Schooling for violence and peace: how does peace education differ from ‘normal’ schooling?

Abstract

Taylor and Francis CJPE_A_408832.sgm 10.1080/17400200903086599 Journal of Peace Education 1740-0201 (print)/1740-021X (online) Original Article 2009 Taylor & Francis 6 2 0000002009 CliveHarber C.R.Harber@bham.ac.uk This article reviews literature on the roles of schooling in both reproducing and actively perpetrating violence, and sets out an historical explanation of why schools are socially constructed in such a way as to make these roles possible. It then discusses notions of peace education in relation to one particular project in England before using empirical data from research on the project to examine contrasts between peace education approaches and 'normal' schooling from the viewpoints of project workers, pupils and teachers. It concludes that such contrasts and tensions do indeed exist and that this raises serious questions about the compatibility of peace education and formal schooling.