Glossary:
Look these words up at the following web site: Glossary of Social Science
| SDI (Star Wars) | Power | social disorganization |
| military rule | Conflict | authoritarian personality |
| arms race | arms trade | Ideology |
| Revolution | deterrence theory | Sociobiology |
| Insurrection | balance of power | Terrorism |
| industrialization of war | collective violence | Genocide |
| commodity riots | social movements | civil rights |
| civil disorders | communal riots |
Please Note: | War and population growth |
| Food shortages and population growth |
| Environmental deterioration and population growth |
| Poverty, population growth, and violence |
Links:
Essay Questions:According to Elwell (Totalitarian Nightmares), what is totalitarianism? Distinguish between the two varieties discussed in the essay.
How is totalitarianism related to rationalization?
What has made the new totalitarianism possible?
What activities does Staples (The Culture of Surveillance) classify at the "hard" and "soft" ends of the surveillance spectrum?
What are the four defining characteristics that Staples contends set the new surveillance techniques apart from traditional social control methods?
According to Staples, what can be done about the burgeoning of the culture of surveillance?
According to The Economist (The New Terrorism: Coming Soon to a City Near You), what is the "new terrorism"? Why is the new terrorism more worrisome than terrorism of the old-fashioned variety?
How does biological terrorism differ from chemical terrorism? Which would create more hysteria?
What are "cyber-attacks"? How effective is this form of terrorism?
According to Thomas Homer-Dixon (Environmental Scarcity, Mass Violence, and the Limits to Ingenuity), what are environmental scarcities? How do they contribute to violence in various parts of the world?
Briefly describe three sources of environmental scarcities. How do these scarcities interact and reinforce one another?
According to Kaplan and Tharp (Terrorism Threats at Home), why are the biggest threats to Americans coming from within the United States?
Describe the techniques used to control terrorist groups. Which have proven to be most effective?
Bibliography:Brown, Lester R. et al., eds. 1998 State of the World 1997. New York: W.W. Norton.
Heilbroner, Robert L. 1991. An Inquiry into the Human Prospect: Looked at Again for the 1990s. New York: W.W. Norton.
Lappe, Frances M. and Joseph Collins. 1986. World Hunger: Twelve Myths. New York: Grove Press.
Robbins, Carla A. "The Nuclear Epidemic," U.S. News & World Repot, March 16, 1992, 40-44.
Sivard, Ruth L. 1991. World Military and Social Expenditures 1991. Washington, D.C.: World Priorities.
Index | Syllabus
| Course Outline
Continuously updated. ©Frank Elwell