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2010-2012 COURSE CATALOGUE : PEACE STUDIES

Peace Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges is an interdisciplinary inquiry into the conditions that promote social justice and the non-violent resolution of conflict in relations among individuals, groups, and societies. It combines philosophical inquiry, historical knowledge, critical analysis of contemporary social conditions, experiential learning, and a deep commitment to educating and empowering students for citizenship in a world of greater peace, equity, and social justice. Our objective for the minor in Peace Studies is to prepare students to speak and act in their lives out of deep commitment to creating conditions of social equity and respect for others.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR
interdisciplinary, 7 courses

• One foundation course: PCST 201 Teaching Peace or WMST 372 Peace.
• Two core courses: one from Group A and one from Group B. Group A courses provide a theoretical foundation for the study of peace, justice, and conflict. Group B courses provide close observation and experiential learning relevant to the peace-maker role and/or meaningfully incorporate a substantial community service requirement. In the case of the latter, the program faculty adviser must approve the content of the community service component as appropriate to the minor.
• Two electives from Group 1 or 2: Courses in Group 1 provide a substantive foundation in the study of peace and justice; courses in Group 2 provide a substantive foundation in the study of peace and conflict.
• Two one-half unit supervised community service practica or 1 supervised full credit internship (PCST 399): ordinarily a full credit practicum represents a minimum of 150 hours (75 hours for one-half credit) of community service, internship placement, or other experiential learning, approved by the student's program adviser and documented by a weekly reflective journal and final report.
• Senior Independent Project (PCST 450): Enacting Peace: A self-initiated project that enacts in some way a peacemaker role under the supervision of a Peace Studies Program faculty adviser. Projects may include creative works and performance and include summer projects judged of equivalent sustained commitment by the student's Senior Practicum adviser. Note: Additional information regarding program requirements is available from program faculty.

Core Group A: Theoretical Foundations for the Study of Peace, Justice, and Conflict
ASN 225 Tibetan Buddhism
ECON 236 Radical Political Economy
PHIL 152 Philosophy and Feminism
PHIL 155 Morality of War
PHIL 157 Ethical Inquiry: A Multicultural Approach
PHIL 159 Global Justice
PHIL 232 Liberty and Community
POL 180 Introduction to International Relations
POL 249 Protest Politics in Comparative Perspective
POL 380 Theories of International Relations
PPOL 101 Democracy and Public Policy
REL 228 Religion and Resistance
SOC 300 Classical Sociological Theory
SOC 325 Moral Sociology and the Good Society
SOC 356 Power and Powerlessness
SOC 370 Theories of Religion: Religion, Power, and Social Transformation
WMST 372 Peace [if not elected to meet the foundation course requirement]

Core Group B: Theory in Action
PCST 201 Teaching Peace [if not elected to meet the foundation course requirement]
PEHR 212 Making Connections
PEHR 215 Teaching for Change
PHIL 235 Morality and Self-Interest
POL 212 The Sixties in American Politics
POL 215 Racial and Ethnic Politics
PPOL 364 Social Policy and Community Action
SOC 290 Sociology of Community

Elective Group 1: Peace and Justice
ALST 201 South Africa: An Orientation
ALST 202 South African Women’s Narratives
ALST 240 Third World Women’s Texts
ASN 225 Tibetan Buddhism
BIDS 211 Labor: Domestic and Global
ECON 236 Radical Political Economy
PHIL 157 Ethical Inquiry: A Multicultural Approach
PHIL 159 Global Justice
PPOL 101 Democracy and Public Policy
PPOL 328 Environmental Policy
PPOL 364 Social Policy and Community Action
REL 108 Religion and Alienation in 20th Century Culture
REL 228 Religion and Resistence
REL 238 Liberating Theology
REL 318 Post-Colonial Theologies
SOC 259 New Social Futures
SOC 290 Sociology of Community Peace
SOC 325 Moral Sociology and the Good Society
SOC 370 Theories of Religion: Religion, Power, and Social Transformation
WMST 372 Peace [if not elected to meet the foundation course requirement]

Elective Group 2: Peace and Conflict
AMST 100 History and Form of American Culture
AMST 302 The Culture of Empire
ENG 101 The Experience of War in Literature
ENG 317 Hearts of Darkness
ENG 399 Milton
HIST 103 Revolutionary Europe
HIST 237 Europe Since the War
HIST 238 The World Wars in Global Perspective
HIST 272 Nazi Germany
HIST 284 Africa: From Colonialsim to Neocolonialism
HIST 285 The Middle East: Roots of Conflict
HIST 301 The Enlightenment
HIST 320 History and Memory: the Asia Pacific Wars
HIST 461 Seminar: War and Peace in the Middle East
MDSC 224 The Age of Propaganda I
MDSC 225 The Age of Propaganda II
POL 212 The Sixties and American Politics
POL 215 Racial and Ethnic Politics
POL 249 Protest Politics in Comparative Perspective
POL 254 Globalization
POL 283 Terrorism
POL 290 American Foreign Policy
PPOL 328 Environmental Policy
REL 271 The History and Impact of the Holocaust
REL 274 Zionism, the State of Israel, and the Middle East Conflict
REL 401 Literary and Theological Responses to the Holocaust
SOC 356 Power and Powerlessness
SPAN 317 Arte y Revolución
SPNE 355 Gabriel Garcia Marquez (in English)

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
201 Teaching Peace Students consider some definitions of peace that include not just "the absence of war," as the English word implies, but also "wholeness, welfare, and safety," as the Hebrew shalom and the Arabic salaam do; and justice, too, as in H.L. Mencken's famous suggestion, "If you want peace, work for justice." Then students consider the work of activists in peace work, through their writings, in interviews, and to the extent possible, by working alongside of them. Peace workers practice negotiation, arbitration, and conflict transformation, but as Professor David Ost reminds us, they also recognize the legitimacy of anger. And as Charles McCormach, president of the Save the Children Foundation observes, they do some of their best work upstream from conflict, helping those who would otherwise contribute to violence to find productive ways to live in their communities. This is a service learning course: in addition to participating in class discussions, students undertake service jobs related to peace-building in the Geneva community. (Fall, offered alternate years)