Syllabus

Course Description

This course originates in the assumption that if war is too important to be left only to generals, then peace is too important to be left only to those who have warm and fuzzy notions of doing good in the world.  Most examples of viable peace, as well as ideas and programs which sustain such peace, require more than wishful thinking in order to end situations of large-scale violence, hatred or injustice.  They require knowing what the findings of various social sciences and best practices of experts that comprise modern peace research have taught us over the years. They also require careful, in-depth reflection.

Thus, this course is designed to provide a cross-disciplinary examination of violence and peace issues so that you will have a firm grounding in the more serious concepts, methods, frameworks and findings which peace research scholars, policy makers, and activists employ in dealing with war and violence. The course also provides time and requirements that involve the student in careful reflection and writing.

A special focus of this course in this semester is the issue of war. Your generation has been described as living in the ‘global war on terror’ and in ‘the long war’.  This course will examine how and why war has come to so pervade our culture, and we hope to assist participants in sorting through their own value positions on the diverse types of large scale violence and war that now exist.

During the second half of the course we examine various approaches to peace, alternatives to war and to peace-building. These include a focus on personal nonviolence, various ethical approaches to war, conflict transformation, the work of peace movements, and movements for social change.

Course Objectives

• To be able to think deeply, write smartly and debate effectively about issues of violence and peace.
• To find out “what is peace” and “how do we get there”.
• To assess the terrorism moment “we” find ourselves in and to test its meaning for the prospect of/for peace (with security).
• To be critically reflective – especially on what pulls and pushes on our own sensibilities about peace.

Prerequisites

None

Readings

These readings are named by author only in the slides (check correctness)

• Raymond C. Taras and Rajat Ganguly. Understanding Ethnic Conflict: The International Dimension. Longman, 2005. Chapters 1-10.
• J.D. Eller, Violence & Culture. Wadsworth, 2006. Chapters 1-10.
• Paul Collier, et. al., Breaking the Conflict Trap: Civil War and Development Policy. Washington, DC: World Bank and Oxford University Press, 2003. Chapters 1-6

Required Reading

• Mary Kaldor. New Wars, Old Wars. Stanford U Press, 1999.

• Chris Hedges. War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning, Anchor Books, 2002.
• Human Security Centre. Human Security Report OUP, 2005.
• John Kleiderer et al. Just War, Lasting Peace Orbis, 2006
• John Paul Lederach. The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. Good Books, 2005.
• Paul Joseph. Are Americans Becoming More Peaceful? Paradigm, 2007.

Course Expectations, Assignments, and Grading

Attendance and Class Participation

It is expected that you would have no more than two absences in this course.  It is also strongly encouraged that you participate in the various discussions we have during the semester.

Developing Your Own Grading Calculations

Your task during the first week of class is to select your graded options among those provided to earn 100% credit for the course.  Note:  Everyone will have to take the final exam, but you calculate its value. Your options are:

1. The War Journal: Each student needs to keep a reflective journal for the course, which will draw its entries from a series of queries and writing/reflection exercises which engage you with the material and experiences from the first half of the course. There will be different gradations of involvement with the journal. Everyone must complete “the basic journal” and receives 15 points.  More advanced work with the journal and material in the course can permit you to earn as much as 35 points for your journal work.
2. Take Ten: Participate for 25 to 30 hours during the semester in the South Bend-ND program of teacher and youth conflict resolution training in an Elementary or Jr High School environment. Due May 5.
   
   • Summarize and evaluate your experience in a three page essay for 20 points.
   • Read two articles and write a five page essay evaluating Take Ten for 30 points.
3. Mid-term: Taken as an outside of class essay exam, 20 - 25 points, due March 5.
4. Final exam: Taken at the designated finals time. 20 – 30 points.

Sample Grade Calculations

Two possibilities for individual grade calculations are listed below. You need to choose how you want to calculate your grade by Wednesday, January 24.

Example 1:

Example 2: