Departmental Brochure
 The minor program in peace and justice studies at Fairfield University offers you the opportunity to devote time, attention, and energy to the most pressing issues of social justice and peace in our time. The events of the early 21sr century put in stark relief the importance of thinking about such matters, whatever your major or career goals. The war on terror, peace in the Middle East, the environment, proliferation of nuclear weapons, human trafficking, poverty in inner cities, discrimination based on race, gender, class, and sexuality, and a crumbling healthcare system represent only some of the issues explored through this program. These matters of concern are addressed in accordance with the simple advice of Pope Paul VI: "If you want peace, work for justice." Thoughtful consideration of how we might create change and develop a vision for the future guides this program.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi |
The program at Fairfield provides systematic study of these and other issues by examining how various religions and philosophical traditions have addressed them and analyzing their political, economic, and social dimensions. The program is interdisciplinary in nature and works well as a stimulating complement to the choice of many major fields of study. It is the academic expression of the Jesuit commitment to "the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement."
Course of Study
 The minor program in peace and justice studies gives focus and substance to the concerns that you and other student have about troubling social and political issues. It also aims to help you develop the academic and real-world skills to address them. This interdisciplinary program will motivate you to consider what can be done about these issues, to see where responsibilities lie, and to cultivate the knowledge and skills for citizenship in a post-Cold War world.
The peace and justice studies program requires a total of 15 credits, usually fulfilled by five courses. All students in the program are required to take the following two courses:
Introduction to the Study of Peace and Justice
The first introductory course introduces you to the concepts of peace and justice and the connections between them. The course uses case studies to analyze poverty in American cities, while comparing it with the federal budget where the priorities are weapons production and war preparation.
Capstone Research Seminar
 The seminar creates a context for integrating and reflecting on experiences and knowledge acquired in the program. Students focus on applying their practical engagement with peace and justice issues to broader theoretical frameworks with attention to contemplating a vision for change in the future. The course is built on student-led discussion and an in-depth research project representing an issue in your major area of study.
The remaining three courses are electives that are chosen from appropriate offerings in the Fairfield university catalog in consultation with the program director. The following represent a few of the courses that students have selected:
- Ethics of War & Peace
- Utopian Politics
- The Concept of Human Rights
- Homelessness: Causes and Consequences
- Race, Gender, & Ethnic Relations
- Death Penalty in America
Additional courses in a variety of department also qualify as electives in the minor.
Real-World Education
 The minor in peace and justice will enable you to apply theories and ideas to the world in which you live while cultivating the skills for enacting real-world change. In this way, the program aims to help students achieve the vision set out by Mahatma Gandhi that "you must be the change you want to see in the world." Internships and research opportunities offer two ways for translating education into action.
Internships
The program offers students internship opportunities in a range of local, state, and national organizations devoted to the work of social justice and peace. Internships provide you with the unique and valuable opportunity to acquire firsthand knowledge about and experience with a range of pressing issues. The program director will help you to find the internship that fits your interests and needs.
Research Opportunities
The capstone seminar provides the program's primary research experience. This course involves developing a research agenda, carrying it out, discussing it with other students, and presenting you findings. The topic, although meeting with faculty approval, is your choice. Recent student research topics include: feminist jurisprudence and sexual harassment; the Arab-Israeli conflict and prospects for a negotiated settlement; combating the spread of AIDS; new directors in inner-city education; and the economic aspects of conflict in Northern Ireland.
Program Director, Jocelyn M. Boryczka
Ph.D., The Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Politics: Areas of study: political theory, social movements, feminism, politics of race, class, and gender
Other faculty involved in the program include:
Cecelia Bucki
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
History
Kevin J. Cassidy, Director of Irish Studies
Ph.D., City University of New York
Politics
Robbin D. Crabtree, Director of Service Learning
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Communication
Joy Gordon
Ph.D., Yale University
Philosophy
Lucy V. Katz, Robert C. Wright Chair in Business Law
J.D., New York University
Management, Ethics, and Dispute Resolution
Janie Leatherman, Director of International Studies
Ph.D., University of Denver
Politics
Marcie J. Patton
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Politics
Rose P. Rodriguez, Co-Director of Women's Studies Center
Sociology & Anthropology
Renee T. White, Co-director of Black Studies
Ph.D., Yale University
Sociology & Anthropology
For further information please contact:
Dr. Jocelyn M. Boryczka, Program Director
Donnarumma Hall 308
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195
Telephone: (203) 254-4000 ext. 2858
E-mail: jboryczka@mail.fairfield.edu
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