All Senior students will take either one year-long senior elective, or two semester-long senior electives.
This course will use a cross-disciplinary approach to examine the roots of conflict in the modern world. Historical, economic, political, and especially cultural perspectives will be applied to theory and case studies to better understand why the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have been plagued with so many wars, revolutions, uprisings, and violent movements. Case studies will focus on South East Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Specific cases will include Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Israel/Palestine, and Rwanda. Instruction will be primarily lecture and discussion of readings. Assessment will take the form of teacher and self-generated portfolio style homework assignments, one research project that will culminate in an oral presentation, and an all essay midterm and final. Students will need strong research and note-taking skills, and an interest in history, culture, and social justice issues.