Course Description

Focuses on violence committed by agents of the state, such as police and military officials, against their civilian populations. Particular attention is paid to the contemporary United States, though patterns of state violence across diverse state systems, including democracies, oligarchies, and autocracies, are also reviewed. The object of the course is to describe and explain variation in the amount and type of violence inflicted by the state against those it is said to serve.

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Athena Title

State Violence

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Prerequisite

SOCI 1101 or SOCI 1101E or SOCI 1101H or permission of department

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Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

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Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will analyze how, and which, structural characteristics of society promote and inhibit the amount and type of violence civilians experience at the hands of state officials as they police crime and respond to protest or counterterrorism.

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Topical Outline

• 1. Introduction: What is State Violence?
• 2. Types of States
• 3. Theories of State Violence
• 4. The United States: Police Violence
• 5. The United States: Counterterrorism
• 6. Oligarchy: Brazil
• 7. Oligarchy: Iran
• 8. Autocracy: Nazi Germany
• 9. Autocracy: North Korea
• 10. Conclusions: Sociological Principles of State Violence

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Institutional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.

Social Awareness & Responsibility

The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.

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