.all
Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, The Illustrated 9/11 Commission Report: A Graphic
Illustration, 2006, pp.all
Reading in Class:
Bernard Lewis, “License to Kill: Usama bin Ladin’s Declaration of Jihad,” in
Annual Editions: World Politics 2001/2002, pp.187-190
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Tom Pyszczynski, Zachary Rothschild, and Abdolhossein Abdollahi, “Terrorism,
Violence, and Hope for Peace,” Current Directions in Psychological Science 17, no.5,
2008, pp.318-322
* Film or Film Clips: Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? (2008); PBS Frontline:
Campaign Against Terror (2002)
V. Realism versus Idealism: A Struggle for Human Nature (Week 7)
Thomas Hobbes, “The State of Nature and the State of War,” in Richard K. Betts, ed.,
Conflict After the Cold War, 2008, pp.66-69 (e-reserve)
Margaret Mead, “Warfare is Only an Invention--Not a Biological Necessity,” in
Conflict After the Cold War, pp.219-223 (e-reserve)
John Mueller, “The Obsolescence of Major War,” in Richard K. Betts, ed., Conflict
After the Cold War, 2008, pp.224-235 (e-reserve)
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “War and the Ethics of War and Peace,” 2005,
pp.1-11, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war (e-reserve)
Reading in Class:
Mahatma Gandhi, Chapter 26: “Love Versus War and Dictators,” in Louis Fischer, ed.,
The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas, 2006,
pp.325-336
Barack Obama, “A Just and Lasting Peace,” Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, Oslo,
Norway, December 10, 2009
* Films and Film Clips: Road Warrior (1982); Gandhi (1982)
* Response Paper: Terrorism: Causes and Solutions? Due February 23, 7:00 pm
VI. Ethnic Nationalism: Blood and Belonging? (Week 8)
Ernest Gellner, “Nations and Nationalism,” in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.336-346
(e-reserve)
John R. Bowen, “The Myth of Global Ethnic Conflict,” Journal of Democracy, vol.7,
no.4, 1996, pp.3-14 (e-reserve)
Reading in Class:
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Mark Twain, “The War Prayer,” 1904
* Midterm Exam
* Spring Break
VII. Wars of Insurgency: Anti-Colonialism and Struggles for Self-Determination
(Weeks 9 and 10)
John Talbot, The War Without a Name: France in Algeria, 1980, pp.78-89
(e-reserve)
Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962, 1977, Preface and
Chapter 9, “The Battle of Algiers,” pp.13-20 and 183-207 (e-reserve)
John G. Stoessinger, “Chapter 7: The Sixty Years’ War in the Holy Land: Israel
and the Arabs,” in Why Nations Go to War, 2008, pp.212-287 (e-reserve)
Chaim Kaufmann, “Possible and Impossible Solutions to Ethnic Civil Wars,” in
Richard K. Betts, ed., Conflict After the Cold War, pp.360-377 (e-reserve)
Robert A. Pape, “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism,” in Robert J. Art and
Kenneth N. Waltz, eds., The Use of Force, 2009, pp.79-98 (e-reserve)
“Can Terrorism Ever Be Justified?” Structured Debate, in Stuart Gottlieb, ed.,
Debating Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Conflicting Perspectives on Causes,
Contexts, and Responses, 2010, pp.67-99 (e-reserve)
Reading in Class:
Peter Maass, Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War, 1996, pp.23-35
* Films and Film Clips: Battle of Algiers (1966); Welcome to Sarajevo (1997), Documentary:
Bosnia Tragedy (1994); No Man’s Land (2001); Waltz with Bashir (2008); Paradise Now (2005)
VIII. The Responsibility to Protect? Humanitarian Intervention and Peacekeeping
(Week 11)
Sarah Glazer and Patrick Marshall, “Stopping Genocide,” in Global Issues 2007,
pp.143-165 (e-reserve)
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Christopher C. Joyner, “The Responsibility to Protect: Humanitarian Concern and the
Lawfulness of Armed Intervention,” in International Law: Classic and Contemporary
Readings, edited by Charlotte Ku and Paul F. Diehl, 2009, pp.319-337 (e-reserve)
Mark Bowden, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, 2000, pp.all
Reading in Class:
United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, 1948
* Films and Film Clips: Ghosts of Rwanda (2004); Black Hawk Down (2002)
IX. Modern Conflicts: The Iraq War: Origins and Lessons (Week 12)
John Crawford, The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier’s
Account of the War in Iraq, 2006, pp.xi-220
Daniel Lieberfeld, “Theories of Conflict and the Iraq War,” International Journal
of Peace Studies, Winter 2005, pp.1-20 (e-reserve)
Reading in Class:
Michael Jernigan, “The Minefield at Home,” The New York Times, October 25,
2009, p.D14
* Films and Film Clips: PBS: America At a Crossroads: “Warriors” (2004); Alive Day
Memories: Home from Iraq (2007)
* Critical Essay on Heroism on Film: Due April 13, 7:00 pm
X. Proliferation and Deterrence Theory (Week 13)
Joseph Cirincione, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons, 2007,
pp.1-157
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Ward Wilson, “Banning the Bomb,” in Annual Editions: Global Issues 2008/2009,
pp.148-151 (e-reserve)
Reading in Class:
General Lee Butler, “Abolition of Nuclear Weapons Speech,” National Press Club,
Washington, DC, December 4, 1996
* Films and Film Clips: Thirteen Days (2001); Crimson Tide (1995); Dr. Strangelove,
or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1963); Atomic Café (1982); The
Peacemaker (1998); Sum of All Fears (2001)
XI. The Future of Peace and Security (Week 14)
Dexter Filkins, The Forever War (2008); Select Chapters: Prologue, “Hells Bells”,
pp.3-9; “Land of Hope and Sorrow,” pp.71-85; “Suicide Bombings,” pp.168-188; and
“Pearland,” pp.189-213
Reading in Class:
“Robot Warrior Ethical Guide in the Works,” Discovery News, May 18, 2009
* Films and Film Clips: The Hurt Locker (2009)
* Just-War Theory Paper: Due April 27, 7:00 pm
* Take-Home Final Examination