Active Outline
General Information
- Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
- INTLD033.
- Course Title (CB02)
- Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies
- Course Credit Status
- Credit - Degree Applicable
- Effective Term
- Fall 2023
- Course Description
- This course is an introduction to the study of peace and conflict studies. Students will examine and acquire knowledge and skills related to the role of domestic and international norms and the underlying political, economic, and social systemic structures that undergird institutions and states; the impact of religious, philosophical, social, and cultural influences; and the processes and sources of both personal and social change as they relate to framing, cultivating and sustaining peace, culminating in the examination and identification of factors that attend conflict and violence with the intention of applying this understanding toward the prevention, de-escalation, and transformation of conflicts.
- Faculty Requirements
- Course Family
- Not Applicable
Course Justification
This course meets a general education requirement of °®¶¹´«Ã½ College, CSU GE, and IGETC. It is UC and CSU transferable. It belongs on the Global Studies A.A. degree and certificate. This course will provide students with both theoretical understanding, practical skills, and principles of peace and conflict studies.
Foothill Equivalency
- Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
- No
- Foothill Course ID
Formerly Statement
Course Development Options
- Basic Skill Status (CB08)
- Course is not a basic skills course.
- Grade Options
- Letter Grade
- Pass/No Pass
- Repeat Limit
- 0
Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options
- Transferability
- Transferable to both UC and CSU
| °®¶¹´«Ã½ GE | Area(s) | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2GDX | °®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area D - Social and Behavioral Sciences | Approved | |
| 2GES | °®¶¹´«Ã½ GE - Environment Sustainability and Global Citizenship | Approved |
| CSU GE | Area(s) | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| CGDY | CSU GE Area D - Social Sciences | Approved |
| IGETC | Area(s) | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| IG4X | IGETC Area 4 - Social and Behavioral Sciences | Approved |
Units and Hours
Summary
- Minimum Credit Units
- 4.0
- Maximum Credit Units
- 4.0
Weekly Student Hours
| Type | In Class | Out of Class |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture Hours | 4.0 | 8.0 |
| Laboratory Hours | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Course Student Hours
- Course Duration (Weeks)
- 12.0
- Hours per unit divisor
- 36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
- Lecture
- 48.0
- Laboratory
- 0.0
- Total
- 48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
- Lecture
- 96.0
- Laboratory
- 0.0
- NA
- 0.0
- Total
- 96.0
Prerequisite(s)
Corequisite(s)
Advisory(ies)
EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.
Limitation(s) on Enrollment
Entrance Skill(s)
General Course Statement(s)
(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)
Methods of Instruction
Lecture and visual aids
Discussion of assigned reading
Field observation and field trips
Guest speakers
Collaborative projects
In-class essays
Negotiation simulation
Out of class work within community organizations
Assignments
- Reading Assignments
- Assigned readings of primary and secondary sources
- Supplementary readings for research and papers
- Written assignments
- Introductory short essay in which students must demonstrate good understanding of the key concepts introduced in the introductory part of the course.
- An individual essay where students must show analytical skills and understanding of a given subject covered in class.
- An individual take home short answer essay examination covering the material of the lectures and the articles of the reader.
- Collaborative group work
- A 20-40 minute PowerPoint oral presentation and short paper examining an institution of the global political peace structure.
- Group discussions of readings and brief primary sources provided in class
- Simulated Negotiations for those that choose to participate (optional)
Methods of Evaluation
- Final essay/project/paper on students' depth of understanding of their assigned reading and their ability to appraise the various theories, multidisciplinary approaches, levels of analysis, and multidimensional character of the causes of conflict and development/maintenance of peace.
- Evaluation of writing assignments, including short and analytical essays, to assess students' understanding of key concepts and themes and ability to communicate these ideas in writing.
- Collaborative group work and a formal group presentation to evaluate students' ability to engage in productive group discussions and to work cooperatively with others.
- Students will be evaluated in terms of their preparation for classroom discussions and activities by doing reading, writing, and group assignments, and their engagement with these activities throughout the course of the quarter.
Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities
Essential Student Materials:Â
- None.
- None.
Examples of Primary Texts and References
| Author | Title | Publisher | Date/Edition | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barash, David. 2017. Approaches to Peace: A Reader. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. | ||||
| Barash, David and Webel, Charles. 2017. Peace and Conflict Studies. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. | ||||
| Matyok, Thomas, et al, eds. 2011. Critical Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies: Theory, Practice, and Pedagogy. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington. | ||||
| Reimer, Laura, et al, eds. 2015. Transformative Change: An Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington. | ||||
| Webel, Charles and Johansen, Jorgen, eds. 2012. Peace and Conflict Studies: A Reader. New York: Routledge. |
Examples of Supporting Texts and References
| Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Chenoweth, Erica and Stephan, Maria. 2013. Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. New York: Columbia University Press. | ||
| Kashtan, Miki. 2013. Reweaving Our Human Fabric. Oakland, CA: Fearless Heart Publications. | ||
| Lederach, John Paul. 2014. The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. New York: Good Books. | ||
| Lederach, John Paul. 2005. The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace. New York: Oxford University Press. | ||
| Ramsbotham, Oliver, et al. 2011. Contemporary Conflict Resolution. 3rd ed. London: Polity. | ||
| Redekop, Vern Neufeld and Rioux, Jean-Francois. 2013. Introduction to Conflict Studies: Empirical, Theoretical, and Ethical Dimensions. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press. | ||
| Webel, Charles and Galtung, Johan, eds. 2009. The Handbook of Peace and Conflict Studies. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. |
Learning Outcomes and Objectives
Course Objectives
- Analyze the nature of peace and of war, the causes of war/violence, the ways of preventing and ending wars predominantly from the perspective of political science but incorporating perspectives of ethnology, psychology, anthropology, religion, economics, and history.
- Assess the foundations and theoretical approaches to conflict resolution from nation to nation, interstate perspective.
- Compare and appraise peace-building-the security dimension; the socio-economic dimension; the political dimension and reconciliation.
- Appraise the significant paradigm shift in both academic thinking and also policy practice in relation to security and development and the United Nations role in placing people rather than states at the center of world politics.
CSLOs
- Develop a deep understanding of the processes that create and perpetuate peace and conflict at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, social, and global levels.
- Analyze, evaluate, and apply theories of and approaches to both positive peace and conflict transformation at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, social, and global conflicts.
Outline
- Analyze the nature of peace and of war, the causes of war/violence, the ways of preventing and ending wars predominantly from the perspective of political science but incorporating perspectives of ethnology, psychology, anthropology, religion, economics, and history.
- Analyze the various meanings of peace, investigating whether peace is always desirable, how peace has historically related to philosophies, religion, political ideologies and to militarism, as well as whether war is inevitable.
- Examine the role of peace movements, both in history and in current practice, looking into various controversies surrounding peace movements, current debates as to their efficacy and most successful tactics, as well as assessing their successes and failures.
- Provide an overview of war, reviewing historical trends, technological developments and the question of terrorism
- Assess the causes of war by considering the reasons for war in a series of ever-increasing levels of complexity and social causation: individual aggressiveness, small-group dynamics in non-technological societies, nationalism and ethnic phenomena, the state level, the role of elite decision-makers and then, finally, the question of causation at the level of ideology, social processes, environmental conditions, and economic factors.
- Examine the concept of Negative Peace (prevention of war) first through the traditional perspective of international security studies, then through the history, theory and current reality of efforts at disarmament and arms control, moving to the question of achieving peace via international organizations (including but not limited to the UN), international law, the theory of world government, concluding with ethical and religious perspectives, which can have both pro- and anti-war components.
- Working from the concept of positive peace examine human rights, environmental sustainability, ecological justice, worldwide economics, and human demographics, and finally assess non-violence, as a strategic and tactical tool, and as a way of life.
- Assess the foundations and theoretical approaches to conflict resolution from nation to nation, interstate perspective.
- Conflict resolution: its definitions, foundations and theoretical approaches.
- Different instruments for conflict resolution, such as track I, II and III negotiations, involving respectively the main conflicting parties; NGOs and individuals from civil society; the grassroots, and local communities.
- The role of the third party, or the mediator.
- Establish the main differences between challenges of conflict resolution in civil wars and conflict resolution in wars between states.
- The role of the UN in conflict resolution.
- Compare and appraise peace-building-the security dimension; the socio-economic dimension; the political dimension and reconciliation.
- Clarify the difference between conflict resolution and peace-building, by assessing the dimensions of peace-building: the security dimension, the socioeconomic dimension, the political dimension and reconciliation.
- Learn about the usefulness of peace-building along a continuum - in preventing armed conflict from recurring, in supporting ongoing peace processes and in contributing to post-conflict reconstruction.
- Appraise the significant paradigm shift in both academic thinking and also policy practice in relation to security and development and the United Nations role in placing people rather than states at the center of world politics.
- Explore the move in 1990 to to place people rather than states at the center of world politics.
- Assess concepts of Human Security, Human Development, the Basic Needs Approach to Development and The Responsibility to Protect, which now form a single cohesive framework for action for international organizations and global civil society.
- Examine emerging threats to the International Community; challenges like global epidemics, global warming, and global poverty are now the most pressing issues for the International Community to work upon as a cohesive community rather than as a system of states.
