Sociology 4740:

Trauma, Atrocity, and Responsibility

 

Professor Claire Raymond

209 Fayerweather, scp2u@virginia.edu

office hours Friday afternoon, by appointment, please email scp2u@virginia.edu

 

 

Syllabus

            Misery and suffering are universal parts of the human condition.  How we interpret and respond to these experiences, however, is highly variable.  In the last century, particularly in the West, the term “trauma” has become common, even pervasive, and we often experience misery and suffering as traumas or as traumatic.  Does “trauma” describe something the pre-exists the term (for instance, similar to how diabetes described an illness that was previously known in different terms, and before that entirely unknown but still existed) or does a discourse of trauma give a decisive form to contemporary suffering?  What conceptual and cultural work does the term trauma do, such that we refer to rape and genocide, accident and illness, with one term?  And does the pervasiveness of the discourse of trauma—such that we casually refer to anything unpleasant metaphorically as traumatic—reflect or affect or understanding of the concept?  Do we live in a culture of complaint, one for which “trauma” is an emblem?  Or is there something profoundly traumatic, or trauma-generating, about our modern, industrial society and its unprecedented capacities for destruction?  What makes an experience traumatic, and what is required for us to recognize or to condemn something as “atrocious”?  Finally, what is our responsibility for trauma and atrocity?  In what ways are we implicated in it, for instance through tacit consent, forbearance, by-standing, or witnessing?  Is there such a thing as collective guilt for atrocity?  And, if so, what is our responsibility in its wake?  What do we owe the victims?  What do we owe ourselves?  And what is to be done?  Is there an ethics of memory?  Or only a politics?

 

            An exploration of these and related themes, this course will be run as an intensive discussion seminar.  Its format will be exploratory rather than didactic.  As such, it depends on, and will respond to, the interests and engagement of its participants.  The instructor reserves the right to treat this “syllabus” as at most a preliminary plan, and the hope is that the seminar will move in unexpected directions in response to the concerns and interests of its members.  The requirement, however, is that the explorations of its members extend beyond their established interests and concerns (self-reflection, yes; only self-reflection, no). 

 

 

 

Requirements:

 

            In order for this seminar to succeed, it requires the rigorous preparation and active engagement of all of its members.  This means that each week’s readings MUST be completed by the beginning of class on Tuesday (readings will be assigned on a weekly basis).  Additionally, class members are required to demonstrate during class discussion *specific knowledge of the assigned reading/s*.  Class participation, which will be based on the quality of a student’s in class comments and the specificity with which the student responds to and discusses the assigned reading, counts for 40 % of your grade. Each student will also be asked to lead off discussion with a few questions on the reading. The schedule for students asking “lead off” questions will be posted on Collab after the first week of classes. Your lead-off discussion questions, on your assigned day/s, count for 5% of your grade. Hence, class participation over all, including the day/s as assigned questioner, counts for nearly half of your term grade. A three to four page paper,* due February 2nd,  in class, contributes to your class participation grade. The major assignment for the class, however, is a term paper of 18-20 pages* on a theme related to the class, employing the concepts in the class materials as well as being the result of independent research on the topic; topics will be proposed by the students early in the semester and work will proceed in consultation with the instructor.  The results of your work will be presented to the entire seminar in the last three weeks of class. Hence, the grade for this term paper is partly derived from your presentation (10% of your semester’s grade), though more fully determined by the quality of the completed paper (45% of the semester’s grade). The paper will be submitted on May 4th. * please note: papers that fail to meet the minimum page length for the assignment will not be considered completed, and will not be graded. This class meets the 2nd Writing Requirement, therefore I cannot be flexible with minimum page length for the two assigned papers.

 

Materials:

 

           Textbooks: 

    Trauma: A Social Theory (Jeffrey C. Alexander)

           African Americans and the Culture of Pain (Debra W. King)

     Empathic Vision (Bennett)

    The Future of Trauma Theory (eds. Gert Buelens, Sam Durrant,         Robert Eaglestone)

    Murder State: California’s Native American Genocide (Lindsay)

 

Of Note:

 

            I ask that you refrain from using computers, laptops, i-pads, cell-phones during class. Bring paper and a writing implement. If this policy causes real hardship, you may speak to me about it.

 

 

Schedule:

 

            The following is a list of topics and reading assignments.  Some will take a day, most will take a week, and some might take longer than a week.  The instructor will make regular announcements of what is due when, and will adjust the schedule as appropriate. 

 

 

  Introduction

 

 

For January 21st 

 

           Discussion of cultural trauma versus “lay” trauma. Also, during this first class we are going to read the syllabus aloud together and make sure everyone is on board. 

 

The Origins of the Trauma Concept, January 26^th

 

Please read, Trauma (Alexander) pages 1-6

 

Traumatic Culture, January 28^th

 

Trauma (Alexander) pages 6-31

Genocide of Native Americans-History, pages 15-24* on Collab

 

 

Useless Suffering,February 2^nd 

 

Emmanuel Levinas, “Useless Suffering” * Collab, under Levinas.pdf

 

February 4th, no class, professor at a conference

Due *February 4th* a 3 to 4 page paper that defines, as best you can, the difference between cultural and “lay” concepts of trauma, and the difference between individual and collective trauma. Please do draw from our readings to support your paper. This is not a think piece but instead a "close reading" of the Jeffrey Alexander text. 

Please bring your papers to my mail in Fayerweather Hall http://www.virginia.edu/webmap/popPages/34-FayerweatherHall.html. Go to the 2nd floor, to the Faculty Mailboxes. My mailbox is distinguished by the name Claire Raymond. The papers must be turned in by 4 pm February 4th.

 

Destruction of Community and Cultural Trauma, February 9^th

 

King, African Americans and the Culture of Pain, pages 1-25

 

February 11th

King, pages 25-37

Ron Eyerman, “Cultural Trauma and Collective Memory”* Collab

 

February 18^th

 

King, pages 125- 160

 

 

Denial, February 23rd

 

Please read, Murder State (Lindsay) pages 1-35

 

February 25th 

Murder State pages 35-43

And read Theodor W. Adorno, “Guilt and Defense”* collab

 

March 1st

Murder State, pages 43- 70

And also read Ann Piccard, Death by Boarding School: United States Genocide of Native Americans* Collab

 

 

March 3rd

Murder State 135-179

 

Spring Break

 

 

Resentment, March 15th

 

Jean Amery, “Ressentiment”* Collab

Empathic Vision, pages 1-22

 

Guilt, Individual and Collective, March 17^th

 

March 19th, Karl Jaspers, The Question of German Guilt* Collab

Empathic Vision, pages 46-70

 

 

 The Future of Trauma Theory, March 22^nd

 

The Future of Trauma Theory, preface and pages 11-23

 

March 24th

The Future of Trauma Theory, pages 63-77

AND pages 113-127

 

 

Justice and Reparations, March 29th

 

John Torpey, Making Whole What has been Smashed* Collab

Murder State, page 335- through conclusion of Epilogue

 

 

 

The Art of Memory/Commemoration, March 31st

 

Marita Sturken, Tangled Memories, * Collab

Empathic Vision, pages 22-46

 

 

Survival and History, April  5th

 

Future of Trauma Theory, pages 91 -111

Empathic Vision, pages 70-103

 

April 7th

On April 7th, we will have a discussion of all the texts read heretofore. That is, imagine that this class had a final exam--it does not have a final exam, but imagine that it did--now, what questions would you raise in an "exam review" about readings? I want this class of April 7th to be a kind of clearing house day when we can discuss some of the salient ideas that we have covered this semester. My hope is that such a discussion will prepare a foundation for our listening to the presentations.

 

April into May

For the rest of the semester, we will be hearing student presentations. Each presentation will take between 15 and 20 minutes. Longer is not necessarily better, but fifteen minutes is the minimum length. After each of the students assigned for a given day have presented, we will ask questions and discuss the work and ideas in the presentations, both in terms of how they relate to our class topic and readings and also to offer constructive critique as the student goes forward with her or his paper.

 

Here is some detailed information about presentations: (1) you must give me a printed bibliography of your research on the day that you give your presentation, the bibliography can be ASA style, or Chicago, as you prefer (2) Each student is encouraged to keep her or his office hour appointment with me so that we can discuss his or her paper. However, if you do not keep your appointment with me, you still need to declare your presentation and paper topic no later than April 5th. If you miss your office hour appointment with me, you will need to bring a printed page to class before April 5th on which you describe your presentation/paper topic. (3) I will post, on our Collab site, all students' presentation topics so that this list will function as a de facto trigger warning-- for this reason, once you declare your presentation topic, do not change it. (4) your presentation is the same topic as your paper. For the presentation you are formally presenting the research that you have done toward the completion of your paper. (5) you can use power points, or note cards, to support your presentation, but you will not be graded on these supplementary materials: you will be graded on your presentation, for this reason including film clips is probably a mistake, since what you are being graded on is presenting your own research.

 

The schedule for these formal student presentations is posted on Collab.

 

Please note--

Final Papers, of 18-20 pages, are due in class on May 4th, printed, and placed in the box in front of my office Fayerweather 209. No extensions except in cases of dire emergency. 18-20 pages means 18-20 pages of writing--illustrations, graphics, works cited, all these are in addition and they do not count toward pages. Please use Times New Roman Font, 12 points, standard margins. You may use any citation style with which you are familiar, as long as you use it consistently. I usually use Chicago Style, and recommend it.

 

Further note--

To meaningfully discuss student presentations, I expect that you take notes and pay careful attention to each presentation. Discussion of presentations will be an important part of this class, so being attentive and alert is important so that we can offer feedback, support and inquisitive intellectual challenge to fellow students. Likewise, when preparing your presentation, this is one assignment that you do not want to complete at the last minute. If you bring in a skimpy presentation, not only will that affect your grade, but also it will affect the whole class, as you will have brought us nothing to discuss. Do NOT use Wikipedia for your presentation material. This is a serious presentation of your semester long research. 

 

Additional information:

Plagiarism is the copying of words or ideas without acknowledgement. If you are struggling with your paper, it is far better to meet with me to discuss your struggle than to cheat. 

 

If you are diagnosed by LNEC with a disability, please inform me. 

 

Mandatory Reporter:

If you have survived sexual assault while at UVa, please be aware that under new laws I am required by law to report any assault against a student of which I am told. Therefore, if you write in your paper about sexual assault that has happened to you or another UVA student, this writing will be tantamount to legally reporting the crime. That is the new law, and I am bound to it. If you are a survivor of assault, you should contact S.A.R.A. at 434. 977. 7273. I personally recommend S.A.R.A. as a wise and humane source of support and counsel. Rebecca Weybright, at S.A.R.A. is possibly the nicest person I have ever known and I recommend reaching out to her to any student in crisis. However, if you wish to talk with a UVa employee who does not have to report the assault, please follow this link (http://www.virginia.edu/justreportit/confidential_resources.pdf).