Helping Our Teenagers Think About Violence and Peace
The Humanities Institute at the University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce a free six-week series for parents, teachers, and other community members interested in discussing how to help our teenagers think about violence and peace. This informal course will meet on Tuesday evenings, October 12 through November 16, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. The sessions will be held at the Community Engagement Center, 1009 East 11th Street. Those who wish to reserve a place in the course should call Paula Kothmann at 471-9056 or email huminfo@austin.utexas.edu.
Organized and moderated by Stephen Sonnenberg, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst with a special interest in violence, war, trauma, and redemption, the series features a different speaker each week. Sonnenberg says of his motivation for organizing the course: "I believe teaching parents to help their teenagers understand and deal with violence is critical, at this time when the world is full of aggression gone wild. Teenagers are bombarded with images and experiences of violence in school (bullying and gang behavior), on television and in the movies, and in news accounts of terrorism and warfare. This course is designed to help parents help their teenagers grow to adulthood with a capacity to cope non-violently with a violent world."
The Course Schedule
October 12 - War in Ancient Times: How the Greeks Taught Their Children About War - Tom Palaima, professor of classics
October 19 - How America Thinks of War and How We Might Begin to Think About Peace-building - David Edwards, professor of government
October 26- Adolescent Gangs and Violence: Some Lessons from St. Louis - Barrik Van Winkle, author of Life in the Gangs
November 2 - How Parents Might Help Their Children Think About Violence in the Media - Kirsten Cather, professor of Asian Studies Gangs
November 9 - Preventing Youth Violence: The Efforts of the Council on At-Risk Youth - Adrian Moore, executive director, CARY Gangs
November 16 - How to Tell When Your Child Needs Special Help and How to Get It - Gemma Marangoni Ainslie, psychologist-psychoanalyst Gangs
