Peace and Justice Studies Minor

The mission statement of the University of San Francisco declares its intention to prepare its students to be leaders “who will work for justice for all people.” In that light, the courses in the Peace and Justice Studies Program offer USF undergraduates an analysis of conditions that lead to war and injustice, as well as opportunities to develop a vision for a just and peaceful society and an appreciation of how they can contribute to that goal.

The possibility of change, as evidenced by the growth in recent years of democratic governance and nonviolent movements for justice and freedom, is encouraging. New possibilities for peace and justice have emerged from the end of the Cold War and the rise of international non-governmental organizations. Nevertheless, new problems encouraged by entrenched attitudes and oppressive institutions continue to impede progress towards a more just and peaceful world. Ethnic violence has increased and the gap between rich and poor, both in the United States and in the world as a whole, is growing. Militarism continues, and the destruction of the environment threatens the very survival of the planet.

With serious concern, but also with great hope, the Department of Politics sponsors the Peace & Justice Studies Program (PJS), an interdisciplinary minor, to address global problems and prospects for change.

Program Methods

Global Analysis

The Peace & Justice Studies Program takes a global view, rejecting ethnocentrism and celebrating cross-cultural differences. We emphasize the interconnectedness of peoples and problems, such as the relationship between unemployment in the industrialized world and labor exploitation in poorer countries, as well as the relationship between oppressed minority communities in the developed world and the peoples of the Third World.

Multidisciplinary Inquiry

Using a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates various disciplines throughout the humanities and the social and natural sciences, Peace & Justice Studies analyzes issues both quantitatively and qualitatively. Historical, literary, or philosophical approaches, as well as computer analyses, are available tools for analysis. We can also learn from literature and scientific studies, as well as personal experiences.

Critical Thinking

Borrowing from educators such as Paolo Freire and John Dewey, we help students develop critical reasoning and evaluation skills. Peace & Justice Studies provides a stimulating and meaningful alternative to passive, vocational education. Students consider conflicting perspectives and examine the principles, values, and emotions that underlie them. PJS promotes knowledge about peace and justice, but also knowledge for peace and justice, linking critical thinking with social responsibility.

Social Responsibility

People increasingly are questioning the thinking and structures fostering global problems, et often despair about making any difference. The history of social movements, however, shows that people can and do promote significant social change when they overcome their immobilizing despair and embrace new hopes. Higher education has contributed to these goals, but could do more.

FIELD PLACEMENTS

Fieldwork provides skills and experience and helps students integrate theories of peace and justice with concrete practice. We offer internships for credit through Politics 397, Sociology 395, and Environmental Studies 396 to all interested USF students with Bay Area peace, justice, and human rights organizations. Our directory lists over 900 organizations in the Bay Area that offer opportunities for hands-on experience.

ACTIVITIES

We arrange educational events to supplement our classroom work and internships, including sponsoring films and speakers, hosting conferences and organizing off-campus volunteer projects. Students in the program, along with other students, have a club known as the Peace & Justice Coalition, which has regular meetings and organizes various campus activities. The program edits the internationally circulated quarterly journal Peace Review  (Please see the website at its new location: http://usf.usfca.edu/peacereview/PRHome.html).

Program Requirements

The Peace and Justice Studies Program awards a minor to majors in Politics and in a variety of other departments. To earn the minor, the Program requires completion of five courses, including an internship/fieldwork course. These may be double-counted and triple-counted for major and core requirements.

CORE COURSE (REQUIRED)

POLS 353 Politics of War and Peace

Students must take at least one course from three of the following four categories:

PEACE AND CONFLICT
  • POLS 341 Nonviolence in Theory & Practice
  • POLS 350 International Law & Organizations
  • POLS 351 Global Conflict Resolution
  • POLS 392 Feminist International Relations
  • SOC 227 Violence in Society
  • SOC 333 Nationalism & Citizenship
  • HIST 341 Feast and Famine: a History of Food
  • HIST 368 History of U.S. - China Relations
  • MS 204 Media, Stereotyping, & Violence
  • MS 350 Human Rights & Film
  • SPAN 350 Cultures in Contact & Conflict
  • ENVA 360 International Environmental Politics
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
  • ECON 230 Environmental Economics
  • ECON 372 Economic Development
  • POLS 322 Politics of American Justice
  • POLS 345 Global Economic Justice
  • POLS 348 Politics & Development in Africa
  • POLS 352 Human Rights & Global Change
  • SOC 302 Global Inequalities & Social Justice
  • SOC 304 U.S.
  • Inequalities & Social Justice
  • SOC 322 Globalization & Resistance
  • SOC 325 Critical Approaches to Race & Ethnicity
  • COMS 372 Communication, Disability, & Social Justice
ETHICAL APPROACHES
  • POLS 317 Religion & Politics
  • PHIL 308 Liberation Philosophy
  • PHIL 370 Philosophy of Action
  • PHIL 375 Prisons & Punishment
  • PHIL 376 Philosophy of Social Justice
  • THRS 318 Religious Nonviolence & the Politics of Interpretation
  • THRS 361 Religion & the Environment
  • THRS 384 Religion & Nonviolence
  • THRS 390 Religious Ethics
  • ENGL 370 Ethics, Writing, & Culture
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
  • POLS 327 American Reformers & Revolutionaries
  • SOC 340 Social Change
  • SOC 350 Social Movements
  • SOC 351 Revolution & Reaction
  • SOC 390 Current Issues in Sociology
  • HIST 359 The Civil Rights Movement in History & Film
  • HIST 360 American Women & Political Activism
  • THRS 220 Catholic Social Thought
  • THRS 322 Liberation Theology
  • THRS 327 Jews, Texts, & Social Justice
  • PASJ 205 Theater & Social Issues
  • COMS 364 Communication for Justice & Social Change
  • MS 407 Alternative Media & Social Change
INTERNSHIP (REQUIRED)
  • POLS 397 Fieldwork in Public Interest Organizations
  • SOC 395 Fieldwork in Sociology
  • ENVA 396 Environmental Studies Internship

“Peace cannot suddenly descend from the heavens. It can only come when the root causes of trouble are removed.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

Program Themes

Peace and Conflict

We examine the forces producing war and violence at two levels: global conflicts involving disputes between nations, weapons proliferation, international terrorism, and economic exploitation, as well as local conflicts such as criminal and domestic violence, civil conflict, hate crimes, and economic inequality. We study how domestic and international institutions, as well as social, political, and economic arrangements undermine chances for peace. Similarly, we examine movements and entities working for peace on a global level, such as international organizations and transnational movements for peace and justice, as well as the efforts of individuals and social movements working for justice and nonviolence on a local and domestic level. Our understanding of peace includes both finding alternatives to outward war and violence, but also challenging the structural violence found in poverty, racism, and sexism.

Social and Economic Justice

We examine the impact of economic globalization, dependency, underdevelopment, and inequality on people’s lives, both in the United States and abroad. We explore the sources and impact of poverty, inequality, and other measures of economic injustice. We are concerned with strategies for economic democracy and sustainable development that promote human dignity and preserve the environment. We examine the pervasiveness of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression, their links to economic injustice and visions for greater democracy and equality. We study how the globalization of the economy provides great promise but also a serious threat to sustainable economic development and the livelihoods of marginalized peoples.

Ethical Approaches to Peace and Justice

We consider the legal, historical, religious, and philosophical development of attitudes towards human rights and responsibilities, economic justice, violence and nonviolence, and war and peace. We examine the idea of a just society and a just world, the sources and impact of repression and violence, as well as possible remedies. Students are encouraged to look at their own values and assumptions, as well as those underlying the policies of political and economic elites, and those working for change. We examine the ethical implications of violence and nonviolence by individuals, groups, and governments.

Social Movements

We consider the relationship between conflict and change, studying global movements, revolutions, and the changing currents of popular participation. We examine how ordinary people and dissident leaders have shaped societies. We compare American social movements, activism in foreign countries, and burgeoning transnation campaigns. We look at the strategies and tactics of movements for change, including the power of nonviolent action. We assess the impact of political, religious, and cultural movements and prospects for social and political change.