Assignment #3

Our focus this week will be the application of theoretical principles to current events. You will receive two handouts that outline some differences between violent and nonviolent responses to conflict. Your job is to understand these differences, and look for examples of these attitudes in action. To complete this assignment, please follow the steps below:

1. Read the handouts and ensure that you understand the two attitudes described. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions.
2. Examine some contemporary news sources and look for examples of the two attitudes and behaviors. If you're not sure where to look, you might begin with sources like the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, the BBC, the Guardian, or the Wall Street Journal.
3. Identify two articles: one that describes a violent response to conflict and another describing a nonviolent response.
4. Write up a short (a few paragraphs) analysis of each response. Try to pay more attention to the underlying attitudes than to the actual behavior. For example, it is quite obvious that a Broncos fan beating up a Seahawks fan is a violent act; try to focus on the attitude that caused this violence, rather than on the violence itself.
5. One more point: you might not find a lot of examples that are entirely violent or nonviolent. Most situations will feature some middle ground. Feel free to explore the ways that a specific behavior is or isn't violent.

Please email me your responses by 8:00 a.m. on Monday February 10. Be sure to include links to your articles.