Overview

Linda MacCammon (Religious Studies), Program Director

Peace and Social Justice Studies is a flexible interdisciplinary minor that encourages students to think critically and constructively about peace, peacemaking, and social justice in our troubled world. The goals of the minor are:

• To analyze and understand the root causes and ideologies that fuel social and economic injustice, oppression, violence, and war, as well as the values, ideas, strategies, and tactics used to challenge and overcome these social ills and further the cause of peace and social justice.
• To examine ways in which students may draw upon diverse historical, cultural, religious, philosophical, and ethical perspectives to construct viable alternatives for social action that promote peace and justice and that contribute to the common good.
• To provide students with opportunities to experience firsthand the challenges of peacemaking and social justice relative to their academic study in a variety of social and cultural settings.

Program Requirements

Minor Requirements

The Peace and Social Justice Studies minor consists of six courses (18 credits) and focuses on three broad areas: Introduction, Perspectives and Applications, and Capstone.

The Introduction provides the students with the major principles of the study of peace, peacemaking, and social justice as an academic and practical discipline.

The Perspectives and Applications area consists of four courses chosen from at least two different disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The selected courses must reflect a coherent thematic focus (e.g., conflict resolution, poverty, race relations, criminal justice, national security, human rights, international business). Selection of these courses must be done in consultation with and approval of the program director.

The Capstone area is covered by participation in a Peace and Social Justice Studies seminar or a semester-long internship. Internship placements, which include agencies and organizations in and outside the Rochester area, offer students an opportunity to apply what they are learning, as well as expose them to the realities and practical challenges of peacemaking and social change.

Required Courses for the Peace and Social Justice Studies Minor

Note: No more than one course used to satisfy the student’s major requirements may also be applied to the Peace and Social Justice Studies minor. A grade point average of 2.00 is required for all courses taken in residence that may be applied to the minor.

Perspectives and Applications Theme Areas

The following concentrations represent the areas of thematic focus within which minors must select four courses from at least two different disciplines.

American Perspectives

Historical, Cultural, and Theoretical Foundations

International Perspectives

Literary Perspectives

Race and Gender