The Peace and Conflict Studies concentration allows students to focus on issues of peace and social justice. The courses offered in the concentration help students address crucial challenges of the contemporary world and develop the knowledge and skills necessary for effective citizenship in the post-cold war world. Beginning this year, students will also have an opportunity to pursue a Social Justice track within the Peace and Conflict Studies concentration.
Students interested in peace and conflict studies should consider enrolling in one of the courses listed under Peace and Conflict Studies on the First-Year Student website.
HIST 127
Modern Latin America
Common Area: Cross-cultural Studies or Historical Studies
Surveys the history of 19th- and 20th-century Latin America, focusing on six countries. Topics include the formation of nation-states, the role of the military, the challenges of development and modernization, the Catholic church and liberation theology, social and political movements for reform or revolution, slavery, race relations, the social history of workers and peasants, and inter-American relations. Fulfills one non-Western requirement for the major.
HIST 198
Modern Africa Since 1800
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Historical Studies
A survey of Africa’s complex colonial past, this course examines dominant ideas about colonial Africa and Africans’ experiences during colonialism. We explore the historical debates on pre-colonial Africa’s place in the global world; resistance and response to the imposition and entrenchment of colonialism; and the nature of colonial rule as revealed in economic underdevelopment, ethnicity and conflict, and the environment. The course concludes with an evaluation of the post-colonial outcome in Africa, particularly focusing on the challenges and promises facing present-day African nations as they grapple with neo-colonialism marked by dependency, political instability, ethnic conflicts, disease, over-population and indebtedness.
POLS 103
Introduction to International Relations
Common Area: Social Science
This course introduces students to major theories and concepts in international politics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and postcolonialism, the international sources of wealth and poverty, the nature and functioning of international organizations, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the emergence of global environmental issues.
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