Peace and Justice Studies gave me a framework coming into Political Science that enabled me to understand grassroots movements at a deeper level, as well as to always think about the effects of policies on those at the margins of society. Since Political Science can sometimes be funneled into a dominant narrative, Peace and Justice Studies challenged me to question the application of these concepts within foreign and domestic politics.
Peace and Justice Studies also enabled me to synthesize the importance of solidarity through demonstration and large-scale legislative reform. While I am able to learn about politicians that shape government in my Political Science classes, in Peace and Justice I am able to learn about other important actors who impacted the political environment through peaceful and non-peaceful demonstrations that helped sway public and political opinions.
From a practical standpoint, I was able to fulfill most of the concentration requirements with courses I took for my major. I only had to take PEAC 201 and PEAC 301 to complete the concentration.
I would highly encourage PA students to consider taking PEAC 201 in the Spring. The class studies history that reveals peaceful nonviolent movements have been remarkably successful in making significant strides in the struggle against injustice and inequalities. This course is an introduction to the central philosophies and ideas that have inspired these movements and how these ideas are being applied to modern movements for justice.
Mady Sale
Contributing Writer
