Syllabus
* Lecture
1. Introduction: - Structure of the course * Lecture
2. What is violence? - Different definitions, forms and levels of violence - Violence transformed into numbers * Lecture
3. How does violence arise? - The leading sociological theories of violence - The special concepts: J. Galtung, R. Collins, S. Maleševič, * Lectures
4. Nature vs Nurture? - Are we genetically predisposed to violence? - Are we particularly violent creatures? * Lecture
5. The rise or fall of violence? - Is the rate of violence on its rise or decline - Two main perspectives and arguments * Lecture
6. Invited guest lecture I. - Students will discuss preprepared topics with expert specializing in violence - Guest: Jiří Pavlovský (decorated war veteran, participant in foreign mission in Kosovo 2000 - 2002, Liberia 2003-2005, Georgia 2006-2007, Afghanistan 2008 - 2010, Ukraine 2015 - 2016, Iraq 2020 and
2021) * Lecture
7. What is the most extreme form of violence? - Why is genocide the most extreme form of violence? - What does the term genocide mean? - Why is important to study genocide? * Lecture
8. Social psychology and violence - What social psychology has taught us about violence? - Zimbardo´s Stanford prison experiment - Milgram´s experiment on obedience to authority - Asch conformity experiment * Lecture
9. The two cruelest psychological processes and violence - Dehumanization - Deindividuation * Lecture
10. A role of violence in modern society? - Violence and Sport - Violence and Culture - Violence and Religion * Lecture
11. When society accepts violence? - Justified violence - From Spartan education to MS-13 gang * Lecture
12. Invited guest lecture II. - Students will discuss preprepared topics with expert specializing in violence * Lecture
13. Final discussion and Test
Annotation
The course deals with a sociological and historical perspective of Violence. The theoretical part of the course will provide basic orientation in the phenomenon, its particular fields, issues, topics, ideas and concepts.
The practical part should mediate the view of violence through the eyes of people specializing in violence on daily basis (f.e. armed forces personnel with foreign mission experience, lawyer, professional fighter). The main aim is to provide better understanding of violence at different levels and from different perspectives.
In other words, the main goal of the course is to open the door to the mysterious world of violence, which whether we like it or not, it's a part of human lives.