Conversations in Conflict Studies with Dr. Becca Farnum and Dr. Maggie Scull, 9/30/2021
From Roxanne Tupper
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Should Conflicts be our Classrooms? Ethical Field Studies in Peace and Justice
A central tenet in conflict studies is that we study war in order to make peace. Understanding why conflict arises and how it escalates helps us prevent violence. Scholars of international relations, environmental justice, and ethnic studies find fieldwork in (post-)conflict contexts a productive way to build knowledge. But what are the ethical implications of this practice - especially for students seeking experiential learning opportunities?
Syracuse Abroad's London Center runs a series of travelling seminars examining identity politics and environmental conflict. There is no doubt that the journeys are meaningful for participants, but they also raise pedagogical and methodological questions. Is equitable engagement with communities living in conflict possible for short-term visitors? Is studying dark tourism in situ a valuable learning experience...or simply another form of dark tourism?
During this conversation, Dr Becca Farnum and Dr Maggie Scull will reflect on their research-led teaching (and teaching-led research!) in contexts as far-ranging as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Land conflict in the Arctic, ongoing tensions in post-genocide Rwanda, and racial violence in the United States.
Dr Maggie Scull is a modern historian whose work explores religious institutions, political violence, and peace. Her multi-disciplinary research explores the relationship between religion and politics in the contemporary period, particularly the ‘soft power’ influence that religious leaders still possessed in British and Irish politics after the Second World War.
She earned her BA at Boston University before moving to London to pursue a MA and PhD at King’s College London. Oxford University Press published her first book, The Catholic Church and the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1968-98, in 2019. Her current project examines the role of funerals throughout the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’.
Maggie has been a regular contributor to the international press including The BBC, The Irish Times, and RTÉ Brainstorm. In addition to serving as Syracuse London's Internship Program Manager, Dr Scull teaches a course on ‘Death as Political: Violence, Grief, and Protest’ and leads the Syracuse Abroad Signature Seminar on ‘Borders in Flux: Identities and Conflict in Ireland.’
Dr Rebecca L Farnum is an environmental peacebuilding researcher and educator. She works at the intersections of environmental activism, conflict resolution, and capacity-building. Past projects have involved drafting legal policy for the United Nations; community organising around fair housing, workplace discrimination, and environmental rights; and serving a stint in the Obama White House.
Becca is currently based at Syracuse University London, where she promotes environmental justice and global citizenship. Her portfolio includes teaching the university’s first Indigenous Studies course abroad; leading field studies in Copenhagen, Flåm, Stockholm, and Inari critiquing environmental injustice; and strengthening the University’s special relationship with Lockerbie, Scotland.
Becca’s teaching focuses on transformative learning, partnering with students to understand and purposefully impact global change in pursuit of sustainable justice.
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