“The Capitol Insurrection & the Modern Far-Right”

Deadline for Enrollment is April 2, 2021

Instructor: Michael Loadenthal, PhD

Description: This seminar will examine the 2021 siege of the United States Capitol, and the wider ecosystem of the contemporary far-right which fostered it. Through examining the histories, ideologies, and means of these movements and networks, we will build an understanding of this diverse and ever-changing movement of movements. Students will interact with a variety of primary source materials including Capitol defendant affidavits and far-right social media exhibits. Through an explicitly antifascist lens, students will be able to explore and interact with collaborative, decentralized, open-source intelligence platforms to practice the craft of research and investigation.

Schedule:

Tuesday, April 6 @ 7pm ET: What happened on January 6, 2021? 

Wednesday, April 7, @ 7pm ET: What is the historical context for the Capitol siege?

Thursday, April 8, @ 7pm ET: What do the insurrectionists want and what is their ideology?

Friday, April 9, @ 7pm ET: Who are the insurrectionists in terms of identity?

Saturday, April 10, @ 7pm ET: How have antifascists responded in the wake of the siege?

Sunday, April 11, @ 7pm ET: What can be learn from the Capitol siege?

Format:

GCAS Online Zoom Platform

Credits: 1 (or audit) To receive 1 credit the cost is 150€.

Academic Level: (i.e., Year 3 Bachelor; Year 1 Masters; Year 1 Doctoral Studies)

Prerequisites: Advanced undergraduate or graduate understanding of contemporary (1980s-present) US politics

Required Texts: Although there are no ‘required’ texts for this course (readings will be provided as PDFs), we will dive into the methods and research designs used in the Prosecution Project’s open-source intelligence investigations. While selections from this book will be provided, students may wish to purchase the complete text to better understand the applied nature through which the research designs are employed.

Learning and Teaching Methods:

• Lecture

• Discussion

• Forum Interaction

• Building conceptual/ideological models

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Develop enhanced critical thinking skills, especially around political ideology, identity, research ethics, and practice. Provide a comparative framework for evaluating groups and movements through analyzing their means and ends.

• Collaboratively build a working taxonomy to discuss the modern, US, far-right, its tactics, strategies, methods of organization, discourses and rhetorics.

• Familiarize students with social movement organizations and individuals in the contemporary US far-right, and the means used to challenge them.

• Practice conceptual modeling to translate complex ideas into a variety of visual and analytical forms.

Check out the chat Prof. Loadenthal had with award winning photojournalist, Michael Nigro about covering the January 6th riots.