Social Justice and Peace Studies

Social Justice and Peace Studies 101 is an interdisciplinary survey course exploring systemic poverty.  Students will examine case studies of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to gain greater insight and understanding of the historical and current international relationships that impact a country’s ability to develop and distribute its resources equitably among its people.

This course builds upon the principles and concepts explored in SJPS 101 with a particular focus on the relationship between people and the land, how relationships in community are reflected in literature and the expression of communal relationships in spirituality. Students will focus particularly on marginal groups in society and the obstacles (created by society or the environment) that create conditions of injustice.

This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to key concepts and practices of social justice and peace in local and global contexts. Focusing on events, movements, figures, theories, and texts of the twentieth century, students will examine the realities of injustice and the various strategies for social change, equality, and peace that have emerged in response. Some of these include human rights declarations, truth and reconciliation commissions, non-violent resistance techniques, politics of recognition, and practices of ethical responsibility.

The object of this course is to acquaint students with a deeper understanding of the culture and historical faith experience of First Nations peoples in Canada, with a service trip to northern Canada. In this course students will receive: 1) an overview of the historical, cultural and social contexts of First Nations peoples; 2) a general survey of the social teaching of the Church, with special focus on the intersection of faith and indigenous culture; 3) a philosophy of service and volunteering and a theology of friendship.

The study of selected stories of marginalized peoples in order to gain a better understanding of oppression, poverty, and trauma from the inside. This course introduces students to human rights violations and social injustice both globally and locally through first-hand literary accounts.