Peace education; identifying possible lines of enquiries for research

Harnett, Penelope

Abstract

The question of War and Peace has been essential for mankind, and how we relate to and understand the question, has also related to the question of how we understand ourselves, our identity and to the ruling values of our present time.
We hope the booklet can offer support and guidance to PhD
supervisors on research issues connected with citizenship, citizenship education and identities. The booklet with its cross-disciplinary approach can hopefully give examples from the field of War and Peace and widening the exchange of ideas and raise questions within 2 War, Peace and Citizenship Research the field. The authors represent different countries and disciplines –
educational sciences, social psychology and history – will discuss war and peace in the light of citizenship; highlight different problems and put different questions on the agenda.
Luigi Cajani discusses war and peace, and from a historical
perspective, he gives a provoking example on war education and values of the late nineteenth century: “If pupils do not become citizens conscious of their duties and soldiers who love their guns, teachers will have wasted their time”.
Sigrun Adalbjarnardottir puts the challenging question, if and how we can prepare young people to create more peaceful “worlds”; creating peaceable classrooms that may eventually be transferred to the wider community and society.
Penelope Harnett discusses, in her contribution, research about peace education from a perspective of the school curriculum, and from experiences in Northern Ireland she will also argue for exploring teachers’ own beliefs and teaching approaches.
From the perspective of a social psychologist Márta Fülöp argues that peace education directed to the individual in itself, without understanding the complex interaction between the individual, the group and the society with its historical, political, economical, cultural, religious characteristics has just limited effect.
Roger Johansson discusses in “Voices today from the eighties -
constructing peaceful citizens”, the reaction on the “Star Wars” in Europe in the eighties and how it could be understood from a tradition of peace education in Sweden.

Citation

Harnett, P. (2011). Peace education; identifying possible lines of enquiries for research. In S. Adalbjarnardóttir, L. Cajani, M. Fülöp, & R. Johansson (Eds.), War, Peace and Citizenship Research. London: CiCe

• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2011
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: War, Peace and Citizenship Research
• ISBN: 9781907675119
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/959729