Peace and Justice Study Guide Quiz 1

Key Terms and Concepts

Emily Greene Balch

• Professor at Wellesley College.

• Authored "What it Means to Be an American" in 1916.

• Fired by Wellesley; her work remains under-discussed.

• Identified as a socialist, pacifist, and Quaker; opposed WWI and WWII.

• Awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.

"All of Us, of All of Us"

• A phrase from her Nobel Peace Prize speech.

• Emphasizes collective responsibility and unity in addressing global issues.

Half Free and Half Unfree

• Describes a duality in democracies:

  • Free: Citizens enjoy civil liberties such as free speech and voting.

  • Unfree: Social hierarchies and systemic impediments restrict true freedom.

Two-Thirds World

• Concept highlighting the disparity between global development stages.

• The majority of the global population lives in developing regions (the "Global South").

• Introduced by Elise Boulding.

Mechanistic Utopia

• A vision of utopia focused on science and technology to drive progress.

• Aims for efficiency and organization in human endeavors.

Organic Utopia

• A utopia emphasizing the importance of the arts and human connections to nature.

• Values spirit, beauty, and genuine human experience over scientific order.

Nature vs. Order Tension

• Order Philosophy: Humans are inherently flawed and require governance.

• Nature Philosophy: Humans are naturally good and can self-govern effectively.

Peace, Inc.

• A group of peace advocates functioning similarly to a corporation.

• Exhibits top-down approaches to peacebuilding initiatives.

Resolve Network

• A global consortium focused on grassroots peacebuilding practices.

• Established by Vijaya P Thakur, aims to improve community resilience and infrastructure (e.g., small business loans).

Violence Defined

General Definition

• Presence of violence occurs when there is unnecessary suffering.

• Differentiates potential versus actual conditions resulting from structural inequities.

• Example: Limited resources lead to impoverished states.

Personal Violence

• Direct harm inflicted on individuals (physical or psychological).

• Clear and identifiable perpetrators (e.g., Rwandan genocide).

Structural Violence

• Systemic harm caused without a direct perpetrator.

• Examples include police brutality and housing inequality.

• Synonymous with social injustice; peace studies focus on addressing all forms of violence.

Manifest Violence

• Visible and evident acts of violence.

• Includes structural and personal violence examples.

• Example: Effects of redlining seen in communities.

Latent Violence

• The potential for violence that has yet to manifest.

• Can be psychological; exemplified by fear in communities (e.g., avoidance of certain areas).

Physical Violence

• Directly harms individuals' bodies; includes actions like murder and assault.

Psychological Violence

• Affects mental well-being, often has intergenerational impacts (e.g., racial violence).

Societal Frameworks

Static Society

• Recognizes primarily personal violence while overlooking structural violence.

• Personal violence is seen as abnormal; structural inequity is normalized (e.g., BLM labeled as riots).

Dynamic Society

• Encourages questioning of underlying structural issues.

• Structural violence is more visible and highlights instabilities in social systems.

Conflict Perspective

• Emphasizes conflict as an opportunity for addressing injustice.

• Conflict is not inherently destructive; responses determine its impact.

Southern Prison Defense Committee (SPDC)

• Organization supporting legal aid for inmates in southern states.

• Related to efforts in the book "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson.

"Keep Close"

• A teaching from Stevenson’s grandmother about the value of proximity to understand hardships.

Loving v. Virginia

• Landmark 1967 Supreme Court ruling legalizing interracial marriage.

• Highlights systemic societal resistances despite legal progress, as exemplified in Walter McMillan's experience.