College of Liberal Arts

Mission

The Center for the Study of Violence will provide an interdisciplinary space and place for the creation, dissemination, and distribution of theory-driven research on violence.

In the spirit of the Land Grant University, the Center will build a storehouse of knowledge that can be understood and used by academics, community leaders, law makers, and social policy makers.

Year One
The Center will host seminars, beginning in September 2009, featuring presentations on economic theories of violence, war and militarism, a Scapegoating perspective, and studies of race, gender, and ethnic group violence.  Seminars will focus on how violence affects our local communities, the United States, and the wider world.  Discussions will focus on informed policy or strategies to mitigate or eliminate violence.

Working papers from our First Year Seminars will be posted on the website.  Policy recommendations formed by the Center and other local and global organizations will be posted, as will calls for research proposals.

Year Two
The Center will be prepared, by its second year, to form a working group of Purdue and other scholars to prepare proposal for funding the Center and its activities.  Conferences, speakers, and workshops will be held on the Purdue Campus.

Steering Committee

Alicia Decker - Assistant Professor, Department of History

Joseph Dorsey - Associate Professor of History and African American Studies

Sandor Goodhart - Associate Professor of English and Director of Classical Studies

Ellen Gruenbaum- Professor and Department Head of Anthropology

Leonard Harris - Professor of Philosophy and American Studies

JoAnn Miller - Professor of Sociology, Associate Dean of Interdisciplinary Programs and Engagement

Valentine Moghadam - Professor of Sociology and Director of Women's Studies

Patrice Rankine - Associate Professor and Assistant Department Head, Foreign Languages and Literatures

Harry Targ - Professor, Political Science

Laurel Weldon - Associate Professor of Political Science