Political Violence and the Human Condition

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/S_PVHC

Course Objective

This course aims to provide students with knowledge and understanding of the perpetrators and victims of political violence. It will cover the reasons why, and the processes and mechanisms through which, people get involved in political violence, as well as the impact this has on victims and their communities. When finalizing the course, students will have knowledge and understanding of:
- The driving forces of violent behaviour on an individual and group level;
- The psychological foundations of violent behaviour;
- The adverse psychosocial and intergenerational consequences of violence for victims and communities; -Effective strategies to hold perpetrators accountable and reduce the adverse psychological and psychosocial consequences of violence for victims and communities;
- The prospects and challenges of an interdisciplinary approach to violent behaviour that combines, amongst other disciplines, psychology and criminology. In addition, students will be able to:
- Apply theories of multiple disciplines to understand the causes and consequences of violence as well as the effectiveness of post-conflict interventions;
- Critically evaluate the relevance of different theories from multiple disciplines to help understand contemporary cases of political violence and their aftermath; -Critically appraise and integrate the literature on psychological and psychosocial interventions as well as transitional justice mechanisms in the aftermath of political violence.

Course Content

Mass atrocities are frequently perpetrated during wars and they have a devastating effect on the victims and their communities. The perpetrators and the victims of this violence have been studied from numerous disciplines including, but not limited to, criminology, clinical psychology, social psychology and history. Studies across these different disciplines have focused on elements and processes that influence the perpetrator and contribute to mass violence. In addition, extensive scientific literature exists on the consequences of mass violence for the exposed society, community and the individual, and how individuals, communities and countries may deal with the past. In this course, these perspectives will be integrated to provide an overview of the reasons why, and the processes through which, individuals perpetrate mass atrocities. The hypothesis that these individuals are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances will be discussed by analysing theories as well as case studies. Furthermore, the appropriateness of individual accountability for these collective manifestations of political violence will be discussed, as well as potential alternatives. A second central focus of the course will be the psychological and psychosocial consequences of political violence and war-related trauma for its victims; the affected individuals, communities and societies. In this part of the course we will also focus on how to interfere with the development of such adverse consequences, on an individual and societal level.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and seminars

Method of Assessment

Written assignments

Literature

Selected articles and book chapters that are available on-line

Additional Information

This course is only available for students who are also enrolled in the course Philosophy and the Ethics of Political Violence: Peace, War and Terrorism

Entry Requirements

Being registered for 'Philosophy and Ethics of Political Violence: Peace, War and Terrorism' is required.