Academic Programs Catalog

College of Social Science

Undergraduate Programs

Minor in Peace and Justice Studies

The Minor in Peace and Justice Studies, which is administered by the College of Social Science, is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. The minor explores issues of human rights, social justice, environmental justice, economic justice, activism, peace, violence, and conflict, examining their connections and distinctions through an interdisciplinary curriculum that stimulates students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to face global challenges.  The minor allows students to explore a range of thematic issues by developing a series of critical analytics that enable them to discern how power and injustice operate. Students will use critical thinking skills to analyze particular case studies or thematic issues.

With the approval of the department and the college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the undergraduate advisor for Peace and Justice Studies before enrollment. College of Social Science students completing this minor to meet the College of Social Science Interdisciplinary Minor Requirement should refer to the section below for the Social Science Track.

Requirements for the Minor in Peace and Justice Studies

The student must complete the following (15 credits):

1. One of the following core courses focusing on basic concepts and assumptions of peace and justice, contexts of violence and domination, alternatives to violence and domination, and peace and justice as a practice (3 credits):
ANP 436 Globalization and Justice: Issues in Political and Legal Anthropology 3
ANP 439 Human Rights: Anthropological Perspectives 3
PHL 353 Core Themes in Peace and Justice Studies
2. Complete 12 credits from the following.  At least 9 credits must be at the 300-400 level and 3 credits must be in a subject outside the student’s major. Courses must be approved by the undergraduate advisor for the Minor in Peace and Justice Studies to ensure appropriate amount of peace and justice studies content.
ANP 220 Gender Relations in Comparative Perspective 3
ANP 236 The Anthropology of Peace and Justice 3
ANP 270 Women and Health: Anthropological and International Perspectives 3
ANP 321 Anthropology of Social Movements 3
ANP 325 Anthropology of the Environment and Development 3
ANP 330 Race, Ethnicity, and Nation: Anthropological Approaches to Collective Identity 3
ANP 410 Anthropology of Latin America 3
ANP 426 Urban Anthropology 3
ANP  431 Gender, Environment and Development 3
CJ  220 Criminology 3
CJ  355 Juvenile Justice 3
CJ  422 Comparative and Historical Criminal Justice 3
CJ  425 Women and Criminal Justice 3
COM 100 Human Communication 3
EAD  363 Diversity and Higher Education 3
EC  495 Economics of Poverty and Income Distribution (W) 3
EEM  260 World Food, Population and Poverty 3
GEO  418 The Ghetto 3
GEO  432 Environmental Ethics (W) 3
GSAH  310 Conflict and Justice in a Global Setting 3
GSAH  312 Media Mobility: Change, Access, Representation 3
HST  313 Women in the United States to 1869 3
HST  364 South Africa: From Shaka Zulu to Mandela 3
HST 365 The Vietnam War 3
HST  392 History of the Holocaust 3
HST  414 World War II: Causes, Conduct and Consequences 3
HST 415 The First World War 3
HST  420 History of Sexuality since the 18th Century 3
HST  487 Seminar in Comparative History (W) 3
JRN  345 Images and Messages 3
JRN 372 Environment, Science and Health Journalism Special Topics 3
JRN 375 International Journalism and Media 3
JRN  475 International News and Government Dynamics 3
MC  280 Social Theory and Social Relations 4
MC  281 Immigrants, Minorities, and American Pluralism 4
MC  322 International Security 4
MC  324A  Regional Politics, Cooperation, and Conflict in the Middle East 4
MC  324B  Regional Politics cooperation, and Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa 4
MC  324C  Regional Politics, Cooperation, and Conflict in Latin America and the Caribbean 4
MC  324D  Regional Politics, Cooperation, and Conflict in Asia 4
MC  337 Global Public Health 4
MC  366 Film, History, and Nation 4
MC  369 Global Issues and Citizenship (W) 4
MC  377 Culture, Politics and Post-Colonialism 4
MC  382 Social Movements 4
MC  385 Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations 4
MC  386 Women and Power in Comparative Perspective 4
MC  387 Jews and Anti-Semitism 4
MC  388 Sexual Politics: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives 4
MC  482 Gender and Violent Conflict 4
PHL  291 Special Topics in Introductory Philosophy 3 to 4
PHL  342 Environmental Ethics 3
PHL  350 Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy 3
PHL  351 African Philosophy 3
PHL  354 Philosophy of Law 3
PHL  356 Philosophical Aspects of Feminism 4
PHL  357 Philosophy of Karl Marx 3
PHL  358 Philosophy, Gender, and Global Development 3
PHL  450 Liberal Theory and Its Critics 3
PHL  451 Philosophy and the Black Experience 3
PHL  452 Ethics and Development 3
PHL  453 Ethical Issues in Global Public Health 3
PHL  454 Topics in Philosophy of Law 3
PHL  456 Topics in Feminist Philosophy 4
PLS  160 Introduction to International Relations 3
PLS  320 Judicial Process 3
PLS  344 Politics of Developing Areas 3
PLS  363 International and Domestic Political Conflict 3
PLS  364 Politics of the United Nations and International Organizations 3
RCAH  203 Transcultural Relations through the Ages 4
RCAH  390 Immersions in Language and Culture 3
REL 185 Introduction to Religion and Nonprofits 3
SOC 214 Social Inequality 3
SOC  215 Race and Ethnicity 3
SOC  216 Sex and Gender 3
SOC 252 Introduction to Environmental Sociology 3
SOC  331 Political Sociology 3
SOC  481 Social Movements and Collective Identities 3
WRA 441 Social Justice and Rhetorical Practice 3
WS  301 Sexual Violence Against Women and Children: Theory and Response 3
WS  403 Women and Change in Developing Countries 3
3. Completion of a Capstone Paper. This paper may derive from one of the courses completed for requirements 1. or 2. It is intended to synthesize themes the student examined in the minor. A faculty member affiliated with the Minor in Peace and Justice Studies must approve the paper and inform the undergraduate advisor for Peace and Justice Studies of its satisfactory completion.
Social Science Track
Students majoring in a College of Social Science major may complete the following set of requirements in fulfillment of the minor requirements in lieu of requirements 1., 2., and 3. above. Students who plan to complete these requirements should consult an undergraduate advisor in the College of Social Science. The requirements may meet the College of Social Science college interdisciplinary minor requirement.
a. The following course (3 credits):
ANP 236 The Anthropology of Peace and Justice 3
b. One of the following courses (3 credits):
CJ 422 Comparative and Historical Criminal Justice 3
EC 495 Economics of Poverty and Income Distribution (W) 3
HST 365 The Vietnam War 3
HST 392 History of the Holocaust 3
HST 414 World War II: Causes, Conduct and Consequences 3
HST 415 The First World War 3
PLS 160 Introduction to International Relations 3
PLS 363 International and Domestic Political Conflict 3
PLS 364 Politics of the United Nations and International Organizations 3
SOC 214 Social Inequality 3
SOC 252 Introduction to Environmental Sociology 3
c. Two of the following courses (6 credits):
COM 100 Human Communication 3
EEM 260 World Food Population and Poverty 3
GSAH 310 Questions of Justice in Global Contexts 3
JRN 345 Images and Messages 3
JRN 372 Environment, Science and Health Journalism Special Topics 3
JRN 375 International Journalism and Media 3
PHL 353 Core Themes in Peace and Justice 3
REL 185 Introduction to Religion and Nonprofits 3
WRA 441 Social Justice as Rhetorical Practice 3
d. The following capstone course (3 credits):
ANP 321 Anthropology of Social Movements 3