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Peace Studies

Faculty

B. Hallett, PhD—peace studies
B. Barnes, JD—conflict resolution

Cooperating Faculty

C. Blake, PhD—anthropology
R. Chadwick, PhD—political science
C. Crawford, ThD—religion
G. Fontaine, PhD—communication 
M. Heberle, PhD—English
K. Ikeda, PhD—sociology
G. Kent, PhD—political science
J. Morgan, PhD—geography
K. Phillips, PhD—English
I. Rohter, PhD—political science
L. Ruby, PhD—art
W. Sharkey, PhD—speech
L. Sponsel, PhD—anthropology
C. Stephenson, PhD—political science
M. Tehranian, PhD—communications

Affiliate Faculty

I. Aoude, PhD—ethnic studies
C. Araki, PhD—education
J. Barkai, JD—law
T. Brislin, PhD—journalism
D. Chandler, PhD—sociology
M. Jones, PhD—physics
N. Kent, PhD—ethnic studies
R. Lamb, PhD—religion
K. Lowry, PhD—urban research and planning
J. Lum, PhD—educational foundations
F. Mackenzie, PhD—oceanography 
N. Milner, PhD—political science
D. Neubauer, PhD—political science
M. Tiles, PhD—philosophy
J. Van Dyke, JD—law

Degree and Certificate Offered: BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (peace and conflict studies), Certificate in Peace Studies

The Academic Program

Peace and conflict education (PACE) studies examines the causes of war and other forms of violence, the nonviolent ways to resolve destructive conflicts and engage in peacemaking, and the conditions necessary for creating a positive peace. As an interdisciplinary field, PACE finds its center in the social sciences, but it also extends to the humanities and the natural and physical sciences. PACE students learn critical thinking related to issues of justice, conflict resolution, security and peace, and steps to effect these goals, including the making and evaluating of policies. 

PACE is an individually designed interdisciplinary program that is coordinated by the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace. Students may either complete a BA degree with a major equivalent in peace and conflict studies through the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, or they may earn a peace certificate that is available to undergraduate students prior to their graduation from UHM. Both the certificate and major can be designed to accommodate the student’s personal goals and interests. 

Students taking these courses go on to careers in diplomacy (including the UN and its affiliates), Third World aid and development (research, administration, and fieldwork), mediation services, public relations, defense planning, management operations, industrial relations, education (teaching and administration), welfare and public interest work, journalism, service industries, and, of course, the fields of peace and conflict research, peace education, and peace advocacy. The development of perspectives and skills in peace, justice, and conflict resolution are relevant in the general areas of private business, the arts, national and international nongovernmental organizations, and national, regional and international government bodies. 

The heads of private and public bodies, including UH officials, are increasingly calling for people expert in the management of conflict. A rising backlog of court cases, the cost and delay of justice, crime in the streets, domestic violence, disorder in the schools, ongoing conflict in various workplace settings, and people generally unable to cope with the stress of modern living, all contribute to a pressing need for more peacemakers, mediators, and facilitators capable of resolving conflict with justice. 

An appreciation of the diverse cultural perspectives that Asians and Pacific Islanders bring to the study of peace and conflict is featured throughout the PACE program. The island of O‘ahu (meaning “the gathering place”) nurtures a rich ethnic and cultural pluralism that provides a unique setting for the study and practice of peacemaking and the nonviolent resolution of conflict. 

Undergraduate Study

Bachelor’s Degree

The equivalent of an undergraduate major in peace and conflict resolution is available through the BA program of interdisciplinary studies. For information, contact the Matsunaga Institute for Peace or the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. Interested students should refer to the “Interdisciplinary Studies” section within the Colleges of Arts and Sciences.

Major Requirements

• POLS 201 Problems of War and Peace
• PACE 210 Survey Peace and Conflict Studies
• PACE 345/ANTH 345 Aggression, War and Peace
• PACE 495 Practicum and Internship
• The remaining 24 credit hours, or eight courses, to meet the major’s minimum requirement of 36 credit hours must be selected from either the peace studies or conflict resolution stream as long as at least one course is done from the other stream. For example, a student may elect to do seven conflict resolution courses but would have to do one of the peace studies courses. Or the student may elect to concentrate in the peace studies stream and take one conflict resolution course at a 7/1 ratio. The mix could also be 6/2, 5/3 or 4/4. 

Peace Studies Stream

• WS 304 Women, War and the Military
• BIOL 310 Environmental Issues
• PACE 315 Personal Peace
• GEOG 336 Geography of Peace and War
• POLS 353/WS 353 Alternatives to Bureaucracy
• PACE 373/POLS 373 Nonviolent Political Alternatives
• PACE 399 Directed Reading
• PACE 410 History of Peace Movements
• PACE 412 Gandhi, King, and Nonviolence
• ANTH 423 Social and Cultural Change
• ECON 454 Economics of Cooperation or ECON 466 Growth and Crisis in the Global Economy
• COM 459 Topic of Communication and Peace
• PACE 485 Topics in Peace and Conflict Resolution
• PACE 495 Practicum and Internship

Conflict Resolution Stream

• PACE 247 Survey of Conflict Management
• POLS 319 International Organizations
• COM 340 Intercultural Communication
• PACE 340 Negotiation
• FAMR 350 Leadership and Group Process
• POLS 375 Public Law and Judicial Behavior I
• PACE 399 Directed Reading
• SOC 433 Analysis in Law and Social Change
• PACE 447 Mediation Skills: UH Basic
• SP 455 Conflict Resolution
• PACE 477 Culture and Conflict Resolution
• PACE 478 International Law and Conflict
• PACE 485 Topics in Peace and Conflict Resolution
• PACE 495 Practicum and Internship*
• A student may not apply towards the major more than 9 credit hours from any combination of PACE 399, PACE 495, and PACE 496.
• A 2.5 GPA must be maintained in the major course work.

Certificate in Peace Studies

To receive a Certificate in Peace Studies, students must take PACE 210, PACE 495, and 9 credit hours from any of the remaining above courses. Courses must be distributed between those emphasizing conflict resolution and those emphasizing social justice or conflict prevention. At least one course should come from a discipline other than PACE. Maintenance of an overall GPA of 2.5 is required in prerequisite and certificate courses.

Graduate Study

Certificate in Conflict Resolution

Students are required to complete at least 15 credits from the approved course list, which includes two three-credit “core” courses at the 600 level or above, two electives and a three-credit practicum (PACE 695). A capstone paper is also required. The paper will be based on one or more seminar papers and evaluated by two or more PCR faculty. The student and the Chair will each select one faculty member. For most students, the certificate program will require at least an additional semester of coursework. The graduate certificate in conflict resolution is available to students seeking the certificate only or concurrently with MA or PhD programs.
n PACE 695 Conflict Resolution Practicum

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