Category Archives: Political Culture

The Thank You for Your Service Phenomenon

Posted on February 22, 2015 by briansandberg

Some United States veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars are speaking out about the “thank you for your service phenomenon.” “Who doesn’t want to be thanked for their military service? Many people, it turns out,” according to a New … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Violence, Political Culture, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society | 2 Comments

On Brutality and Executions

Posted on February 10, 2015 by briansandberg

Lynchings of African-Americans have been in the news over the past week, since President Obama’s remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast (see my previous post) produced a sustained media discussion of brutality and executions. Now, the New York Times reports … Continue reading →

Posted in Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, History in the Media, History of Violence, Human Rights, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Fear and Racism in Film

Posted on February 8, 2015 by briansandberg

Racism seems to feed on intense fears, portraying ethnic groups as representing an exaggerated threat to social order, employment, and family life. For over a hundred years, films have played an important role in the construction of racial stereotypes, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, European History, Historical Film, History of Violence, Human Rights, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political Culture, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Un Courage Viril

Posted on February 1, 2015 by briansandberg

I am giving a presentation on “Un Courage viril. Le genre et la violence en France pendant les Guerres de religion, 1562-1629,” at the séminaire interne of the Institut d’Études Avancées de Paris on Tuesday 3 February 2015. This presentation … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Cultural History, Current Research, Early Modern Europe, European History, French History, French Wars of Religion, Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political Culture, Reformation History, Religious History, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

La Marche Républicaine in Paris

Posted on January 17, 2015 by briansandberg

Things have been rather crazy in Paris over the past week with the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, the shootings of police officers, the massive manhunt for the gunmen, and two police assaults on a print shop and a Hyper … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Union, French History, Human Rights, Paris History, Political Culture, Religious Violence, Terrorism | 1 Comment

A French September 11?

Posted on January 9, 2015 by briansandberg

The cover of Le Monde, the leading French newspaper, displayed a photo of the spontaneous rally at the place de la République on Wednesday evening, 7 January, following the horrific attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo earlier in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, European History, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Human Rights, Paris History, Political Culture, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

French Legion d’honneur and Economic Crisis

Posted on January 3, 2015 by briansandberg

The French Legion d’honneur (Legion of Honor), which was created by Napoléon I, periodically creates controversy. The famed Legion d’honneur is granted for military and civil service to the French nation, but the honor has a long and complex history. … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers in History, Early Modern Europe, Education Policy, European History, European Union, French History, French Wars of Religion, Humanities Education, Political Culture | Leave a comment

Islamic Radicalism or Mental Instability?

Posted on December 22, 2014 by briansandberg

A driver deliberately drove his car into pedestrians in Dijon, France, injuring at least eleven people. The driver aggressively swerved into pedestrians at five different locations in the city on the evening of Sunday 21 December. Witnesses reported that the … Continue reading →

Posted in French History, History of Violence, Political Culture, Religious Politics, Religious Violence | 1 Comment

First World War Posters in Chicago

Posted on December 3, 2014 by briansandberg

The University of Chicago Library has organized an exhibition of posters from the First World War to commemorate the centennial of the outbreak of the war in 1914. The exhibition is entitled “En Guerre: French Illustrators and World War I,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Art History, Empires and Imperialism, European History, French History, History in the Media, History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

“Hammer Man” Attacks Historical Plaque in Cartegena

Posted on November 20, 2014 by briansandberg

Historical commemorations can certainly be controversial. Some historical anniversaries and commemorative displays produce repeated political battles and widespread controversy. In other cases, new additions to ceremonies or historical sites can produce fresh wounds and localized resistance. An incident this week … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, Globalization, History in the Media, Maritime History, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment