aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

FLORENCE
School of Arts & Sciences
Peace Studies
Anthropology of Violence and Conflict
PST 190 F; Dual listed: ANT 190 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course explores the dynamics of conflict in social relations
and investigates the circumstances under which violence,
in its different aspects, may arise, on the understanding that
while conflict can no doubt play a positive role in social life, by
no means the same can be said of violence. The first part of
the course will deal with conflict and violence at the “micro”
level - that is with conflict and, occasionally, violence among
individuals in everyday social relations - and specifically with
the role played by the pragmatic dimension in conflictual
interactions. The second part of the course will deal with conflict
at the “macro” level - that is conflict between large groups -
focusing especially on the investigation of the circumstances
under which conflict is likely to erupt into macro-scale violence.
In this light, the concept of ethnic identity shall be analyzed,
and the notion of ethnic conflict – with examples from Africa,
Asia, and the Balkans, illustrated with the aid of documentary
films – will be put under scrutiny.
Anthropology and Development
PST 200 F; Dual listed: ANT 200 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course provides an up-to-date and in-depth understanding
of anthropological perspectives on policy and practice in
contemporary international development aid, and gives a
theoretical overview of the relationship between development
aid and anthropology. Students explore the contribution of
anthropology to contemporary development aid debates, on
poverty, human rights, violence and complex emergencies, and
the “market” as a core metaphor of globalized development.
The politics of humanitarian aid, shifting aid frameworks, and
concrete intervention programs in developing countries will
be examined, bridging the disparate worlds of planners of
international agencies and beneficiaries of poor countries.
Concepts and debates are then probed further through
examination of real study cases of development projects in
Africa and South America, with the contribution of international
consultants working in the sector of humanitarian aid and
development cooperation. Simulations of “participatory
methods” will be also included as a manner of exploring the
meaning of the key concepts of community development,
popular “participation” and “empowerment.”
Participation, Empowerment and Social
Change
PST 280 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course offers a general introduction to the basic concepts
of empowerment and public participation of citizens in the
definition of public policies. The two concepts are closely
related to each other: In this context, the term “empowerment“
means reinforcing citizens’ and groups ability to raise concerns
and wage conflicts constructively, to become aware of their own
strengths and their voice in collective negotiation and decisionmaking
processes. The course will present the main theories,
models and practical examples related to public participation
and empowerment processes. The relationship between
public participation and empowerment processes with conflict
resolution will be explored.Several techniques and practical
tools for fostering empowerment processes and participative
democracy, such as communication skills, conflict analysis
and transformation, facilitation and Open Space Technology,
will be illustrated. Most recent developments of web-based
participation (use of social networks, flash mobs, and the like)
will also be discussed. During the course, students will have the
opportunity of practising the tools and techniques presented
in practical exercises and role plays. Cinema and video material
will also be used in the training.
International Conflict Resolution
PST 290 F; Dual listed: POL 292 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course presents concepts and theories related to the
peaceful transformation of international violent conflicts,
illustrating them with examples driven both from global peace
initiatives and Italian experiences in the field. Approaches to
International Conflict Resolution have become widely used and
discussed in the last decade. New roles and tasks have emerged
for international organizations such as the United Nations and
the OSCE. At the same time, civil society organizations have
increasingly played an important role in conflict resolution,
through “second-track” or citizens’ diplomacy, conflict sensitive
approaches to development, as well as third party nonviolent
intervention. In Italy, several peace organizations have their
roots in Christian Catholic values. The strong tradition of selfgovernment
has also encouraged Municipalities and Regions to
work on development and peace issues. At the end of the course
participants will have a clear understanding of international
conflict resolution and will have gained an insight into concrete
examples both of global and Italian organizations.
War and Media
PST 301 F; Dual listed: POL 301 F / COM 301 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course analyses the role played by the media in the
evolution of national and international wars. We will investigate
the extent to which the media either influence decision-making
about military interventions or serve as tools in the hands of
government officials seeking to influence public opinion. A
number of media-related phenomena will be studied including
the CNN effect, agenda setting, real time policy, media diplomacy,
media war, news management and propaganda, through the
examination of key international conflicts, especially since
1950. Several different topics will be explained to understand
the intersection between war and media: the proliferation of
satellite technologies and the internet; the importance of
the international TV networks (like CNN and al Jazeera); the
role of still and moving images; the importance of journalists
and journalistic routines; the relevance of press conferences,
briefings, and official statements; the representation of war
in movies and artists’ works; the media gap between “North”
and “South”; the emergence of “non-Western” media; and also
the spread of ethnic conflicts and terrorism, and the more and
more asymmetric nature of war.
Prerequisites: COM 180 Mass Communication, or HIS 130
Western Civilization, or POL 150 Introduction to Political
Science, or equivalents
Peace Education
PST 302 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course moves from the description of crucial personalities
to the development of an educational framework for peace.
Students will investigate some historical cases such as the
inspiring ideas and practical experiences of Gandhi in India and
Maria Montessori in Italy, who founded houses for children at
the beginning of the last century. Students will also explore the
experiments of Danilo Dolci and his collaborators in Sicily, and
the achievements of Lorenzo Milani in Tuscany. We will explore
possible resonances between these activities and those of
young Americans in the 1960s, who moved to the southern US
and founded popular schools as part of the struggle against
racial segregation. Arriving at the present, we will give examples
of the reciprocal maieutical method applied to adolescents in
schools by using the autobiographical approach. What kind of
needs do they express? What kind of ideals? What do peace,
intercultural relations and social participation mean in their
daily lives?
Prerequisites: Junior standing
Peacekeeping
PST 360 F; Dual listed: POL 360 F
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
The course focuses on a critical issue in international politics
and global security today: local conflicts around the world.
The course is divided into three parts, addressing intra-state
conflict, external response, and the politics and strategies
of implementation. The first part applies the theoretical
framework of conflict analysis to recent examples. Special
consideration is given to underlying geo-political, economic
and religious divides. The second part starts with the basic
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LdM Academic Catalog 2013-2014