Final Thoughts on Violence
My view on the concept of violence has altered significantly since the beginning of the term. When asked what I thought violence was, my initial thought was directed towards physical violence and the visible physical repercussions it has on an individual subjected to it. I hadn’t considered the in-depth dimensions of violence like the social aspects and the ethical aspects to the idea as well, but that all has changed since I was asked that question in January. There are so many different forms of violence and it can be viewed in a variety of ways and can often be interpreted differently depending on the context and the culture an individual lives in.
I think that the discussions that we participated in throughout the semester were crucial parts in rounding out our definition and view on violence as a whole, and they helped us to better acknowledge and understand different opinions on subjects such as spousal abuse, animal abuse, rape, and other forms of violence that exist in the society that we live in. Voicing our opinions, listening to others, and often having arguments over a topic were all activities that helped us as students and critical thinkers to better understand many of the topics we were faced with throughout the course, and were also great ways of getting the students passionate about what we were learning because we got the opportunity to speak our minds and explain to our peers why we believed the things we did.
The presentations that took place in the final few weeks of classes were beneficial in allowing us to express our knowledge on a topic such as the social or ethical dimensions of violence in a way that we best know how. Some people are very passionate about spreading awareness on animal abuse and others are interested in violence within media, so this assignment allowed us to educate our peers and share our knowledge on violence the way that we wish to and on a subject that we feel deeply for. Again, discussion is something that I feel is a great tool in teaching that takes the focus off of the teacher and allows the students to guide their own learning and openly share their ideas and opinions on a subject that can inspire others to do the same. Personally, many times a discussion starts, I do not have anything to contribute until someone says something that I agree or disagree with and then it sparks a thought in my mind that I can share, which hopefully does the same for others. Incorporating discussion questions into each presentation encouraged students to state their own ideas and opinions on a topic their peer researched, which then resulted in a better understanding for all because questions could be answered and ideas could be shared throughout the classroom.
After being exposed to classroom discussions, lectures, articles, and the presentations in class, I now feel that the idea and view I once had on violence and its many dimensions has since grown and evolved into something much larger and broader than it was before this course began. When I thought about violence in the world around me, I often overlooked things and didn’t necessarily associate those things with violence. Now that this course is coming to a close and I have had months to learn about the violence in everyday lives, I now know how desensitized many people, including myself, become with violence and violent acts. Violence in media is something that I believe is one of the main causes for this as media is becoming such a large part of everyday life, and the shocking and horrific stories in the news and in Twitter newsfeeds slowly start to fade to the back of our minds as the latest Zac Efron movie or other pressing issue/news seems to become more important and stick with us more.
I believe that educating the public, especially children and teens, on the different dimensions of violence and the long-lasting toll that it can have on an individual and their life is one of the greatest things we can do as a society in order to help protect future generations from having to deal with life-long repercussions of violence in their lives. Once a person knows that there are supports available to assist with the healing process after child abuse, intimate partner abuse, emotional abuse, cyber bullying and other forms of violence, people will be more open to talking about the concept of violence and sharing hardships with their friends and family that they may not do otherwise.
