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A growing number of American universities offer graduate education in peace
and conflict studies. Most of these programs have appeared since 1970, and
are affiliated with departments or schools of sociology, political science,
psychology, law, or theology. Graduates of these programs generally receive
Masters or professional degrees, although recent years have seen a steady increase
in the number of doctoral programs. Some of these programs confer their own
degrees, but more often they are constituted as a "concentration" within
a traditional discipline (such as sociology), or as the focus of an interdisciplinary
degree.
Just as undergraduate peace studies programs vary in their approach and structure,
a diverse group of graduate programs falls within the parameters of this Guide.
These programs can be divided into six broad areas, although many graduate
programs also combine elements of two or more of these areas:
- Peace and justice in the religious context
- General peace and conflict studies
- Mediation and conflict resolution
- Citizen participation in socioeconomic development
- Arms control and international security
- Public interest law and alternative dispute resolution
Peace and Justice in the Religious Context
The earliest graduate programs in peace studies were established by religious
institutions, particularly the historic peace churches (the Brethren, Mennonites,
and Society of Friends). Most of these programs still exist, offering a curriculum
that combines theological perspectives on peace and justice, a commitment
to social activism, and an emphasis on the relevance of ethical behavior
to relations between groups and societies. Graduates of these programs, who
receive Masters or Doctoral degrees, usually pursue careers in the ministry,
in education, or in community-based social justice organizations.
General Peace and Conflict Studies
The second group of programs offer a comprehensive approach to issues of peace
and conflict, building upon developments in the peace research field and
in the undergraduate peace studies curriculum since the mid-1970s. These
programs have grown largely out of dissatisfaction with traditional approaches
to international affairs, and typically focus their curricula on the pursuit
of "positive peace." A number of programs have explicitly adopted
a "world order" perspective on global problems, holding that the
values of peace, economic justice, environmental balance, and democratic
participation are interrelated, and can only be realized together. Several
graduate programs of this sort exist, notably those at Notre Dame and American
University in the United States and at Bradford University in England; several
other institutions have also introduced new programs along these lines.
Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
The third, and most varied group of programs is in the field of conflict
resolution, mediation, and negotiation. Usually rooted in law, psychology,
and sociology, these programs train students in both the theory and practice
of nonviolent conflict resolution. In the programs affiliated with legal training,
this field is generally known as "alternative dispute resolution" (ADR)
and is viewed as an innovative complement to litigation (the traditional Western
method of settling civil disputes). In some areas--such as family disputes,
labor negotiations, consumer fraud, community disturbances, gang rivalries,
and hostage incidents--traditional methods of dispute resolution are increasingly
being replaced by the techniques developed by the field of conflict resolution.
A few programs in this field, especially those at George Mason, Harvard,
and Syracuse Universities, are developing the theoretical basis for applying
techniques of non-coercive conflict resolution to macro-level dynamics, such
as inter-group relations, international border disputes, and disputes in the
environmental area. A growing number of people are pursuing graduate education
in this area, finding career opportunities in government, community agencies,
consulting firms, and academia.
Citizen Participation in Socioeconomic Development
Programs in the fourth category emphasize citizen participation and attention
to grassroots concerns in social and economic development in the United States
and abroad. The curricula of these programs encompass problems of social
change, economic development, environmental protection, public policy, education,
and political economy. These programs can be said to emphasize the pursuit
of "positive peace" in their curricula. Graduates of these programs
often go on to work with private voluntary organizations such as CARE, Oxfam,
and the Red Cross, or with community-based social action projects of the
sort described in the Careers chapter. Programs in this area include those
at Clark and Tufts Universities and at Boston College.
Arms Control and International Security
The fifth group of programs in this guide provide a strong grounding in
arms control and international peacemaking activities in addition to a more
traditional background in national security studies. At present, most of the
graduate programs in the security studies field focus on the design and management
of U.S. defense programs, and are therefore not included in this guide; however,
several exceptions have been made for those which offer students a broader
perspective on arms control, international security, U.N. peacekeeping, or
otherwise make exemplary efforts in these areas. Programs of this type, including
those at Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
can be said to encompass the pursuit of "negative peace" in their
curricula.
Law
The sixth group of programs reflects two recent innovations in the traditional
law school curriculum which make it especially relevant to peace studies: an
emphases on public interest law, and the development of alternative dispute
resolution methods (that is, the substitution of arbitration and mediation
for traditional litigation). Law schools known for their special attention
to one or both of these sub-fields are listed below in a special section following
the general listing of graduate programs.
This brief summary of the history and range of graduate programs in peace
and conflict studies is intended only as an introduction for students who plan
to undertake their own, more exhaustive search for appropriate graduate programs.
In selecting programs for this guide, only those with a specific focus on peace
studies, or which incorporate aspects of peace studies into their program,
have been included. Traditional graduate programs in international relations,
economic development, political science, sociology, psychology, and other relevant
fields have not been included in this list as they can be found in any standard
reference to graduate schools; nevertheless, those in search of graduate education
should certainly consider those programs, as their subject matters are clearly
relevant to understanding the nature of global conflict and charting peaceful
avenues for change.
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