Violence: A Multidisciplinary Inquiry

Course Conveners: Deb Houry, School of Medicine, Pamela Scully, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Nadine Kaslow, School of Medicine

The idea behind the University Course is that faculty and students from all schools in a university should come together to learn about and discuss an issue of common concern. This practice not only creates intellectual community but also enacts a sense of common purpose across the diverse communities that make up Emory. The focus of this University Course is the complex impact of violence locally and globally.

In this course undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will come together to investigate various aspects of the violence epidemic. Violence is a complex problem and requires a multidisciplinary approach to prevent, treat, and educate. The course will cover the epidemiology of violence; roots of violence including biological, social, and religious causes; specific types of violence; media and the arts portrayal of violence; business/economic impact of violence; physical and mental consequence; law and public policy; global contexts; and ways to control and prevent violence in our communities.

Course Structure

  1. The course will meet on Mondays from 4:15-7:15pm in 230 Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences (PAIS).
  2. Each of the 10-15 Emory faculty members representing a college or department will lead one class session during the semester, and their attendance at other substantive class meetings will be optional. The course conveners, Dr. Deb Houry, Dr. Pamela Scully, or Dr. Nadine Kaslow will attend each class session throughout the semester.
  3. Students will be asked to work both individually and in groups, with the latter made up of students from diverse disciplines as much as possible. Grades will be calculated on a 4.0 scale and adjusted if necessary to reflect the grading practices in each student's school or department.
  4. Graduate students will be assigned supplementary work beyond that required of undergraduate participants

Instructors

The course will be supervised by Dr. Deb Houry, Dr. Pamela Scully, and Dr. Nadine Kaslow.

Other Participating Faculty will be:

  • Robert Agnew- Emory College- Sociology
  • Matthew Bernstein- Emory College- Film Studies
  • Elizabeth Bounds- Candler School of Theology
  • Patricia Brennan- Emory College- Psychology
  • Clifton Crais- Emory College- History
  • Abigail Hankin- School of Medicine- Emergency Medicine; Rollins School of Public Health- BSHE; School of Nursing
  • Deb Houry- School of Medicine- Emergency Medicine; Rollins School of Public Health- BSHE, EOH
  • Nadine Kaslow- School of Medicine- Psychiatry
  • Ursula Kelly- School of Nursing
  • Kay Levine- Law School
  • Karla Oeler- Emory College- Film Studies
  • Gordon Newby- Emory College- Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian Studies
  • Kerry Ressler- School of Medicine- Psychiatry
  • Barbara Rothbaum- School of Medicine- Psychiatry
  • Pamela Scully- Emory College- Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Rob Stephenson- Rollins School of Public Health- GH, Epi
  • Claire Sterk- Rollins School of Public Health- BSHE
  • Kristin Vanderende- School of Public Health- GH
  • Kirsten Widner- Law School
  • Kathryn Yount- School of Public Health- BSHE, GH; Emory College- Sociology

The Course Logistics

"Violence: A Multidisciplinary Inquiry" will be listed as GRAD 700R. All students will be admitted by permission only. Students in the course will receive three credits within their respective degree programs, whether undergraduate, graduate, or professional. The CFDE will work with each unit to identify an appropriate "Instructor of Record" for the class.

Course Syllabus