Mar 28, 2024  
2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Peace and Justice - Major


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The goal of this major is to explore and evaluate various conceptualizations of peace and justice through rigorous academic study and reflection on experience in community service. This interdisciplinary program examines the ways in which human beings resolve conflicts and work toward justice. A central question is whether peace and justice are ends that can be achieved through violence, or are means as well as ends. The program considers various approaches to resolving conflict and achieving peace and justice, from the interpersonal to the international.

The program introduces students to the basic concepts and principles of peace and justice and requires them to apply those principles to a particular area of concentration. Core courses in philosophy, political science, and religious studies allow students to study the basic principles of peace and justice, ethical theory and practice, social and political justice, liberation thought, and conflict resolution. Students must complete a two-semester community service internship, using what they are learning in their other courses to reflect on the significance of the service work they are doing. A senior seminar on nonviolence serves as the capstone course. In this seminar, students write a thesis that addresses some issues related to their concentration in the context of what they have learned in the major.

Core Courses


Concentrations


The remaining three courses for the PAJ major are electives within a particular area of concentration.  Together with an advisor, students will choose from the following concentrations:

Peace and Justice Senior Experience


The senior experience consists of a senior seminar (PAJ 444) which employs the theme of nonviolence to reflect on peace and justice and the field’s relationship to the liberal arts core and a senior comprehensive (PAJ 499).

Peace and Justice Sample Program


Freshman Year


  • Modern Foreign Languages  Credits: 6
  • Perspectives I  Credits: 3
  • Math and Science Perspectives I  Credits: 7
  • Religious Studies Perspectives I Credits: 3


As well as:

Sophomore Year


  • Perspectives I  Credits: 12
  • Perspectives II  Credits: 3
  • PAJ Concentration course  Credits: 3
  • Liberal Arts Elective  Credits:6


As well as:

  • PAJ 202 Conflict Resolution Credits: 3 (new course)

And one of the following three:

Junior Year


  • Perspectives II Math or Science  Credits: 3
  • Perspectives II  Credits: 6
  • Liberal Arts Elective Credits: 3
  • Electives Credits: 6

As well as:
  • PAJ 398 Community Service Internship I Credits: 3 (new course)
  • PAJ 399 Community Service Internship II Credits: 3 (new course)

Senior Year


  • Liberal Arts Elective Credits: 3
  • Electives Credits: 18
  • Peace and Justice Concentration Courses Credits: 6

As well as:
  • PAJ 444 Seminar on Nonviolence Credits: 3 (new course)
  • PAJ 499 Senior Comprehensive Credits: 0 (new course)

Required Peace and Justice Courses


  • PAJ 444 Seminar on Nonviolence (new course)
  • PAJ 499 - Senior Comprehensive Credits: 0

Ethics Requirement


Students must choose one of the following:

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