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IS (Interdisciplinary Studies) 1038, 2 credits
"Talking About a Revolution: Dissent and Freedom of Expression in Today’s World"

(Paula O’Loughlin and Christopher Brooks)
Issues of civil liberties and what constitutes legitimate political dissent and free expression dominate the news. Every day, we hear new discussions of what are legitimate forms of expression and if and when governmental regulation is necessary. When and where is it ok to show a film that advocates terrorism or white supremacy? When is art just art and when is it “art with a message” and is there any difference? What is the dividing line between creative license and obscenity? If a corporate website is hacked, is it a crime or an act of dissent? If a song’s lyrics tell a story of overthrowing the government, is the song protected speech? What is intellectual property? When does the articulation of ideas become subject to government regulation if at all? What laws, policies, and procedures exist both to protect and to limit dissent? As we move further and further into a digital age, these issues only become more complex.

This course will explore these questions of dissent and free expression both historically and today. Particular emphasis will be placed on an examination of these questions cross-culturally and the way contexts-national, legal, historical, etc shape both expression and responses to it. We will investigate the myriad forms of free speech and dissent and how and why individuals choose to express themselves. Societal and governmental responses to dissent and the interconnections between the two will be examined by looking at cases like World War I, the McCarthy era and our post 9/11 world in the United States and comparison to other countries. The effectiveness (or lack thereof) of different examples of dissent will also be studied.

Literature, music, and film will be used to better understand the causes and outcomes of dissent in several case studies. Course activities will include discussion of readings, films, and music, as well as outside speakers and at least one field trip to visit a "prisoner of conscience.' Students will keep an on-line journal of their responses to the materials and activities, write a short paper and generate a collaborative research project.

Paula L. O'Loughlin is currently an Associate Professor of Political
Science at the University of Minnesota-Morris. She graduated from Smith in 1986 with a degree in Government. She received her Ph.D in Political Science from the University of Minnesota in 1998. During the school year, she usually teaches courses in American politics on such subjects as voting behavior, media and politics, political psychology, American political culture and the public policy process. When not teaching classes for politicla science, Paula has taught a very popular first year seminar course "Examined Lives and Everyday Acts: The Politics of Consent and Dissent in Today's World" and an Honors seminar examining visions of the end of the world. Her primary research areas are political psychology, political tolerance and individual political behavior in particular. She has also published work in media and politics and women and
politics. In 2001, Paula was the recipient of the University of Minnesota Morris Alumni Association Teaching Award and the University of Minnesota's John Tate Award for Excellence in Advising, the only Assistant Professor to ever be recognized with either award. She recently received the University of Minnesota's highest teaching award, the Horace T. Morse Teaching Award.

D. Christopher Brooks earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University. Previous to his work at UMM, Professor Brooks taught at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) and St. Olaf College. He has taught a broad range of courses in Comparative Politics including East-Central European Politics, West European Politics, Balkan Politics, Transitions to Democracy, Social Movements, Ethnic Conflict, and a study abroad course, Post-Communist Democracy in the Czech Republic. He has published original research in East European Quarterly, the Journal of Political Science Education, and Social Science Quarterly. His current research examines the impact of democratic transitions and economic development on women's rights.

IS (Interdisciplinary Studies) 1038, 2 credits "Talking About a Revolution: Dissent and Freedom of Expression in Today’s World"

IS (Interdisciplinary Studies) 1038, 2 credits
"Talking About a Revolution: Dissent and Freedom of Expression in Today’s World"