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Talking Violence

Jannis Julien Grimm

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This seminar explores the multifaceted nature of the violence-resistance-nexus. Aimed at BA students with preliminary knowledge in violence or conflict studies, the course delves into various perspectives on violent phenomena, encouraging critical analysis and thoughtful discussion on how violence shapes societies, impacts individual lives, and influences collective memories and political landscapes. Throughout the seminar, we will examine conceptions of violence through the lens of recent events such as the war on Gaza, the global repression of protest, and the tragic deaths of refugees in the Mediterranean. Students will explore the motivations behind and implications of violent resistance movements, examine historical and contemporary examples to uncover the driving forces and consequences of violent actions and how they shape social relations. We will also discuss the pervasive and often invisible forms of violence embedded within social, economic, and political structures, and debate how systemic inequalities and injustices can perpetuate violence on a broad scale. Finally, the seminar will also investigate how violence transforms societies and affects individuals' biographies, using personal narratives and case studies to illustrate the long-term effects of violence on people's lives and communities. Additionally, we will examine how societies remember violence and the political ramifications of these collective memories, focusing on the role of memorialization, historiography, and political discourse in shaping national and group identities. As part of the course, students will actively engage in producing a podcast series and organizing a political salon event series. Working in groups, students will research, script, and produce individual podcast episodes that delve into specific aspects of violence discussed in the seminar. They will also conceptualise a series of salon events to foster public dialogue about the topics covered. By the end of the seminar, students will have developed a nuanced understanding of violence in its many forms and gained practical skills in public communication, event planning, and collaborative project management. close