The events of September 11^th, 2001 brought modern terrorism into the everyday life of most Americans with powerful visual images and as the topic of ordinary conversations. In reality, terrorism has been a part of international relations for last fifty years, and other forms of control, coercion, and resistance have been equally violent and historically present. As the United States pursues a War on Terror(ism), the academic community should respond and discuss the topic in light of our different backgrounds and points of view.

            A Geography of Terrorism (GEOG 489) is a special topics course that examines the current and historical geographies of terrorism at various scales, multiple regions, and differing interpretations. Three themes of inquiry are

  (1) Defining terrorism across geographical space,

  (2) Using geographical approaches to elaborate the heuristic understanding of terrorism—regions & proximity, and

  (3) Assessing and discussing of individual threats, personal obligations, and collective responses, which by extension policy ramifications for the American government.

            The first theme tackles the definition of terrorism with examples from around the world and even different segments of the federal government. In addition to politico-legal definitions, the aspect of mass-media society dealing with terminology and ordinary people understanding complex events through media hype and misinformation. The perspective of place in tragic events is explored, and how we memorialize sites of violence such as the proposed WTC memorial.

            The second theme utilizes the concept of a region, particularly a cultural region, and explores whether a regional geography of terrorism exists. Using core-periphery as a guide, a comparison can be made between the reported terrorist activities with popular American perceptions of the world.

            The third theme allows the students to explore questions of what we should do about terrorism. The topics include personal safety, collective responses to acts of terrorism, physical security around specific places, and government policy towards identifiable actors that commit and support terrorism

            The successful outcome of this course, which is my goal, is to (1) facilitate your understanding of global terrorism through the use of various geographical inquiries, (2) increase your knowledge and proficiency of the various international terrorist hotspots, (3) develop a dialogue of "terrorism" that incorporates physical security and counter-measures, and (4) convey the importance of intellectual pursuits that construct geographical places, regions, and ideas.

Requirements / Readings:

                The prerequisite for this course is GEOG 201, INST 289, or equivalent experiences/ interests such as military service or graduate status. For non-geography majors, there is no presumption of prior geographical study, but the course operates as an upper level geography. One feature of a geography course that differs from other university courses is the need to use maps, and there is an expectation to acquire and incorporate some geographical terminology. All students should have a serious interest in one of the following: international affairs, military sciences, landscape design, and/or geographical concepts.

            Participation is an essential part of the course and grade. There will be group activities and class discussion that require everybody’s contribution; therefore attendance becomes an equally essential part of the course. Weekly “Reaction” write ups will be due every Wednesday before discussions; selected students will help lead the discussions.

            The readings will consist primarily of articles or chapters that can be found in the required readings. Additional articles will be available in the geography reading room (O&M 813—Black Box). You also need access to an academic atlas, internet, and current events.

            Required books:

Geographical Dimensions of Terrorism. S. Cutter, D. Richardson, and T. Wilbanks, editors. Routledge / AAG, 2003. ISBN# 0-415-94642-5

Homeland Security (Annual Editions), 1^st edition. T. Badey, editor. McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN# 0-07-294955-4

Violence and Terrorism (Annual Editions), 7^th edition. T. Badey, editor. McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN# 0-07-284719-0

Defeating Terrorism. R. Howard and R. Sawyer. McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN# 0-07-287302-7

            Reading Schedule: You’ll need to keep up with the weekly readings; the schedule will be handed out separately.

         I use a total point scheme for grading. Every evaluation has a set value of points, and the final grade is determined from the total number of points accumulated. The final grade is based on the total points and ranking of your points, not the percentage of points.  I set the point thresholds only after evaluating the whole class and the point distribution. The two primary components of my evaluation for this course are research and participation. The actual elements of evaluation include communication skills especially writing, analysis/critical thinking skills, and work habits (diligence/perseverance & attendance).

         The largest source of points comes from a research paper/project: 500 points in total points (broken down by 50 for preparation deadlines and 400 for the written paper/project and 50 for presentation). The goal is to have you design and conduct significant research, which you should be proud of afterwards. The research paper will be 15-25 pages of writing (excluding figures and maps) and must be on an approved topic. The research project would be a GIS mapping of terrorism and needs to be approved (both topically and competency). The research papers will be electronically submitted through TurnItIn as well as a hard copy by the due date.

         Participation is also worth approximately half of the points, but the points are parceled into smaller actions that resemble writing assignments and evaluations. There are no traditional exams, so much of your time outside of class is preparation for in-class discussion. The most important “participation” consists of nine weekly reaction write-ups (25 each for 225 total) and one of the nine weeks you will responsible for leading the discussion; in addition, two weeks we will have a debates (25 points); three take-home essays research presentation (50 each for 150 total); overall participation evaluation (attendance/quality of discussion 100). Excused absences are by university policy! Not being present for discussion is still non-participation. Please consult with me if you will miss more than three times.

Classroom Policies: