GLO 222 - Terrorism and Political Violence

Credits: 3

Description
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the motivation for terrorism and political violence. It addresses the question, “What makes an otherwise ordinary person deliberately attack unarmed civilians who have personally done the perpetrator no wrong and are in no position to redress the perpetrator’s grievances?”

Student Learning Outcomes

Analyze the meaning of terrorism and explain how a terrorist differs from a soldier or a “freedom fighter”.
Contrast terrorism with other forms of political violence such as a coup d’état, genocide, riot, revolution, civil war, and guerilla war.
Outline and describe the general history of terrorism, and examine how it has evolved over time from the first century A.D. to the present.
Articulate and describe the basic differences between revolutionary, ideological, religious, and other motives.
Illustrate the historical, psychological, sociological, economic and political engines that motivate terrorists.
Examine why people join and become transformed by groups dedicated to terrorism.
Evaluate political, economic, psychological, sociological and political (e.g., diplomacy, sanctions, militarized conflict, etc.) strategies for fighting terror.

Prerequisite: None