Introduction

Peace and Justice Studies (PJS) is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to understand the causes of violent conflict, develop new ways to transform conflict and address the root social causes that lead to conflict. Without peace, justice can be destructive, concentrating solely on revenge, evening the score without regard to relationship. PJS first emerged as an academic discipline in the United States (US) in the aftermath of World War II with the establishment of the first program at Manchester College in 1948. The interdisciplinary nature of PJS programs reflects the wider move in academia to go beyond a “silo approach” that sees texts, methods and theories as solely based in one particular discipline. Activism makes use of many conventional academic skills, common to many disciplines. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.