Minor in Peace and Justice Studies (PJS)
OVERVIEW
Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study and learning process designed to develop the capacity of global citizens to critically understand and transform all forms of violence and the patterns of thought that justify and support them in order to contribute to the creation of a more just and peaceful world through processes of peace building. Peace building is based upon transformative change processes that address the underlying root causes of violence and conflict. Violence is the core problematic that the field addresses, and it is broadly defined in terms of the conceptions of direct violence, structural violence, and cultural violence. Global goals of peace building can be, for example, conflict resolution in war zones, improving mothers’ health, decreasing illiteracy, providing education for all and safeguarding sustainability. This understanding provides a powerful complementary perspective to any major field of study.
Peace studies scholarship supports students in the development of fundamental knowledge and awareness of:
- the philosophical and psychological underpinnings of peace, violence, conflict, and cooperation;
- histories and evolutions of peace, war, and peace movements;
- varying forms of violence and how they are sustained, maintained, deconstructed and transformed;
- the systemic and pervasive dynamics of the crosscutting issues of militarism and patriarchy;
- systems awareness, holism & interdependence; and
- intra/intergroup dynamics and power dynamics; and structures of oppression and systems and theories of justice.
The practical dimension of peace studies prepares students in:
- methods of envisioning alternative futures;
- practices of designing alternative institutions;
- development of educational interventions and materials;
- dynamic and democratic political processes essential for engaging with differences and working toward common goals and purposes;
- experiences in practices of change and transformation (including conflict transformation, restorative justice, peace pedagogies, political processes of dialogue and deliberation);
- use of and collaboration with news media and other organizations;
- and personal and social modes of moral / ethical reflection.
Peace studies also prepares students to address critical issues of the 21st century, requiring students to develop knowledge and awareness and develop new practices and skills to address:
- the economics of peace and theories of sustainable development;
- ethnicity, age, religion, gender, and sexual orientation as cross-cutting issues;
- environmental justice and sustainability – climate change as a threat to all life;
- race and class in the 21st century: revisiting moral exclusion and inclusion; terrorism, the international system and transnational justice;
- and transformative pedagogies for personal, social, cultural and political change and transformation.