Social conflicts are probably inevitable in human societies, but it is preferable to devise constructive ways, short of large-scale violence, for resolving conflicts.
Coordinator: Dr. Daniel Egan, Coburn Hall 404K
The goals of the Peace and Conflict Studies minor are:
a. to communicate basic facts and insights regarding war and large-scale conflicts, especially in the contemporary world;
b. to discuss efforts and proposals for peacemaking, together with their principal strengths and weaknesses; and
c. to develop a critical yet respectful and informed awareness of the diversity of policies and values about war and peace.
Requirements for the Minor
Any undergraduate can minor in Peace and Conflict Studies (PCS). A minor must take:
a) The basic survey course: Peacemaking Alternatives, 48.215, or Sociology of War and Peace, 48.216
b) Elective courses: 6-8 courses from the list of approved courses, of which at least one must be at the 300 or 400 level; other courses may be acceptable with the approval of the PCS coordinator
c) The capstone course: Seminar on Peace, Violence and War, 48.450, or Community Conflict Resolution, 57.475/57.512. A PCS concentrator can take both courses, with one counting as an elective.
ACCEPTABLE ELECTIVE COURSES
Criminal Justice
44.248 Terrorism
44.326 Hate Crimes
44.360 Gender, Race and Crime
Cultural Studies - Languages
50.376 French Cinema and Society
52.378 Italian Culture & Cinema
54.302 Introduction to Latin-American Literature
Economics
49.302 Labor Economics
English
42.240 Literature and Women
42.274 Literature of the Beat Movement
History
43.204 China and the Modern World
43.242 World War II
43.322 Chinese Foreign Policy
43.345 Slavery in the Americas
43.356 The Civil War & Reconstruction
43.365 US History Since 1960
43.380 Work and Society
Interdisciplinary
59.470 Project in Peace & Conflict Studies
59.471 Directed Studies in Peace & Conflict
Philosophy
45.335 Ethical Issues in Technology
45.402 Feminist Theory and Politics
Political Science
46.121 Introduction to International Relations
46.220 Introduction to Gender Studies
46.225 Gender Politics and Culture
46.338 Political Participation and Movements
46.349 The Politics of Race and Ethnicity
46.357 Environmental Policy
46.368 Middle Eastern Politics
46.371 Caribbean Politics
46.420 Research and Simulation in International Organizations
46.492 Directed Studies in International Organizations
Psychology
47.335 Psychology and Women
Regional Economic and Social Development
57.211 Sustainable Development
57.218 Regional Health and Environment
Sociology
48.256 Political Sociology
48.317 The Sociology of Genocide
48.341 Social Stratification
48.370 Women in Society
48.382 Social Movements
48.469 Global Society
ALTERNATIVE ELECTIVE COURSE(S)
These may be counted towards the concentration, with the approval of the coordinator, provided they contain substantial amounts of PCS material.
PCS concentrators can also choose from a list of PCS courses available at other schools in the NECCUM consortium, including the Peace Studies Minor at Salem State College. Where a PCS course meets the university General Education requirement in Values, Concepts and Choice, it can also be used to meet that requirement.
GENERAL COMMENTS
The PCS concentration is interdisciplinary. It also inevitably involves issues of human rights, social justice, scientific/technological change, and environmental degradation. In PCS serious attention is paid to relationships between the local and the global. Social conflicts are probably inevitable in human societies, but it is preferable to devise constructive ways to resolve conflicts, other than large-scale violence, such as wars and terrorism. There is certainly a diversity of views among the UMass Lowell faculty teaching PCS courses about how to resolve conflicts--and this should ensure the PCS concentration is interesting and educational!
THE PCS CONCENTRATION AFTER GRADUATION
There are many reasons why a concentrator in PCS should be helpful to any undergraduate, no matter what his/her major. The following are some examples.
--Any student will benefit from knowing about the various conflicts in tense regions like the Middle East, and South and Central Asia, which are addressed from a variety or perspectives in many PCS courses.
--UMass Lowell graduates working in any field will have to deal with the increasing ethnic diversity of the local workforce, and with minority-rights issues that are heavily influenced by conflicts in the Caribbean basin, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other regions. These issues are important in such varied fields as business, education, engineering, health care, human services, and law enforcement.
--The economy in the Merrimack Valley, Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire is greatly affected by current and future actions by defense contractors, and by programs for selling arms abroad--topics considered in several PCS courses.
--A student going into counseling or human services should be familiar with the psychological and social impacts of terrorism, the Cambodian genocide and the Vietnam War.
OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE PCS PROGRAM
Each semester there are various other events in which the PCS program is involved. Since 1989, PCS has sent student and faculty delegates to the national conferences of the Peace Studies Association (now renamed the Peace and Justice Studies Association), of which the UMass-Lowell program is a founding member.
Since Fall 1991 several PCS faculty and students have been active in the Peace & Conflict Studies Institute (PACSI), a major goal of which is public education on peace- and conflict-related questions. PACSI has since 1996 sponsored annual Days Without Violence, in collaboration with Middlesex Community College and many agencies on and off campus. PACSI has organized training and public discussions on conflict resolution. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, PACSI has sponsored presentations on policy issues such as the war on terrorism, civil liberties and the military budget; and organized participatory discussions on reactions to terrorism and Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
The PCS program welcomes comments and suggestions from any member of the university community.
