Peace in Practice: Conflict, Ambiguity, and Civic Life

GENED 1211 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

How can individuals and communities promote peace when conflict seems intractable and the right path forward is genuinely unclear?

What does it actually take to build peace in a divided world, and why is it so much harder than it sounds? This course invites students to grapple with one of the most pressing and enduring questions of civic life: how do individuals, communities, and institutions promote peace, sustain
dialogue, and navigate conflict in ways that are both principled and realistic?

We examine how social structures, institutions, group identities, and power shape both the outbreak of conflict and the possibilities for resolution. Drawing on foundational thinkers, from Jane Addams and W.E.B. Du Bois to contemporary scholars of nonviolence, restorative justice,
and interfaith dialogue, we ask when and how peace becomes possible, and why the most intuitive-seeming solutions often fall short.
 

A central theme throughout is ambiguity: in peacebuilding, success is rarely clear-cut, evidence is often incomplete, and even well-intentioned efforts produce unexpected consequences. Each discussion section will partner with a real-world peacebuilding organization, giving students the
opportunity to engage with practitioners, try out their methods firsthand, and apply course frameworks to evaluate their work critically.