HRS105: Introduction to Peace Studies: Books on Reserve for HRS 105
This interdisciplinary course examines theories of war and non-violence; literature of domestic and foreign peace movements; the gender-military/war/peace connection; and global, national, and local organizations committed to non-violent conflict resoluti
This reader provides a unique interdisciplinary sampling of key articles focusing on the diverse facets of peace and conflict studies. Featuring both classic and contemporary works, this collection introduces students to the foundations of the discipline, as well as the current direction ofpeace studies.
In the summer of 1984, the war in Vietnam came home to Sam Hughes, whosefather was killed there before she was born. The soldier-boy in the picture never changed. In a way that made him dependable. But he seemed so innocent. "Astronauts have been to the moon," she blurted out to the picture. "You missed Watergate. I was in the second grade." She stared at the picture, squinting her eyes, as if she expected it to cometo life. But Dwayne had died with his secrets. Emmett was walking around with his. Anyone who survived Vietnam seemed to regard it as something personal andembarrassing. Granddad had said they were embarrassed that they were still alive. "I guess you're not embarrassed," she said to the picture. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
One of the first questions people ask about The Things They Carried is this: Is it a novel, or a collection of short stories? The title page refers to the book simply as "a work of fiction," defying the conscientious reader's need to categorize this masterpiece. It is both: a collection of interrelated short pieces which ultimately reads with the dramatic force and tension of a novel. Yet each one of the twenty-two short pieces is written with such care, emotional content, and prosaic precision that it could stand on its own. The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and of course, the character Tim O'Brien who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. They battle the enemy (or maybe more the idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear. They miss their families, their girlfriends and buddies; they miss the lives they left back home. Yet they find sympathy and kindness for strangers (the old man who leads them unscathed through the mine field, the girl who grieves while she dances), and love for each other, because in Vietnam they are the only family they have. We hear the voices of the men and build images upon their dialogue. The way they tell stories about others, we hear them telling stories about themselves. With the creative verve of the greatest fiction and the intimacy of a searing autobiography, The Things They Carried is a testament to the men who risked their lives in America's most controversial war. It is also a mirror held up to the frailty of humanity. Ultimately The Things They Carried and its myriad protagonists call to order the courage, determination, and luck we all need to survive.
Other Titles
Choosing Against War by John D. Roth
ISBN: 9781561483594
Publication Date: 2002-08-01
By a leading writer and thinker. How might Christians look on the world differently if they actually believed that God's love is indeed stronger than our fears? In fresh, confessional language, Roth shares his convictions about Christian pacifism, inviting others to consider this approach, all the while humbly admitting the difficulties. In the face of violence, are there any options open to the Christian believer other than the "default" impulse toward patriotic unity and a steely determination to exact "an eye for an eye"? A must-read for anyone concerned about the endless cycles of wars and violence, and the possibility that God's love is stronger than our society's current answers.
From both sides Now by Philip Mahony (Editor)
ISBN: 9780684849461
Publication Date: 1998-11-02
The first-ever collection of the extraordinary poetry to emerge out of the Vietnam War. Arranged to mirror the progression of the war, beginning with the American military build-up in the early 60's & ending with contemporary poems about Vietnam related issues that remain unresolved today.
Gender, Justice, and the Wars in Iraq by Laura Sjoberg
ISBN: 9780739116098
Publication Date: 2006-05-12
Gender, Justice, and the Wars in Iraq offers a feminist critique and reconstruction of just war theory. It points out gender biases in the just war tradition and suggests alternative jus ad bellum and jus in bello standards that emphasize women, political marginality, and empathy. Laura Sjoberg applies this feminist just war theory to analyze the wars in Iraq since the end of the Cold War the First Gulf War, the war of sanctions, and the Second Gulf War. By examining international political discourse from and about Iraq, it shows where war generally and just war specifically are gendered. Through the stories of key just war characters like Jessica Lynch, this book reveals where women are omitted and subordinated in global politics. Sjoberg suggests that dialogue and empathy replace righteousness in just war thinking for the good of human safety everywhere and concludes with alternative visions of Gulf War policies, inspired by feminist just war theory."
Peace Mom by Cindy Sheehan
ISBN: 9780743297912
Publication Date: 2006-09-19
2011 Updated Reprint. Updated Annually. UK Starting Business (Incorporating) in the UK Guide
Gender roles are nowhere more prominent than in war. Yet contentious debates, and the scattering of scholarship across academic disciplines, have obscured understanding of how gender affects war and vice versa. In this authoritative and lively review of our state of knowledge, Joshua Goldstein assesses the possible explanations for the near-total exclusion of women from combat forces, through history and across cultures. Topics covered include the history of women who did fight and fought well, the complex role of testosterone in men's social behaviours, and the construction of masculinity and femininity in the shadow of war. Goldstein concludes that killing in war does not come naturally for either gender, and that gender norms often shape men, women, and children to the needs of the war system. lllustrated with photographs, drawings, and graphics, and drawing from scholarship spanning six academic disciplines, this book provides a unique study of a fascinating issue.
Recommended Films
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
Call Number: Video DS559.5 .D43 2005
ISBN: 9780783120720
An authentic account of the Vietnam War from the actual letters of the men and women who served there. The harsh realities of life and death, friendships made and lost - these letters home tell it all, with newsreel and home-movie footage shot by the servicemen themselves. These are the authentic voices of war, some who survived, many who never made it home.
Easy Rider
Call Number: Video PN1995.9.M66 E37 2016
ISBN: 9781681431451
Two young men on a motorcycle trip to New Orleans encounter hippies, drugs, rednecks and prostitutes along the way.