In contribution to the mission of Bluffton University, a peace and conflict studies minor offers students the opportunity to pursue peacemaking and conflict management in coordination with an academic major. The peace and conflict studies minor seeks to:
The peace studies coordinator will serve as a second advisor for students for the PCS minor and will oversee the students' completion of the minor as outlined above and in coordination with the major advisor.
In addition, Bluffton University offers a mediation certificate useful to students and community members wishing to obtain mediation skills. This is a non-degree training program in which participants gain skills useful in the workplace and in their local communities. The program consists of three components:
Minor (20-22 hours)
Core: (9 hours)
PCS 230 Theories of Peace and Conflict (3)
PLS 272 Global Politics (3)
REL 373 War, Peace and Nonviolence (3)
Three of the following from different disciplinary areas: (9 hours)
In general, this means choosing classes from three different prefixes. To qualify for a PCS minor, students cannot count more than six semester hours from other major or minor or from their general education requirements.
BIO 340 Animal Behavior (4)
or NSC 107 Global Climate Change (3) (with a major project related to peace and conflict studies)
COM 195 Interpersonal Communication (3)
or COM 275 Organizational Communication (3)
CRJ 340 Conflict Transformation and Mediation (3)
or CRJ 345 Restorative Justice Theory and Practice (3)
EBA 382 Economic Development and the Environment (3)
ENG 243 Studies in American Literature (3) (with appropriate theme)
or ENG 261 Studies in English Literature (3) (with appropriate theme)
or ENG 265 Studies in Modern Literature (3) (with appropriate theme)
or ENG 282 Studies in the Novel (3) (with appropriate theme)
or ENG 321 Studies in Poetry (3) (with appropriate theme)
or ENG 331 English Colloquium (3) (with appropriate theme)
HIS 245 Regional and National Studies (3) (with appropriate theme)
or HIS 265 European Social and Intellectual History (3)
or HIS 301 Studies in American History (3) (with appropriate theme)
or HIS 302 Studies in European History (3) (with appropriate theme)
or HIS 305 African American History (3)
or HIS 310 U.S. Women's History (3)
or PLS 285 Comparative Politics (3)
or PLS 303 Studies in Political Science (3)
PSY 258 Social Psychology (3)
or PSY 262 Cross Cultural Psychology (3)
or PSY 325 Special Topics in Psychology (3) (with appropriate theme)
or PSY 375 Therapeutic Psychology (3)
REL 220 World Religions (3)
or REL 352 Contemporary Studies in Theology and Ethics (3) (with appropriate theme)
or REL 359 Mennonite History and Thought (3)
SPA 244 Spanish Conversation: Conflict and Social Change in the Spanish Speaking World (3)
SOC 242 Social Problems and Public Policy (3)
or SOC 315 Political Economy (3)
or SOC 330 Social Justice and Social Change (3)
One of the following: (2-4 hours)
In consultation with advisors, students will select one course that will broaden or deepen an understanding of peace and conflict studies as it applies to the student's particular interests.
PCS 380 Project (3-4)****
PCS 405 Peacemaking Seminar (2)
Students considering a PCS minor should take CRJ 180 or SOC 225 for their Social Science Group B general education requirement.
This minor fits especially well with those who have participated in a semester-long cross-cultural term in Northern Ireland or in Pittsburgh, though such participation is not required for the minor. In conjunction with the Northern Ireland or Pittsburgh programs, students may obtain the PCS minor by completing the above three core courses.
Mediation Certificate Program
PCS 230 Theories of Peace and Conflict
Or CRJ 345 Restorative Justice Theory and Practice
Mediation training of at least 20 hours in duration delivered through one of the following:
An approved training workshop
CRJ 340 Conflict Transformation and Mediation
PCS 303 Practical Mediation Skills and Conflict Transformation
Twenty hours of supervised mediation usually through one of the following courses:
PCS 380 Project
CRJ 385 Criminal Justice Practicum
CRJ 390 Independent Study
Capstone experience through PCS 405 Peacemaking Seminar
Courses
PCS 230 Theories of Peace and Conflict (3)
Beginning with a nontechnical understanding and then drawing from writings and research in the social sciences, philosophy and biblical studies, this course will focus on a descriptive knowledge of the concepts of conflict and peace. Some attention will be given to the role of communicative interaction in particular social and organizational contexts. Offered alternate years.
PCS 380 Project (3-4)
An upper-level project involving the application of peace and conflict studies to the student's major. The project may be an internship, a practicum or an independent study. If the student's major includes a field work or internship component or a seminar, this project could be a part of such an experience, on approval of the PCS advisor and the faculty member supervising the major course. Offered on demand.
PCS 405 Peacemaking Seminar (2)
This course will synthesize and integrate the student's work in peace and conflict studies through a variety of speakers, discussions and activities including a journal and a research project. Offered on demand.
Courses offered in Northern Ireland
For more information on the Northern Ireland Conflict Resolution Program, visit the off-campus programs page.
PCS 271/HIS 271 History of Northern Ireland and Background to the Troubles (3)
This course covers Modern Irish History from 1800-1923. Class topics include: Daniel O’Connell and his campaigns for Catholic Emancipation for Repeal of the Union; social, economic, and demographic problems in pre-famine Ireland and the Great Famine and its impact on Irish society; emigration from Ireland in the course of the 19th century; the campaign for Home Rule under Butt, Parnell, Redmond and Dillon; the land problem and its resolution and the end of landlordism; the Easter Rebellion and its political consequences. It focuses also upon the political issues and events out of which the Troubles arose in the l960s and early l970s.
PCS 301 International Conflict Resolution - A Case Study of Northern Ireland (3)
This course uses the theoretical peace and conflict/ethnic studies literature to explore some of the key concepts used in this area of study. Session one examines the debates about how to define peace and introduces students to Galtung’s definitions of direct structural and cultural violence. Session two tries to define the concepts of ethnicity and nationalism, key terms in any study of inter-communal violence. Sessions three and four attempt to develop a structure of conflict that can aid in determining what types of intervention may work at particular stages of violence. Sessions five and six examine some innovative ideas in the areas of alternative dispute resolution and conflict transformation. The final sessions explore how different peace traditions approach the idea of conflict transformation. Four such traditions are identified: religion, liberalism, socialism and feminism. Throughout this course, reference will be made to the Northern Ireland conflict as the key case study, but other cases of protracted ethnic conflict will be examined.
PLS 260 Government and Politics of Northern Ireland (3)
This course covers the background to “The Troubles,” examines Partition, significant political leaders in Irish politics, the different types of government in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain, the different political parties in Northern Ireland, inter-governmental relations between Britain and the Irish Republic, and relevant issues, groups, parties, and paramilitary organizations. Some sample essay questions for this course have included: Why was the Unionist government unable to resolve the political crisis in Northern Ireland between l968 and l972? Assess the record of the Anglo-Irish Agreement as a strategy for promoting political consensus in Northern Ireland. Why has there been a growth of U.S. involvement in Northern Ireland politics since l985?
LAS 225 Peace Building through Reconciliation (3)
This course covers a general introduction and discussion on the different meanings of reconciliation, defining some important terms, e.g. stereotyping, prejudice, scapegoating, alienation, polarization, conflict and violence, conflict resolution and conciliation. The class includes seminar meetings with speakers from all of the political parties in Northern Ireland, a field trip to meet the security forces and meetings with religious and community leaders. As an example, the 1995 group met with senior politicians from all of the four constitutional parties and speakers from the Sinn Fein and the Loyalist fringe parties to explain their party positions and to discuss their current and future role in Northern Ireland.
PCS 303 Practical Mediation Skills and Conflict Transformation (3)
This course is designed to introduce students to the practical application of mediation skills through a process of experiential learning. The course will look at different models of mediation and the different skills that need to be applied during a mediation session. Students will become familiar with how mediations work in cultural, neighborhood, relationship and commercial disputes, in both local and international conflict situations.
LAS 300 Practical Work Placement (2)
Students will be placed in community service agencies involved in community building and conflict resolution in a cross-cultural context. The placement contains elements of observation as well as the student practicing within the agency, under supervision. The overall aim of the placement is to try to help the student identify some of the problems and understand more clearly the difficulties and complexities of living in a society in the midst of violent conflict and to determine the everyday problems of people using the agency and how the violence has an impact on their lives. Criteria for evaluation include: attendance, comprehension of agency goals, successful completion of a range of tasks agreed upon in writing, daily journaling, written reflection of the placement and written evaluation by agency supervisor.
Courses offered in Pittsburgh
For more information on the Pittsburgh Semester, visit the off-campus programs page. PCS credit for the Pittsburgh Semester is contingent upon completion of an internship related to conflict resolution, as approved by the peace studies coordinator.
PTS 301 The Search for Meaning (3)
Focuses on different perspectives of the good life. In short, how can one live a life of meaning and moral purpose in the contemporary world (especially in cities)? In addition to core reading assignments, students do a research project related to their internship. Each person highlights a moral dilemma from her or his work and explores resolutions. (How might a bank resist redlining and invest in poor communities? How can companies include the environment as a silent stakeholder in their business plans?) The project culminates in group presentations.
PTS 302 The Human Experience in Urban Society (3)
Examines contemporary urban society with particular attention to Pittsburgh. Topics include racial and ethnic diversity, economic disparities, history, geography, politics and patterns of globalization.
PTS 303 Christian Vocation (3)
Explores how believers can connect faith to the breadth of their lives. In addition to core reading, students spend the last two weeks on individual projects developing a vocational vision for their lives. The project blends reading and reflection. Students are encouraged to consider Christian vocation broadly, including paid labor, volunteer work, the family, the local community, the broader human community and the environment. The project culminates in a paper.
PTS 304 Internship (6)
Students work 20 hours per week (Mondays and Wednesdays all day, plus Friday mornings) at a professional internship in their field. The internship is unpaid, but students get invaluable work experience. With an unpaid internship, students typically have more freedom to explore different roles and responsibilities on the job.
