Topics In Anthropology (390-0-35)
Topic
Cities and Nuclear Weapons
Instructors
Hirokazu Miyazaki
847 4675540
1819 Hinman Ave. #110
Hirokazu Miyazaki is the Kay Davis Professor and a professor of anthropology. He is a specialist on theories of exchange, futurity, and hope. He has studied indigenous land claims in Fiji, financial trading in Japan, and peace activism in Japan and the U.S. He is the author of The Method of Hope: Anthropology, Philosophy, and Fijian Knowledge and Arbitraging Japan: Dreams of Capitalism at the End of Finance, and a co-editor of The Economy of Hope (with Richard Swedberg).
Meeting Info
ANTHRO Sem Rm 104 - 1810 Hinmn: Tues, Thurs 5:00PM - 6:20PM
Overview of class
"The risk of nuclear war is increasing, from North Korea's nuclear program to Russia's threat to use tactical nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine. The nuclear arms race is also gaining momentum, as evidenced by China's growing nuclear arsenal and the U.S. "nuclear modernization" program. While the use of nuclear weapons would clearly threaten humanity and the entire planet, the development, maintenance, and possession of nuclear weapons, from uranium mining to nuclear waste disposal, has profound economic and environmental consequences, especially for marginalized populations.
This advanced course in the anthropology of peace examines the role of cities - city leaders and city residents - in the politics of nuclear weapons. Cities have often been considered targets for nuclear attack, and in the 1950s, U.S. city residents routinely participated in civil defense drills. Since the 1960s, city leaders and a wide range of citizens have also been active in anti-nuclear activism. The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into force in January 2021, itself the result of global civil society efforts, has reinvigorated grassroots efforts to promote nuclear disarmament. In the U.S., more than 70 municipalities, including Boston, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, have recently passed resolutions urging the federal government to support the TPNW. These resolutions have highlighted the connections between global nuclear security and critical local, national, and regional issues such as racism, gender inequality, economic inequality, environmental crisis, and memories of past violence. This course considers the potential implications of these city-level actions and conversations for national nuclear policy debates.
The first half of the course will introduce the history of the development of nuclear weapons; the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; various bilateral and multilateral frameworks for nuclear non-proliferation, arms control, and disarmament; and key concepts, theories, and tools related to nuclear security.
The second half of the course will critically examine the evolution of anti-nuclear activism, particularly from the "nuclear freeze" movement of the 1980s to the current global campaign to abolish nuclear weapons. Throughout the course, there will be opportunities to hear from a wide range of guest speakers, from defense and security experts to atomic bomb survivors, peace activists, religious leaders, and local government officials.
There are no prerequisites for the course, and no prior knowledge of anthropology or security studies is required. Students from all majors and schools are welcome."
Registration Requirements
n/a
Learning Objectives
1) Demonstrate how different social, cultural, and historical factors intersect;
2) Use qualitative research methods and data to observe the relationship between local and global forces;
3) Critique concepts, theories, and policies by examining supporting evidence and unexamined underlying assumptions;
4) Reflect on the relationship between local and global problems and explore the role of local action in addressing global challenges
Class Materials (Required)
All materials will be made available via Canvas