Azar Nafisi, Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran and:

• Malcolm Gladwell, "The Power of Context" and Mary Kaldor, "Beyond Militarism, Arms Races and Arms Control"
• Jon Krakauer, Selections from Into the Wild

Nafisi, Gladwell, Kaldor and "New War"

Mary Kaldor, in “Beyond Militarism, Arms Races and Arms Control” and Malcolm Gladwell, in “The Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime”, are both concerned with varying levels of aggressive, violent, “new war” behaviors. Azar Nafisi's excerpt from Reading Lolita in Tehran, one might argue, points to possible results of this type of behavior, which included “diversions and considerations forced on [Iranian civilians] by the regime” (p. 11). Gladwell looks at New York City crime, mock prisons and Good Samaritan experiments, among other things, to illustrate how incremental environmental changes may result in major behavioral and societal changes. Kaldor's concerns are more global, as she documents the shifts in warfare since the Cold War era. She offers explanations for these, as well as a potential solution to curtail this epidemic of “new war” violence and bloodshed. Both of these texts might be used to make meaning of what happened in Nafisi's Iran , and the effect that it had on the women in Nafisi's reading group.

For this paper, think about what you feel is needed to reverse “new war” aggression and the ideology behind it. What are contemporary “new wars”, according to these texts? Use Kaldor, Gladwell and Nafisi to support your position. Even if you disagree with both or one author, you will still need their ideas to counter yours.

As you prepare to write, think about the following:

• Are human beings predisposed to violence as part of our instinctual nature or can we influence these behaviors by altering small – or large – features in the environment? Does globalization complicate a simple solution or make it easier to implement?
• Can Gladwell's theories be applied to better understanding and – hopefully – limiting global violence and terrorism? Could environmental shifts work to cause a reduction in “new war” violence and mentality? Are other factors at work? Is Kaldor's solution to halt the epidemic of global warfare feasible? Can her solution act as a “tipping point” to a more peaceful world? What effects might Kaldor's solution have for Nafisi and her reading group?
• How might Kaldor and Gladwell view September 11 th ?
• What concepts and examples from Kaldor, Gladwell and Nafisi are useful in arguing your view?

Scott Cagenello, Fall 2005

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Nafisi & Krakauer: The Nature of Freedom

Chris McCandless tried to find freedom by seeking solitude. Azar Nafisi and her students try to find freedom by meeting as a group. Does Nafisi understand something about freedom that McCandless missed? Or is it the other way around? Do their understandings of freedom—if they are indeed different—complement each other in any way?

Geoff Kurtz, Fall 2005

For more assignment ideas involving this essay, please visit the Nafisi link-o-mat.

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