Violence and the State

This course allows students the opportunity to interrogate the relation between violence and the state. Students will be introduced to a variety of analytical frames through which to understand both the concept of violence and that of the state from an anthropological perspective. Through diverse case studies we will consider topics such as what it means to see and be seen by the state, the rationalization of "exceptional" violence, and domination through symbolic violence. The course has no prerequisites, but a foundational course in the social sciences is recommended.