PLSC 132The Politics of International Intolerance

3 credits · Political Science · Penn State

Introductory course emphasizing psychological, historical, and political aspects of global intolerance towards minorities. PLSC 132 The Politics of International Intolerance (3) (GS;IL)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. PLSC 132 is an introductory survey concerning the social phenomenon of "intolerance" i. e., attitudes or behaviors that seek to exclude or eliminate groups perceived to be different. Here "differences" encompasses such features as nationality, belief, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Often these aspects of the human condition are the targets of majority discrimination or collective violence.The course presumes the following assumptions: (1) Intolerant attitudes are not just "another point of view" but also an utterly destructive form of behavior inimical to civilized values. (2) Few, if any, societies have existed without some forms of intolerance. (3) The causes of intolerance are usually multi-causal (economic, political, and psychological) and are understood through social science. (4) "Politics" implies both the ideology and organization of intolerant movements and the relation of such movements to public authorities.Students should expect fairly extensive readings involving primary source material, analyses of intolerant behavior drawn from different disciplines, and comparison of intolerance phenomena from a global perspective.