Humanities and Social Sciences

School of Social Sciences

Peace Studies

What is Peace Studies?

Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary area of scholarship that focusses on the issues of peace, war, conflict, security and social justice.

After the mass slaughter of World War II and fear of nuclear Armageddon in the late 1950s, the budding discipline of Peace Studies concentrated on the elimination of international armed conflict, leaving other social problems to different disciplines.

In some religious traditions, however, ‘peace’ is understood in the affirmative as wholeness, rather than negatively as absence of war. Thus, threats to peace may come not from those who stir up conflict but from those who acquiesce in the existing state of affairs because ‘peace’ is too often understood as simply the damping down of conflicts (which may be aimed at changing an unfair status quo). If peace is construed as an affirmative concept, wholeness and fulfilment must be opened up for all and all must have a share in power which is an essential ingredient in a fully human existence.

This line of thinking was popularised by the Norwegian “father” of modern Peace Studies, Johan Galtung. He outlined a broad notion of peace: ‘Peace research should liberate itself from a materialistic bias dealing with bodies, dead or alive, healthy or unhealthy – in other words with mortality and morbidity only, and not with the mental and spiritual dimensions of violence and human growth and development.’

This broader view of Peace Studies places great emphasis on the elimination of exploitation and oppression. It does this by examining ‘structural violence’, the unintended structure-generated (rather than actor-generated) harm done to human beings. It is an indirect form of violence built into social, political and economic structures that gives rise to unequal power and consequently unequal life chances. It includes exploitation, alienation, marginalisation, poverty, deprivation, misery etc and exists when basic needs for security, freedom, welfare and identity are not being met.

Extreme structural violence can lead to death by denying even the most basic needs such as those for food and shelter. So negative peace characterised by an absence of war can be insufficient to protect human life. Positive peace means not only ending wars, but also freedom from want, the attainment of justice, the protection of human rights and an absence of exploitation. In other words, for many in the discipline, Peace Studies is more than the branch of International Relations that deals with only with wars and deadly conflicts. The opposite of peace is violence (broadly defined) not merely war.

Teaching

Peace Studies is currently only available to students at the Melbourne (Bundoora) campus. For more information see the University Handbook.

Career Opportunities

A peace studies major will challenge some deeply held ‘truths’ and give insights into different world views. It will help to develop the ability to ‘think outside the box’, undertake research and develop analytical and writing skills. This is combined with practical people skills, such as those that come from an understanding of nonviolence theory and conflict resolution techniques. Getting to know and understand the achievements of peace activists, often against overwhelming odds, can be extremely empowering.

The understandings that come from undertaking a Peace Studies major are of value not only to the engaged student but also society generally. The greater the prevalence of knowledge about the issues of peace, nonviolence and social justice, and the skills that go hand in hand with such knowledge, the greater the likelihood of peace.

A Peace Studies major provides the employment opportunities normally afforded to those with an Arts Degree: that is, those with analytical thinking skills and sound research and writing abilities. More specifically, graduates with a major in Peace Studies will be equipped with the knowledge and skills sought in areas such as international aid, diplomacy, welfare, journalism, defence, peace research, mediation, and by organisations such as those in the area of conservation. Many students who have completed a Peace Studies major have taken a far more active role in peace, development and environmental organisations as workers, volunteers and activists.