CHURCH, MARJORIE ROSS, Ph.D. Teaching Peace: An Exploration of Identity Development of Peace Educators. (2015) Directed by Dr. H. Svi Shapiro. 198 pp. The purpose of this research was to explore the identity of those who can be called “Peace Educators,” and to contextualize the concept of that identity within the field of Peace Education by presenting an historical background of the field and by exploring various models of Peace Education programming. Five professionals whose work encompasses the theories and practices associated with Peace Education were interviewed for this study. Their stories were examined in light of the various convergences and intersections regarding a conceptual framework that included religion and spirituality, sociology, cultural studies, feminism, critical pedagogy, global concerns, economic concerns, environmentalism, and a central concern for social justice. The research indicated that although there are various areas of similarity between the participants as well as others whose work has been seminal in creating the field of Peace Education, there is not an essential set of characteristics or behaviors that can be deemed uniquely associated with an identity called “Peace Educator.” In fact, the research indicates that it is the practice of Peace Education itself that determines such an identity, and it remains fluid and multifaceted despite its clear connections with the various concerns that were examined. TEACHING PEACE: AN EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT OF PEACE EDUCATORS by Marjorie Ross Church A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Greensboro 2015 Approved by Committee Chair © 2015 Marjorie Ross Church To all of my family, friends, extended family, and colleagues—thank you for your support and your encouragement along the way. It means a great deal to know that others were holding me in the light. ii APPROVAL PAGE This dissertation, written by Marjorie Ross Church, has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Committee Chair Committee Members Date of Acceptance by Committee Date of Final Oral Examination iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project could not have been completed without the support and assistance of the following people, all of whom are Peace Educators in their own unique ways: Committee Chair and Advisor: Dr. Svi Shapiro Committee Members: Dr. Glenn Hudak Dr. Hepzibah Roskelly Dr. Leila Villaverde Project Participants: Dr. Parker Palmer Colman McCarthy Mary Rose O’Reilley Mary Cowhey Dr. Svi Shapiro High Point University Provost: Dr. Dennis Carroll iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION: MY JOURNEY TO SELF- IDENTIFICATION AS A PEACE EDUCATOR ...........................................1 Prologue .......................................................................................................1 Research Focus ............................................................................................2 Methodology ................................................................................................4 Convergences, Connections, and Coincidences: A Personal Journey ....................................................................................................5 My Family’s Legacy ....................................................................................6 Unchallenged Contradictions: Growing Up in the 70s ................................9 Conscientization .........................................................................................12 Finding a Spiritual Identity ........................................................................16 My Professional Journey Begins ...............................................................19 A New Path ................................................................................................23 Becoming a Peace Educator.......................................................................26 Identity and Implications ...........................................................................29 Summary and Chapter Overview ...............................................................30 II. A SHORT HISTORY OF PEACE EDUCATION: KNOWLEDGE, DISCOURSE, AND PRACTICE........................................32 Introduction ................................................................................................32 Historical Roots of Peace Education ..........................................................35 Religion and Spirituality in Relation to Peace ...........................................37 Philosophers ...............................................................................................39 Women Working for Peace ........................................................................45 A New Academic Discipline Emerges ......................................................49 Defining Peace and Violence .....................................................................52 Peace Pedagogy in Action .........................................................................55 Key Voices in the Field..............................................................................56 Summary of Conceptual Framework .........................................................58 Goals and Challenges in the 21st Century .................................................67 III. PEACE EDUCATION AND THE IDENTITY OF PEACE EDUCATORS: PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH ...........................70 v Methodology/Method ................................................................................71 Description of Participants .........................................................................73 Analysis of Data .........................................................................................81 Religion and Spirituality ............................................................................82 Faithfulness ................................................................................................86 Personal Lives and Early Professional Work.............................................87 Education and Pedagogy ............................................................................91 Politics, Activism, and Advocacy ..............................................................98 Democracy, Social Justice, and Community ...........................................102 Fatalism ....................................................................................................104 Major Influences ......................................................................................106 Peace Education/Peace Educator Identity ................................................108 Convergences and Divergences within Emergent Themes ......................112 At the Core—Concern for Social Justice .................................................115 Branching Concerns .................................................................................115 Feminist and Critical Pedagogy ...............................................................117 Religion and Spirituality ..........................................................................118 Sociology and Cultural Studies ................................................................121 Divergences..............................................................................................121 Interlacement of Love ..............................................................................124 Conclusion ...............................................................................................126 IV. PEACE EDUCATION IN PRACTICE AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESEARCH FOR THE FIELD OF PEACE EDUCATION ..............................................................................................127 Introduction ..............................................................................................127 Peace Education in Action .......................................................................128 Project Peace for Schools.............................................................130 Peace Education Program ............................................................132 The American Seeds for Peace Program .....................................135 United States Institute of Peace ..................................................137 Deep Streams Zen Institute ..........................................................139 American Friends Service Committee .........................................141 Friends Council on Education ......................................................142 Linking Practitioners and Programs.........................................................145 Possibilities and Pathways to Identity......................................................147 Advantages and Disadvantages of Named Identity .................................150 Possibilities and Implications for the Field ..............................................152 The Performative Identity of Peace Educators ........................................153 Academic Integrity...................................................................................157 Reflecting on Self-Identification ..............................................................161 Epilogue ...................................................................................................163