Using critical and interactionist perspectives, sociology can improve students' understanding of collective violence. This article presents a conceptual tool for teaching about this topic. The tool is a taxonomy of ideas about security, threat, conflict, peace and justice. The bottom level of the taxonomy consists of foundational paradigms (values and assumptions). The second, more detailed, level consists of ideologies — left, center, and right. The top, most detailed, level contains two discourses, the dominant “war on terrorism” discourse, and the less influential “capitalist crisis” discourse. The war on terrorism discourse is shared by the political right and center. It identifies terrorists or criminals as the main sources of violence. The capitalist crisis discourse represents the left in foreign policy debate, and views collective violence as responses, however, indirect, to structural violence, i.e., exploitation and repression. To suggest ways this taxonomy can be used, this article offers a cursory discussion of media discourse and public opinion, illustrating the role of some of these ideas in US political culture. In addition to helping students understand both discourses, sociologists should share the “capitalist crisis” view with the public because it is the best for understanding collective violence and its resolution.
Ahmad, Eqbal.1998. “Terrorism: Theirs and Ours.” Paper presented at the University of Colorado, October 12, Boulder. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.sangam.org/ANALYSIS/Ahmad.htm).
2.
Arriaza, Gilberto.2003. “Overview: The Intersection of Ideologies of Violence .” Social Justice30 (3): 1—3.
3.
Barber, Benjamin.2000. “Jihad vs. McWorld” Pp. 23—33 in Globalization And The Challenges Of A New Century, edited by P. O'Meara, H. D. Mehlinger , and M. Krain.Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
4.
Berger, Peter and Thomas Luckmann.1966. The Social Construction Of Reality. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books.
5.
Boggs, Carl.2003. “Introduction: Empire and Globablization ” Pp. 1—18 in Masters of War: Militarism and Blowback in the Era of American Empire . New York: Routledge.
6.
Bouton, Marshall and Benjamin Page.2002. Worldviews 2002: American Public Opinion and Foreign Policy . Chicago: The Chicago Council on Foreign Relations.
7.
Bowman, Dr. Robert M., Lt. Col., USAF, ret. 2001. “What Can We Do About Terrorism?” “MER,” Via NY Transfer News, October.
8.
Bush, George.2002. “President George Bush's 9/20 Address to Congress ” Pp. 254—261 in The Best American Political Writing 2002 , edited by R. Flippin.New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
9.
Chavez, Hugo.2005. “Capitalism Is Savagery: Excerpts From A Speech By Hugo Chavez at 2005 World Social Forum (ZNet, April 10, 2005)” Third World Traveler. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/South_America/CapitalismSavagery_Chavez.html).
10.
Domhoff, G. William.2002. “The Power Elite, Public Policy, and Public Opinion ” Pp. 124—137 in Navigating Public Opinion: Polls, Policy, and The Future of American Democracy, edited by J. Manza, F. Cook , and B. Page.New York: Oxford University Press.
11.
Eisenstein, Hester.2002. “Globalization And The Events Of September 11, 2001 .” Socialism and Democracy16 (1):131—136.
12.
Fetto, John.Pamela Paul, Suzanne Riss, Alison Stein Wellner, David Whelan, and Sandra Yin, 2001. “What's Next? 9.11.01.” American Demographics23 (10): 35—46.
13.
Foreman, Jonathan.2001. “What Must Be Done: No More Excuses for the CIA .” New York Post, September 12, p. 63.
14.
Friedman, Thomas.2001. “Op-Ed: Bush to Bin Laden.” New York Times, October12, p. A25.
15.
Greenwald, Robert.2004. Uncovered: The Whole Truth About The Iraq War [DVD] . New York: The Disinformation Company.
16.
Gulli, Bruno.2003. “Beyond Good and Evil: A Contribution to the Analysis of the War Against Terrorism” Pp. 83—94 in Implicating Empire, edited by S. Aronowitz and H. Gautney.New York: Basic Books.
17.
Hallow, Ralph Z.2001. “Public Ready For War But Patient.” The Washington Times, October 2. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.washtimes.com/national/20011002—30712039.htm ).
18.
Harris Interactive Inc.2004. “ Neither Election Nor Fighting in Fallujah Changes Public Attitudes on Iraq ” The Harris Poll number 93, November 19.
19.
———. 2006. “Belief that Iraq Had Weapons of Mass Destruction Has Increased Substantially” The Harris Poll number 57, July 21.
20.
Heiner, Robert.2002. Social Problems: An Introduction To Critical Constructionism . New York: Oxford University Press .
21.
Herman, Edward.2003. “Bush's Multiplex Wars.” Z Magazine, May, pp. 37—41.
22.
Human Security Centre.2005. Human Security Report 2005: War and Peace in the 21st Century. New York: New York, Oxford University Press.
23.
Johnson, Allan G.1995. The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology: A User's Guide to Sociological Language. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, Inc.
24.
Joseph, Paul.1993. Peace Politics: The United States Between Old and New World Orders. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
25.
Lewis, Justin.2001. Constructing Public Opinion: How Political Elites Do What They Like And Why We Seem To Go Along With It. New York : Columbia University Press.
Mokhiber, Russell and Robert Weissman .2001. “The Wartime Opportunists ” Common Dreams NewsCenter, September 26. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.CommonDreams.org ).
28.
Panitch, Leo.2002. “Violence: A Tool of Order and Change.” Monthly Review54 (2): 12—32.
29.
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.2004. A Year After the War: Mistrust of America in Europe Ever Higher, Muslim Anger Persists: A Nine-Country Survey. The Pew Global Attitudes Project, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Washington, D.C.
30.
———. 2007. Political Survey, Final Topline, March 21—25. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://people-press.org/reports/questionnaires/313.pdf ).
31.
Program on International Policy Attitudes. N.d. “ Terrorism.” Americans & the World. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.americans-world.org/digest/global_issues/terrorism/terrorism_milAct.cfm).
32.
Public Agenda Foundation.2004. “ Public Agenda Special Edition: Terrorism: Public Attitudes Darker, More Doubtful on Iraq as Brutal Images Take Their Toll” June 25. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/terrorism/062504terror_pubopinion.htm ).
33.
Said, Edward.2001. “The Clash of Ignorance.” The Nation October 22. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.angelfire.com/pe2/peaceproject/said.html).
34.
Sandstrom, Kent, Daniel Martin, and Gary A. Fine .2003. Symbols, Selves, And Social Reality: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Social Psychology and Sociology . Los Angeles: Roxbury.
35.
SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute).2005. SIPRI Yearbook 2005: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. 36th Ed. (Summary Report).
36.
Thatcher, Margaret.2002. “Advice to a Superpower.” New York Times, February11, p. A27.
37.
Thornton, Patricia and Thomas Thornton .2002. “Blowback” Pp. 27—38 in Collateral Language: A User's Guide to America's New War, edited by J. Collins and R. Glover.New York: New York University Press.
38.
World Tribunal on Iraq.2005a. “ Declaration of the Jury of Conscience World Tribunal on Iraq—Istanbul, June 23—27, 2005” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation . Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2005/06/27_jury-of-conscience-declaration.htm ).
39.
———. 2005b. “Istanbul Final Session. June 23—27.” Published by Codepink Women For Peace. Retrieved June 20 2007 (http://www.codepink4peace.org/downloads/WTI_Istanbul%20Session.doc).
40.
Yoder, Steven.2003. “Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Glossary of Terms .” Z Magazine, October. p 5.
