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AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY ON
PEACE AND JUSTICE EDUCATION

By
Magaly Alt. Pitta Martinez

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulﬁllment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Teacher Education

1990

ABSTRACT
AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY ON PEACE AND JUSTICE EDUCATION
By
Magaly Alt. Pitta Martinez

This is a study to understand how secondary teachers and students
integrate the doctrine and social teachings of the Catholic Church on peace and
justice in their daily lives, through school experiences.

Relevant Church encyclicals and documents were analyzed and compared
with the concepts taught in two courses: "Peace and Social Justice" and
"Understanding Christian Morality." Additional sources of data included
participant observation and interviews with: (1) faculty and students and (2)
selected Church and school documents. Analysis of data produced the following
ﬁndings:

1. That there was congruence between the Church’s teachings and the

school curriculum;

2. That the Peace and Social Justice, and the Morality courses were

most effectively taught in a dialogical mode; and

3. That the Peace and Social Justice and the Morality Courses had an

impact on the students’ decision-making about their lives, their
careers, and their role as citizens and community members.

Finally, it may be concluded that courses on peace and justice for high
school students together with service programs, school experiences and activities

in the community, provide the intellectual, moral and experiential tools to

participate in the building of social justice and peace to realize the ”Christian

community".

 

DEDICATION

"PARA MIS QUERIDOS PADRES CON TODO MI AMOR"

I am dedicating this dissertation to my dear parents Alfredo

and Ana Julia, from whose life and examples I was ﬁrst inspired

to strive for the accomplishment of justice and peace.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sincere thanks to my committee Dr. Charles Blackman, Dr. Ben
Bohnhorst and Dr. Mary L. Schneider for all of their help and suggestions when
writing this dissertation. Special thank you to my chairperson and friend Dr.
Richard Navarro, who guided me all the way and who showed much patience,
understanding and wisdom during my learning process. To him and my
committee I am very grateful because without their help, suggestions and
guidance I would have never been able to complete this dissertation.

Also, I am grateful to The Sage Foundation for their ﬁnancial assistance
to cover some of the expenses for this dissertation. To Linda Carroll my typist
and editor, special thanks for her friendship and unending support; and to Ned
Hawkins for his generosity in doing the drawings for the students’ seating
arrangements in Chapter V.

Thank you to Fernando Muﬁiz for his availability every time that
transportation was needed in order to do the manuscript for my dissertation.
lastly, I am also grateful to my brothers and sisters: Alfredo, Milagros, Flérida
and R. Alfredo, for their moral support because without their "cariﬂo" and help

I could have never come to complete this dissertation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rage
LIST OF TABLES ........................................ ix
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................ xi
CHAPTER I IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM ................... 1
General Introduction ................................... 1
Peace and Justice ..................................... 2
The Research Problem ................................. 3
General Summary ..................................... 8
Purpose of the Study ................................... 9
The Research Questions ................................ 9
Limitations of the Study ............................... 10
Signiﬁcance of the Study ............................... 10
CHAPTER H PRECEDENTS IN LITERATURE ................. 13
General Introduction .................................. 13
Deﬁnition of Terms .................................. 13
Encyclical ..................................... 13
Social Doctrine or Social Teaching .................. 14
Synod ........................................ 14
Vatican ...................................... 14
Historical Background for Peace and Justice Education ......... 15
1. "A Call for Justice" ........................... 15
2. "The Social Order" ............................ 16
3. "Christianity and Social Progress" ................. 18
4. "Peace on Earth" ............................. 19
5. "On the Development of Peoples" ................. 20
6. Justice in the World ........................... 21
7. Quest for Justice ............................. 23
8. "On Human Works" ........................... 24

9. The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise
and Our Response ............................ 25
General Characteristics and Summary ..................... 26

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ............................ 33

General Introduction .................................. 33
Conceptual Framework of the Study ...................... 33
School Setting ....................................... 36
Description for the Religion Course:
"Peace and Social Justice" ........................ 44
Description for the Religion Course:
"Understanding Christian Morality" ................. 45
Description of the Fieldwork ............................ 45
Negotiations for the Study ......................... 45
Plan and Purpose of the Study ...................... 47
How the Study Changed .......................... 48
Interview Sessions ............................... 50
Administration of the Questionnaires ................. 51
Questionnaire Deletions and Additions ............... 54
Research Methods ................................... 58
1. Participant Observations ........................ 6O
2. Interviews .................................. 61
3. Questionnaires ............................... 62
4. School Documents ............................ 62
5. Informal Meetings with Faculty and Students ......... 62
Summary of Research Methods ..................... 63
The Researcher as the Key Instrument ................ 65
CHAPTER IV DESCRIPTION OF VIGNETTES ................. 68
General Introduction .................................. 68
Vignette I ......................................... 69
Assertion I ......................................... 69
Summary . ......................................... 99
CHAPTER V DESCRIPTION OF VIGNE’TTE H ................ 101
Assertion II ........................................ 101
Educational Experiences for Students in
Peace and Social Justice .............................. 123
Summary . ......................................... 131
CHAPTER VI DESCRIPTION OF VIGNETTE III ............... 133
Assertion III ........................................ 133
Summary . ......................................... 152
CHAPTER VII CONCLUSIONS AND FINDINGS ................ 154
Introduction ........................................ 154
General Summary for the Study .......................... 154
Limitations of the Study ............................... 160
Implications for Future Research ......................... 160
Personal Reﬂections .................................. 161

vii

APPENDIX A: LETTERS .................................. 164

APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRES .......................... 173
APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ..................... 203
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................... 219

viii

2.1
3.1
3.2
3.3

3.4

4.1
4.2
4.3

4.4.

4.5.

4.6.

6.1

7.1

B.1

LIST OF TABLES

Page
Summary of Content from Selected Encyclicals and Documents . . . 32
Racial Distribution of Students in the School ................ 37
Racial Distribution of Students Who Participated in the Study . . . . 37

Participant Observation Schedule, Administration of
Questionnaires and Interview Sessions for the First Semester . . . . 53

Administration of Questionnaires and Interview Sessions

for the Second Semester ............................... 54
Peace and Justice Course Outline ........................ 73
Peace and Justice Education Course Behavioral Objectives ...... 74

Congruency of Church’s Principles and Values with the Peace
and Justice Course’s Content ............................ 79

Congruency of Church’s Principles with Peace and Justice
Course ............................................ 80

Congruency of Church’s Principles with the Peace and
Justice Course ...................................... 81

Congruency of Church’s Principles with the Peace and Justice

Course ............................................ 82
Congruency of Church’s Principles and Values with

Understanding Christian Morality Course’s Content ........... 135
Congruency of the Church’s Peace and Social Justice Education
Principles and Values as Found in Isaias High School .......... 156
Administration Questionnaire ........................... 177

8.2

83

B.4

B5

B6

B7
B8

B9

The Degree to Which Speciﬁc Students’ Topics and Goals are Part
of the Religion Class .................................. 182

Familiarity of Religion Teachers in the School with the
Following Documents ................................. 184

liturgical or Paraliturgical Experiences Designed or Planned to
Help Students ....................................... 185

Which Departments Share Common Interest and Concerns Together
with the Religion Department, Where They have had a Cooperative

Project or Inter-Departmental Project or Activity ............. 185
The Extent to Which Students in the School Participated in

Each Activity ....................................... 189
Activities That Apply to the School ....................... 191

Organizations That Served as Resource Agencies for the School
or for School Projects ................................. 192

Students’ Comments Regarding the School Program or School
Activities Related to Peace/Justice or About this Survey ........ 193

3.1

3.2
3.3
5.1
5.2

LIST OF FIGURES

Baa:
Buildings of the School, Including Landscape and Sports
Facilities .......................................... 39
Building Complex Distribution Within the School ............. 40
Ethnographic Research Cycle ........................... 64
Seating Arrangements for Regular Class Discussion .......... 114
Seating Arrangement for Class Dramatization ................ 115

CHAPTER I
IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM

Wasting

At present there is an increasing concern with the proliferation of nuclear
arms and a growing skepticism of their effectiveness as a deterrent to war and
an incentive for peaceful negotiations.

Most experts agree that if present trends continue they will

eventually lead to catastrophe. Despite almost continuous rounds

of arms control negotiations since World War II, more deadly

weapons exist in the arsenal of more national governments

spending greater amounts of money for instruments of more
frightening destruction than at any time in history. (Stevenson,

1961, p. 1).

In the meantime, while we contemplate these events, people continue to
suffer from malnutrition, lacking basic human resources such as food, clothing
and medicine. To what extent do schools prepare young people to address these
realities any more effectively than their elders? To what extent do private, elite
schools which cater to the most advantaged of society, integrate morality and
responsibility for peace and justice into the ethos of their students?

Many educators have claimed as has Tesconi (1975) that ". . . schools, in
themselves, often perpetuate, indeed sometimes create, social, economic and
political inequalities" (p. 228). Katznelson and Weir (1985) were concerned that

the issue of social inequality among people in this nation has not been addressed

adequately in the school. Education has not integrated the interests of blacks

and other minority groups in this society, instead, it has caused segregation and
isolation in the urban areas.

The purpose of this study is to understand what happens when attempts
are made to implement social teachings and principles on peace and justice
education in a private secondary school. The focus is on a religion course where
the teacher and the students tried to integrate values and principles of peace and
justice into their school activities, experiences, and their daily lives. The study
also includes descriptions of how another course "Understanding Christian
Morality," helped students to better integrate what they learned in the "Peace
and Social Justice" course into their daily lives and future careers. Did these
courses truly help the 11th grade students become better citizens and responsible
members of their society? Did these courses truly develop the 11th graders into
an "educated person" prepared to make the decisions and address the challenges

of the 215t Century?

W
The concepts of peace and justice for this study are generally meant to
mean understanding and harmony in human relationships, and equality among
peoples in communities, societies and nations in the world, based on the
principle of giving to each person what is due according to their human dignity
and rights. These ideas of peace are found in the Old Testament and have
continued to be reafﬁrmed in subsequent teachings of the Catholic Church, as

well as other religions of course.

Were
The concern for a more just, humane society, and the hopes for peace and

justice in our world today may be only a utopian dream. But whatever the
existential reality may be, the purpose of the courses studied were to help
students to confront current social issues and to devise non-violent ways to make
the world a more peaceful, just, pleasant, and nonfrightening place to live.

Such social issues as poverty, malnutrition and hunger; human dignity,
responsibility and rights; population, aging, health care and services; drug abuse,
crime and violence; terrorism, war and peace were studied. The purpose was to
explore and reﬂect upon causes and to understand the social systems which
govern in the context of these major problems. In addition, students were
encouraged to find solutions and consequently to question the status quo.
Students were challenged to engage themselves effectively in solving some of
their community problems as part of their secondary educational experience as
recommended by Church leaders.

No human joy, no human sorrow is a matter of indifference to the

community established by Jesus. In today’s world this requires that

the Christian community be involved in seeking solutions to a host

of complex problems, such as war, poverty, racism, and

environmental pollution, which undermine community within and

among nations. Christians render such service by prayer and

worship and also by direct participation in the cause of social

reform. (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, p. 8)

Will an authentic problem solving type of educational system help
students to deal directly with socio-economic, political events and happenings

in their society, so that students may become more consciously aware of the

humane needs in their nation and abroad? 15 a more action oriented and

humane educational approach possible? Will students learn through a dynamic
participatory process of community involvement to ﬁnd answers, solutions and
alternatives to their societal problems? The results of this study are a qualified
yes to each of these questions.

A problem-solving approach to education emphasizes a divergent
methodological thinking process. This divergent methodological approach
pursues a conceptual understanding of the subject matter being studied, some
logical reasoning and analysis accomplished by the students, as well as some
observations and comparisons. The convergence or traditional methodological
approach emphasizes memorization by rote with little reasoning. An example of
this convergent style of learning is the passive recitation of some laws or
deﬁnitions by students who may not have a thorough understanding of the
concepts and principles in which they are embodied. Through executing effective
projects where they might become enriched by engaging themselves in practical
experience student not only learn the laws, but they understand and will
incorporate into their daily lives the concepts and principles underlying the rules.

The Brazilian educator Paulo Freire (1970) referred to the traditional way
of teaching as "banking system of education". His book mm
Messed, pointed out that teaching was simply an act of depository knowledge,
where the teacher is normally the depositor and the students the depositories.
Depository knowledge is used instead of permitting a dialogical participatory
process of education where students will have an opportunity to freely

communicate their thoughts and experiences in order to learn from their teachers

and from one another. According to Freire, an experiential dialectical process
of education would focus on a genuine creative, divergent process of thinking
and a continuous sequential scheme of learning actions. Students then would
learn through personal and communal observations, research projects and
particular investigations, disagreements and constructive discussions, seeking to
clarify their ideas and sort out their values with authentic mature guidance from
their teachers. Participatory problem-solving education would emphasize
divergent thinking instead of convergence. It would help the students to logically
analyze, compare, synthesize and evaluate their own social system and other
nations’ social systems throughout the world.

There is no such thing as a neutral educational process. Education

either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate the

integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present

system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes the practice

of freedom, the means by which boys and girls, men and women

deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to

participate in the transformation of their world. The development

of an educational methodology that facilitates this process will

inevitably lead to tension and conﬂict within society. But it could

also mark the beginning of a new era in Western history. (Freire,

1970, p. 15).

Dewey (1958), like Friere, considered people as dynamic, biosocial
creatures, who are active participants in their world of events. Dewey was an
outspoken critic of the traditional system of education. He rejected the normal
practice of traditional education, of separating the subject matter from the actual
living experience of the students. In his book W, he

offered the following deﬁnition of education. "It [education] is that reconstruc-

tion or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience

and which increases ability to direct the course of subsequent experience" (p.
82). He openly rejected any theory of knowledge which separated knowing from
experience or doing and which did not promote pragmatic action. "Human
knowing, for Dewey, is a reﬂective/ active process grounded in the person’s
interaction with his or her social and natural environment . . . All genuine
knowledge in Dewey’s epistemology is ultimately experiential" (O’Hare (ed.),
1983, p. 14).

Both Dewey (1958) and Freire (1970) believed that experiences and
actions by the students are necessary for the transformation of the world.
However, Freire required critical thinking and analysis as a pre-requisite for
action. He theorized that knowledge which is acquired through experience
should be used to bring forth changes in society. Whereas, Dewey emphasized
primarily pragmatic action preceded by reﬂection, which would give the students
some experiences or "experiential knowledge" that should be for use and not only
acquired for possession.

The Catholic Church’s social teachings and principles concerning the issue
of peace and justice reﬂect some of the philosophical foundations of Dewey
(1958) and Freire ( 1970) in regard to experience and action in education. The
church recommends that action for peace and justice should be preceded by
reﬂective thought based on Christian doctrines and on the body of knowledge

promulgated by the leaders through their writings and documents.

Pope John XXIII in his encyclical W’ (1961), "Christianity
and Social Progress," gave practical suggestions. Christians should ﬁrst examine
"the actual situation" of the society and community in which they live:

The situation is evaluated carefully in relation to these teachings;

then only is it decided what can and should be done in order that

the traditional norm may be adapted to circumstances of time and

place. These three steps are at times expressed only by three

words: observe, judge, act" (Gremillion, 1976, p. 193).

Pope John XXIII in W (1961), by suggesting to "observe,
judge and act," basically instructs educators that students must understand that
what they are expected to learn in a course is both something to be "thought
about" and something to be "acted upon".

The bishops in the Catholic Church have also been concerned with the
issue of peace and justice. In the document Justiee in the Werld (1971), they
expressed their concern that education should awaken a critical sense that will
lead students and teachers to reﬂect upon society and its values. Critical
reﬂection on peace and justice in our world, they hold, should lead to the
renunciation of the values to promote justice for all. Finally, they affirm that

participation and proximate contact with the reality of injustices within a

community are necessary components of a practical education.

 

'All of the encyclicals quoted in this work were originally written in Latin.
Various authors have translated and interpreted the works. See the bibliography
for complete references.

n r l

The documents of the Catholic Church on peace and justice conﬁrm the
role of education to act upon social matters prevalent in society. Pope John
XXIII in his encyclical MmeLeLMegijjra (1961) or "Christianity and Social
Progress," in relationship to instruction stated:

Consequently, it is not enough for men [sic.] to be instructed,

according to the teachings of the Church, on their obligation to

act in a Christian manner in economic and social affairs. They

must also be shown ways in which they can properly fulﬁll their

duty in this regard. . . . Just as, proverbially, no one really enjoys

liberty unless he [sic.] uses it, so no one really knows how to act

according to Catholic teachings in the economic and social ﬁelds

unless he [sic.] acts according to this teaching in the same area.
(Gremillion, 1976, p. 191-192).

The social teachings of the Catholic Church recommend that teaching
about peace and justice be associated with the everyday lives of the students.
Christians of all ages should fully consider options that may promote peace and
justice within the immediate community and larger world community.

Therefore, instruction and formation on peace and justice education must
also be followed by action as a way of giving practical experience to the learner.
The question is how does this private Catholic school teach students to act upon
gospel principles and values on peace and justice education? That is, how do
they fulfill the charge given to them by Church leaders?

Catholic education is an experience of the mission entrusted by

Jesus to the Church He found. Through education the Church

seeks to prepare its members to proclaim the Good News and to

translate this proclamation into action. Since the Christian voca-

tion is a call to transform oneself and society with God’s help, the

educational efforts of the Church must encompass the twin purpos-

es of personal sanctiﬁcation and social reform in light of Christian
values. (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, p. 3).

W

The purpose of the study is to identify the basic content of the Roman
Catholic Church’s teachings on peace and justice, and to discover what attempts
were made to integrate these social teachings and values in the eleventh grade
in a high school in central Michigan. The speciﬁc objective is to describe what
happened during a religion course in a classroom situation, when the teacher and
students tried to implement concepts and teachings of the Church on peace and
justice. In addition, the study focuses on how the Morality course helped the
students integrate and complement what they have learned in their Peace and

Justice course with their daily lives.

r i n
1. What is the position taken by the Church in the basic selected documents
regarding peace and justice?
2. To what degree are the concepts and social teachings studied congruent

with the position taken by the Church?

3. What are the general goals for the peace and justice education program
in the school curriculum?

4. When during classroom practices, and in what ways are the teachings on
peace and justice related to the students’ activities and experiences?

5. In what ways is this secondary school preparing the students to participate
in the building of social justice and peace as citizens and members of the

Catholic community?

10

1"' E15!

Although this ethnographic study is limited to one particular school, it
contributes to the existing body of knowledge concerning the teachings of the
Roman Catholic Church on peace and justice education in a secondary school.
The ﬁndings represent a contextual cultural reality within a single Catholic high
school community. Therefore, the inferences which have been drawn from the
triangulation process of the study may only be generalized to the one cultural

setting.

i hit 11 f h

This ethnographic study is a follow-up to the efforts of two surveys done
by the National Catholic Education Association in Washington, DC in the Fall
of 1975, on Peace Studies Education for Catholic High Schools.

The ﬁrst survey of the NCEA was a national survey that was directed
toward all the high school administrator members of their association. The
second survey was sent to their secondary schools on the west coast (California,
Oregon and Washington State), for a peace study in their high schools. It
consisted mainly of six questionnaires: administration, social studies, science,
religion, English and student activities. These two surveys were not a
comprehensive study of all justice and peace programs. They concentrated only
on problems of international conﬂict, global justice and world peace. These
surveys, done by the NCEA members, were an effort to complement and bring

up-to-date their peace studies survey of 1973, and to "identify curriculum needs

11

in approaches to global justice and international peace. (Secondary School
Department, 1976, p. 10).

The NCEA surveys and this ethnographic study differ in several respects:
the national survey was directed toward all administrators of all NCEA high
school memberships. The west coast survey was an in-depth study of secondary
schools in California, Oregon and Washington. The surveys were not a
comprehensive study of all justice and peace programs. They concentrated only
on problems of international conﬂict, global justice and world peace. This
ethnographic study is an in-depth study of a peace and justice education course
in a particular Diocesan secondary school. The major participants of this study
were the 11th grade students and their teacher. Other participants were the
religion department coordinator and the religion teacher(s).

The concentration of the study lies in the examination of the content
selected of the Catholic Church for the teachings on peace and justice as they
were used during classroom practices. Its objective was to discover what
attempts were made during religion classes at the 11th grade level to implement
doctrines through students’ experiences and school activities. The similarity is
the area of concentration on peace and justice education and programs for
Catholic high schools in this nation. The questionnaires used for the
administrator, religion coordinator, and the coordinator of students’ activities
were basically the same as those used in the second-survey of the NCEA, with

the proper adaptations for this ethnographic study, which include deletions and

12

additions in several of the items for the Students Activities Questionnaire, the
Administration and the Religion Department.

The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), has already
expressed an interest and a personal concern in this ethnographic study: (1)
through the legal permission granted by the President of the Secondary School
Department to use the NCEA instruments and questionnaires with revisions; and
(2) by requesting a ﬁnal copy of this dissertation.

Since the secondary school in which this ethnographic study was done
belongs to a Diocesan Ofﬁce in the State of Michigan, both the superintendent
of secondary schools and the director of peace and justice education in the
Diocesan Ofﬁce of Education, have also expressed interest and concern. The
ﬁndings and results could possibly be useful for curriculum specialists, principals,
religion coordinators and teachers.

For this researcher, this study has signiﬁcant value in learning how to do
research through the experience of an ethnographic study. The author’s future
work will include planning with a team in the Dominican Republic a curriculum
project for peace and justice education at the secondary level, and in working

together with teachers in order to implement this program there.

CHAPTER II
PRECEDENTS IN LITERATURE

n l i 11
Chapter two has four sections. Section one, General Introduction, is
followed by section two, Deﬁnition of Terms; essential for the reader to
understand the Catholic Church written documents selected for this study.
Section three, Historical Background for Peace and Justice Education, explains
each document in a historical framework of peace and justice principles and
social teachings. Section four encompasses the qualities and traits emphasized

in the Church’s literature as well as giving a summary of these works.

Deﬁnitien of Terms
u 1i 1

An Encyclical is a written message from the Pope of the Catholic Church
addressed to the faithful and to bishops in communion with the Holy See.
Encyclical letters for the most part deal with currently relevant doctrinal and
moral matters of general concern in the Church. Generally speaking, the Pope,
in an encyclical, does not attempt to resolve technical or scientiﬁc matters, unless
they have a direct bearing on a dogma of the Catholic Church.

An encyclical represents a solemn exercise of the teaching authority by

the Pope who is the highest authority of the Church. Some encyclicals have

14

been written to commemorate special events and festivities in the universal
Church.

The word encyclical comes from the Greek words, en, in, and Kyklos, a
circle.

Thus enkyklike means a circular letter, a letter that is meant to

go rounds. . . . Originally the term was applied to pastoral letters

of the bishop in the Church. Usually when the Pope writes an

encyclical for the whole church, he begins with these words: "To

our venerable brethren, Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops,

and other local ordinaries, in peace and communion with the Holy
See. (Fremantle, 1956, p. 21).

Seeiel Degﬁne Q; Seeial Teeehing
Generally, Social Doctrine or Social Teaching is an organic tradition of
teachings of the Church on human-social issues and events. It does not mean a

ready made pattern, or an immutable set of truths or an speciﬁc system (Dorr,

1983).

5mm

Synod is any assembly, meeting or council of Church ofﬁcials. In the case
of the Catholic Church, a synod is normally held by bishops and the Pope in

Rome.

Vatjeen
The Vatican is the residence of the Pope and the members of the Papal

government in Rome and where most of the Church’s councils, assemblies and

meetings are held.

15

WW
Justiee Edneatien

The encyclicals and major documents of the Catholic Church, selected for

this ethnographic study because of their signiﬁcant impact on the teachings of

social justice and peace, which will be presented in a summary form are as

follows:

1.

W. "A Call for Justice," by Pope Leo XIII, May, 15,
1891.

W. "The Social Order," by Pope Pius XI, May 15,
1931.

W. "Christianity and Social Progress," by Pope
John XXIII, May 15, 1961.

W. "Peace on Earth," by Pope John XXIII, April 11,
1963.

i . "On the Development of Peoples," by Pope
Paul VI, March 26, 1967.

W. Synod of Bishops, Rome, 1971.

W. J. Brian Benestad and Francis J. Butler,
co-editors. United States Catholic Conference and the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1981.

W. "On Human Work," by Pope John Paul II,
September 14, 1981.

9

° r n r 11
United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, June, 17, 1983.

The ﬁrst social encyclical written by Pope Leo XIII approximately 98

years ago, must be viewed as a signiﬁcant move of the church on the side of the

poor and the oppressed. Leo XIII wanted his encyclical to be a major

16

intervention in defense of the poor of his time. He courageously chose to speak
out and intervene in a solemn way on a burning social issue. He publicly
protested against the harsh conditions industrial workers had to endure. In this
encyclical, Remm Nevemm (1891), the Pope insisted on the duty of the state to
protect the poor and the oppressed. Pope Leo’s view called for a change of
heart by those who held economic and political power. He wanted changes to
occur according to the hierarchical structure in society from the top down rather
than from the bottom up.

Pope Leo, throughout his explanations and literary piece of work,
defended the existing political order while condemning the existing economic
order of his times, despite the fact that the two were closely linked. This was
primarily due to the fact that even though he acknowledged this link, he believed
that stability and order were important in society and that legal authority must
be respected by citizens.

Pope Leo’s social teachings have remained the basis of the ofﬁcial
Catholic position on social concerns and issues. And his encyclical has conﬁrmed
and insured that ". . . social issues could no longer be treated as marginal or

secondary to the mission of the Church, . . ." (Dorr, 1983, p. 12).

2. ' r"

This encyclical possesses the same kinds of criticism concerning society’s
economic liberalism that was viewed as the cause of the sufferings and
oppression of the poor. The social teachings of this encyclical occupied a similar

position concerning the. poor and the oppressed, as those expressed in the

17

previous one, "A Call for Justice," by Leo XIII. This second encyclical vindicated
and developed the teachings of the preceding one, but it also looked at current
social events and happenings in a radical way, showing speciﬁcally how they can
be dealt with when applying Christian principles and values. Pope Pius XI, like
Pope Leo XIII, presented in his writings a middle way between liberal capitalism
and Christian socialism.

W ( 1931), was written especially to commemorate the
40th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerumﬂoym (1891). Pope Pius X1, in
his encyclical, "The Social Order," was mainly concerned with the whole
socio-economic order present in society. His major focus of attention was on the
basic causes of injustices and poverty. According to this Pope’s opinions and
ideas, there were several urgent reasons why the Church should have been
actively involved in social issues and events at that particular time:

1. There was widespread unemployment in 1931;

2. There were some harsh and unjust working conditions in the

Americas and the Far East;

3. Wealth was concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number
of people;
4. Because of this concentration of wealth, there was also a

concentration of economic and political powers in the hands of a

few.

18

3. " ' i ° ° 1 "

Pope John XXIII, when explicating his concerns and ideologies on societal
issues, cannot be considered a radical. In regard to the fundamental
restructuring of society, his ideas were not different from those of Pius XI. He
could be considered an optimist toward the positive processual transformation
of society. He believed that the necessary improvement for a more just society
would take place from within, and that it would occur step by step, without any
radical revolutionary disruption of the system.

His optimism was directed to the modern world of technological
advancement. He ﬁrmly believed that the modernization of society would have
more advantages than disadvantages, especially if they are properly and justly
controlled and directed. He was also well aware of some of the institutionalized
evils that can be negotiated and inﬂuenced in a technological modern society
such as elitism, so he warned the people against abuses of power. "The whole
presupposition of his two great encyclicals was that people needed only to be
encouraged and animated to cooperate more fruitfully." (Dorr, 1983, p. 90).

This well know encyclical W (1961) of Pope John XXIII,
stands in the Catholic Church as a turning point within the different spectrums
and views of Catholic social teachings. "It raised doubts about attitudes that had
not previously been questions -- the attitude of suspicion about State intervention

and a conviction that it ought to be kept to a minimum." (Dorr, 1983, p. 115).

19

4. N N

This encyclical, which was written in 1963 -- more than 25 years ago -- has
an introduction on the order of the universe, according to the biblical Psalms and
the Letters of St. Paul to the Romans. Pope John XXIII’s major concerns in
W (1963), is the establishment of universal peace in truth, justice,
charity and liberty. Part I has general directives and admonitions on: Order
between Men, Rights and Duties. Concerning the order that should exist
between people, he stated:

Any human society, if it is to be well-ordered and productive, must

lay down as a foundation this principle that every human being is

a person; his [sic.] nature is endowed with intelligence and free

will. By virtue of this, he [sic.] has rights and duties of his [sic.]

own, ﬂowing directly and simultaneously from his [sic.] very nature,

which are therefore universal, unviolable and inalienable.

(Gibbons, 1963, p. 291).

Part II of this encyclical, "Relations between Individuals and the Public
Authorities within a Single State," comprises explanations and Christian
principles on the divine origin of authority; responsibilities of the public authority
and the rights and duties of individuals in society; and law and conscience.
Regarding law and conscience the Pope explained, ". . . social life in the modern
world is so varied, complex and dynamic that even a juridical structure which has
been prudently and thoughtfully established is always inadequate for the needs
of society" (Gibbons, 1963, p. 305).

Part III: "Relations Between States." Among the major rules governing

relations between political communities, according to his view, was that of truth,

justice and liberty. According to Dorr (1983) in his book, WILLIE—21291,

20

these two passages contained very important insights from Pope John XXIII’s
encyclical:

One of the fundamental duties of civil authorities . . . is so to

coordinate and regulate social relations that the exercise of one

man’s [sic.] right does not threaten others in the exercise of their

own rights. (p. 112)

The common good requires that civil authorities maintain a careful

balance between coordinating and protecting the rights of the

citizens on the one hand, and promoting them, on the other. It
should not happen that certain individuals or social groups derive
special advantage from the fact that their rights have received

professional protection. (p. 112)

5. " h v 1 "

In this encyclical, Pope Paul VI does not give solutions to the problem of
poverty without ﬁrst explaining and pondering upon its basic causes. This
document, MW (1967), represented a very notable
advancement on social teachings, especially if compared with some of the
Church’s earlier documents. He analyzed the global situation in the world and
tried to explicate why there is such an imbalance between rich and poor nations.

The main causes of poverty and injustices mentioned in this encyclical
are: ". . . the evil effects left as a legacy by colonialism in the past, the present
neo-colonial situation which has largely replaced the older form of colonialism,
and the imbalance . . . that gives rise to injustices in trade relations between
them." (Dorr, 1983, p. 139-140).

This document contains features that explain the characteristics of a

neo-colonial situation such as: (1) economic domination at the international

level, and (2) the political and economic domination at the national level.

21

At the national level, he refers to regimes where a small privileged
elite hold a monOpoly of wealth and power. And his treatment of
the international issue is perhaps the most trenchant part of the
whole encyclical: he challenges the present system of international
trading relations, . . . . It is clear then that the pope does not
simply assume that poverty and underdevelopment arise from
purely natural causes or the laziness of the people living in the
poorer parts of the world. (Dorr, 1983, p. 140-141)

It is interesting to note that these two encyclicals: mm
(1931) and W (1967) both called for a change of attitudes in
people’s minds and hearts and for a change of social structures and systems in
society. Pope Paul VI’s conceptualizations on human development and progress
are those in which individuals, groups and nations should be "the agents of their

own destiny and to assume responsibility for their world" (Dorr, 1983, p. 144).

6. "Justiee in the Werld"

In 1971, the bishops who were gathered in Rome from all over the world
had a major concern about the Christian mission of promoting justice. The main
objective of their document Justiee in the Werld (1971), is not necessarily to
make a very profound analysis of the situation present in the world, but simply
to remind members of the Church about their obligation on behalf of justice, to
participate in the transformation of the world since it is a "constitutive
dimension" in the preaching of Christ’s gospel.

This document has four sections: (1) Justice and World Society, (2) The
Gospel Message and the Mission of the Church, (3) The Practice of Justice, and
ﬁnally, (4) A Word of Hope. In the ﬁrst section, the bishops mentioned the

many injustices that migrants, farmers and workers have to put up with and how

22

restricted their individual rights are on account of the social system and the
structures of society. They recommended a spirit of dialogue among peoples of
all nations in order to achieve unity of purpose for the establishment of peace
and justice in the world.

In the second section, they explained the Biblical foundations for justice
as revealed in the Old and New Testaments. Their concluding arguments stated
that:

Christian love of neighbor and justice cannot be separated. For

love implies an absolute demand for justice. . . . For unless the

Christian message of love and justice shows its effectiveness

through action in the cause of justice in the world, it will only with

difﬁculty gain credibility with the men [sic.] of our times. (Byers,

1985, p. 255-256)

In the third section on the practice of justice, there is an important part
concerning educating for justice. According to this document, the educational
methods for achieving this goal must teach people to live their lives according to
the "evangelical principles of personal and social morality," instead of
encouraging "narrow individualism" as they have normally done in the past. The
human family is surrounded by an environment that promotes material
possessions and these principles are also endorse by the media. Therefore,
Catholic education should demand a renewal of heart based on the awareness
of sin "in its individual and social manifestation." Education should also awaken
critical awareness that will lead to reﬂection on the values of society. This
critical sense should lead to the denunciation of all values that hamper peace

and justice. Education should help the person resist "manipulation by

communications media or political forces" (Byers, 1985, p. 258). This

23

denunciation should be done with prudence, ﬁrmness, charity and a sincere
dialogue with the groups concerned. The content of this type of education,
according to the bishops, should involve respect for the dignity of the human
person. International cooperation and solidarity among people and nations is
enforced throughout this section.

The bishops’ ideas that educational methods should promote critical
awareness is similar to Freire’s (1970) ideas on the conscientization process of
education. He believes that through the analysis of reality within a particular
community, people can become aware of the oppressive values prevalent in
society that are preventing them from grth and development. Freire held that
a person has the ability to know reality and the capacity to apprehend it
critically. Critical reﬂection is an essential component in Freire’s ideas for action
and experience in education. "Conscientization refers to the process in which
men, [sic.] not as recipients, but as knowing subjects, achieve a deepening
awareness both of the socio-cultural reality which shapes their lives and their

capacity to transform that reality" (Freire, 1970, p. 27).

7. W

The preface of this compendium written by Bishop Thomas Kelly (1981),
O.P. General Secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the
United States Catholic Conference, contains a very speciﬁc summary on the
Catholic Bishops’ national stands and positions concerning issues and statements

related to political and social matters.

24

In recent years the bishops have taken public positions on
numerous domestic and international issues and have articulated
these positions not only in statements but in congressional
testimony, meetings with government ofﬁcials, and similar efforts.
Yet relatively few Americans are aware of this activity. Typically,
bishops’ statements are published in pamphlet form and receive
passing coverage in the secular press. (Benestad and Buttler, 1981,

p- v)

This volume gives a record of the bishops’ stands on political matters and
social issues between 1966 and 1980. The texts are arranged in three parts:
"Political Responsibility," "Foreign Policy," and "Domestic Policy." "Foreign
Policy" is divided into: war and peace, development and human rights. The
statements found in "Domestic Policy" are organized alphabetically and they
contain the following issues: abortion, birth control, the US. Bishops’
Bicentennial Consultation on Social Justice, crime and punishment, economic
issues, family life, freedom of religion, housing, immigrants, labor disputes,
minorities, race, rural America and television. There are three appendices
sections included in this volume of bishops statements. Appendices A and B
provide the reader with a list of selected political and social statements made by

prominent speakers and members of different organizations.

8. " W r "

This encyclical is considered of major importance in the Catholic Church
because it represents a new style of social teaching concerning the just conditions
on labor and human work. Pope Paul II explained in W (1981),
that capital is to be used in the world as an instrument at the service of the

human person, especially the workers in society. Human labor may not be

25

simply treated as a tool in the process of production to be sold to those who
control the means of production.

Some recent studies have helped to bring out the fact that the
misdevelopment and poverty of the Third World are due less to
nature than to human intervention; they are largely the result of
unjust actions in the past and the present -- mainly the actions of
people in the wealthier countries (though now, increasingly a small
group of collaborators in the poorer countries must also be held
responsible). (Dorr, 1983, p. 239)

9. {me Challenge Qf Peaee; QQd’s Ptemise
W

This pastoral letter is addressed mainly to the Catholic Community in
this nation, as an exercise of the teaching ministry of US. Bishops. The contents
and topics covered in this Church document on peace and justice were approved
by two-thirds of the United States Catholic Bishops in 1983.

In this pastoral letter, the bishops address many contemporary concrete
questions prevalent in society concerning the arms race, warfare, weapons
systems and various negotiations strategies. There are two more parts which
comprise this letter: m had some principles, norms and premises of the
Catholic teachings on peace, covering the topics of war, deterrence, arms race,
and disarmament and personal conscience. Bani! contains some moral Catholic
principles and policy choices on the use of nuclear weapons, on deterrence and
on promoting peace. "The Catholic tradition on war and peace is a long and
complex one; it stretches from the Sermon on the Mount to the statements of

Pope John Paul . . . " (Catholic Conference of Bishops, 1983, p. 3).

26

The Catholic social teachings on peace as contained in this pastoral letter
are a mixture of biblical, theological and philosophical elements which were
brought to bear upon the concrete problems of the day. The document
emphasizes that the Church is called in a unique way to be the instrument of the
Kingdom of God in history. Peace is one of the signs of God’s Kingdom present
in the world. Peace is both a divine gift and a human work. Peace must be
built on the basis of justice in a world where the personal and social
consequences of sin are evident. "Justice is always the foundation of

Peace" (Catholic Conference of Bishops, 1983, p. 9).

n r l h r ' i n mm

Most of the encyclicals cited as a referential framework for this study
were originally written in Latin since it is considered the ofﬁcial language of the
Catholic Church. However, they have been translated and compiled for
publication in a variety of vernacular languages. The documents of the popes
and leaders of the Church are normally printed in the W
or the AetLAmstelieaLSedis and in some cases in the Vatican newspaper, the
MW in Rome.

The word encyclical means a letter which should go around and as a
general norm these documents have been addressed to the members of the
Church through the bishops. Most of these encyclicals are structured in the
following manner. The author begins with a greeting to the people which is
normally followed by a review of the literature that has been written on the

subject matter. Then, they continue with the development of the major topic

27

including a short summary of concepts and ideas which are considered important
in relation to the subject being developed. Finally, they send a blessing to the
faithful.

The section in which the subject matter is developed is divided up into
major titled sections and each part has numbered title headings and sub-
headings. Actually, what is done in these sections containing structured numbers,
is to cluster a series of doctrines and thoughts which are very similar in content
and important for the development of the social teachings of the Church. When
the reader is able to concentrate on the theological content of these extensive
descriptions, the numbered sections become an asset to the reader in the
understanding of these documents.

Numbered sections like those described above are found in all encyclicals
and demonstrate a very unique style of writing used by the popes and leaders of
the Catholic Church. For example Matter et Magistra (1961) or "Christianity
and Social Progress," have 265 numbered sections and a total of 56 normal sized
printed pages. PW (1967) or "On the Development of
Peoples" have 21 normal sized printed pages and contain 87 cluster numbered
sections. W (1981) or "Human Work" have 26 numbered
structured sections and possess 47 normal size printed pages. It can be
concluded that the encyclicals that were written between 1891 and 1931, were
more structured with numbers and sections than those written between 1967 and

1980.

28

Another distinctive characteristic of these encyclicals is that the leaders
usually make a lot of references to previous work that have been written on the
subject. In relation to the topic of peace and justice, they frequently cited in an
orderly manner, the encyclical W (1891) or "A Call for Justice,"
expecting the reader to recall what they know as a fundamental basis for a better
understanding of their new work relating to the social teachings of the Catholic
Church.

The language used in these encyclicals is plain, simple and
straightforward. But, there is also creativity and eloquence found in the written
documents and many of the narrated conceptualizations are striking, appealing
and persuasive. The ofﬁcial communications of the leaders are interesting to the
reader because they deal with common social problems and a multiplicity of
affairs that people may be experiencing in their daily lives. The many
humanitarian concerns and the societal messages given Sometimes contain
suggestions and speciﬁc solutions for some social problems. For example, in
W (1891), when referring to people’s dignity and rights, Pope Leo
XIII suggested:

The following duties, on the other hand, concern rich men [sic.]

and employers: Workers are not to be treated as slaves; justice

demands that the dignity of human personality be respected in

them, ennobled as it has been through what we call the Christian

character. If we hearken to natural reason and to Christian

philosophy, gainful occupations are not a mark of shame to man

[sic.], but rather of respect, as they provide him with an honorable

means of supporting life. It is shameful and inhuman, however, to

use men [sic.] as things for gain and to put no more value on them

than what they are worth in muscle and energy. (Byers, 1985, p.
21)

29

P0pe Leo (1891) was referring to a very basic Christian principle, that
people are worthy because of what they are on account of the nature of their
being. The dignity and the respect which is due to them springs from the nature
of their creation since people were created by God according to God’s image
and likeness. He implies that this ontological reality is what substantiates
people’s dignity, not necessarily any material proﬁts nor any economical or
professional status in society.

An important summary is that throughout all these written documents and
encyclicals, there is continuity and sequence in the development of the social
teachings on peace and justice education of the Church. For example, in the
ﬁrst ﬁve encyclicals cited in this study, there is continuity of theological teaching
on people’s dignity and rights. The elements which are carried through and
further developed in them may be summarized by stating that people have the
right to organize, associate, and assemble in order to advocate for justice.
People have the right to participate at all levels in society in order to achieve
this goal. In MateLeLMagistta (1961) or "Christianity and Social Progress,"
Pope John XXIII stated that an important requisite for people’s complete parti-
cipation in society is proper training and education in order to increase their
capacity for a more efﬁcient participation. Accordingly, in part, these
educational opportunities should be provided by the factory or company where
the person is employed.

In Was (1981) or "On Human Works," Pope John Paul II

broadened within the context of his encyclical, all these principles and added a

 

 

 

30

new dimension by explaining that respect is necessary because of people’s innate
dignity and rights, and that it is a basic condition for obtaining peace in the
world today. In Section IV on the Rights of Workers, he expanded the horizon
of this principle by emphasizing that people must also work out of regard for
others, especially their family, their society and the progressive development of
their nation.

The document of the USA. Catholic Conference of Bishops written in
1983, "The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response," addresses
many contemporary questions on the proliferation of weapons and the arm race
in the world. The other two documents, "Justice in the World" and "Quest for
Justice," also written by the bishops, possess the same continuity trend found in
the encyclicals in relationship to people’s dignity and rights. The bishops
emphasize respect for the dignity of the human person, reminding Christians of
their obligation on behalf of justice and the transformation of the world. Justice
is viewed throughout the Church’s writings as the foundation of peace. At the
center of all Catholic social teaching are the transcendence of God and the
dignity of the human person. "The human person is the clearest reﬂection of
God’s presence in the world; all of the Church’s work in pursuit of both justice
and peace is designed to protect and promote the dignity of every person"
(Bishop’s Pastoral Letter, 1983, p. 6).

Related to the teachings of peace and justice, other subjects which have
been found to be of common concern throughout these documents are: (1) the

relationship between employers and employees, (2) the relationship between

31

people and the state or those who govern them, (3), the right of ownership and
private property, (4) the just distribution of wealth among people and countries
in the world, and (5) just trading between developed and developing nations.
Finally, it may be concluded that it is evident that the Church’s position
has been on the side of the poor, the oppressed and the needy, in contrast to the
historical fact that on other occasions leaders have also identiﬁed themselves
with the rich and powerful. The Church has passed from a contemplative status
to becoming an agent for encouraging members for an active, responsible
participation in political matters as well as in the socio-economic life for all

humankind.

32

Table 2.1

Summary of Content from Selected Encyclicals and Documents

 

 

Wmmem

1. W. "A The poor and the conditions of the working
Call to Justice," (1891). class.

2. W- The basic causes of injustices and poverty in
"The Social Order," society.

(1931).

3. r i r . Examines the abuses of power that were
"Christianity and Social oppressing the human person.

Progress," (1961).

4. Eeeem in fl'erris. Charter of human rights with duties and
"Peace on Earth," responsibilities. Addressed the fundamental
(1963). duties of civil authority in relation to human

rights.

5. WM. Points out the basic causes of poverty in the
"On the Development world. Analyzing the international situation
of Peoples," (1967). and the imbalance between rich and poor

nations.

6. Justiee in the Werld. Reminded Christians to participate in the
Synod of Bishops, transformation of the world for justice and
(1971). peace. Included recommendations for

educating the person for justice and peace.

7. i Contains written records of the United States
(1981). Bishops’ stand on political and social issues

between 1960-80.

8. W. Built upon the social teaching of the Church on
"On Human Works," human work and the just conditions of labor.
( 1981).

9. W Dealt with concrete problems of the present
W such as negotiations strategies among nations;

R .
(1983).

the arms race, warfare and weapons systems.

 

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

General Intteguetiea

Chapter three has four sections. The ﬁrst section is comprised of the
curriculum and conceptual background showing what principles guided the study
and how they were applied throughout the research. The second section contains
expositions on the school’s cultural environment, the educational goals, curricula
and the religion curriculum offered to the students. The third section explains
the general plan of study, how the research changed and the work that was
accomplished in the field. The fourth section includes descriptions of the

research methods that were used in the study.

Ceneeptual Framewerk ef the Study

The conceptual framework from which the data of the study have been
viewed and analyzed sprang mainly from the following concepts of what
curriculum is. Curriculum is all the activities, experiences, resources and
materials, as well as the methods and techniques of teaching that the teacher
uses in a classroom with students in order to accomplish the behavioral objectives
and educational goals (UNESCO, 1958, Document 28). Curriculum is also a
plan or program for learning in which special attention is given to the process
and the act of learning. Taba (1962) stated that, "A curriculum is a plan for

learning" (p. 11). This deﬁnition played an important role in the analysis of data

34

because the speciﬁc aim of the study is to demonstrate how one may ﬁnd out
what happened during a religion program when the teacher and the students
tried to implement doctrines and values on peace and justice education through
classroom practices, school experiences, and into their daily lives.

Special consideration was given to what it is that constituted an
educational experience for students. Dewey (1938) was used as a guide for
ﬁnding meaning and better understanding what an educational experience is for
students. His deﬁnition was used throughout the data analysis to interpret an
educational experience:

An experience is always what it is because of a transaction taking

place between an individual and what, at the time constitutes his

[sic.] environment, whether the latter consists of persons with whom

he [sic.] is talking about some topic or event, the subject talked

about being also a part of the situation; . . . the book he [sic.] is

reading (...); or the materials of an experiment he [sic.] is

performing. The environment, in other words, is whatever
conditions interact with personal needs, desires, purposes, and

capacities to create the experience which is had. (Dewey, 1938,

p. 43-44)

In relation to this same topic, Sperb (1973) stated that curriculum is everything
that happens in the life of a person as well as in the life of the parents and
teachers. Everything that surrounds the students at every hour of the day
constitutes the content for curriculum. "It is the environment in action" (p. 343).
In the process of planning a curriculum for students, the selection of activities
and experiences is as important as the selection of content matter, since they are

a means for developing the content and obtaining some of the goals for the

learning plan.

35

The Catholic Church’s documents and encyclicals in relationship to the
content matter on peace and justice education that were mentioned in Chapter
II were conﬁrming since the Church leaders’ recommendations for teaching
religion afﬁrm the practical foundations of curriculum and instruction of the
authors. The Church’s writers promote instruction in which the teacher uses
techniques and methods that facilitate an active learning process for the students
so that their theoretical learning may be put into practice through productive
activities and experiences.

In the process of applying the principles of ethnography to the conceptual
framework of the study, the writings of Bogdan and Biklen (1982), Spradley
(1980), Hammersley (1983) and Atkinson (1983) were of much help in the
analysis of data, the discovering of linkages and patterns, as well as in making
inferences and describing the major ﬁndings of this study. For example, Spradley
(1980), stated that, "analysis of any kind involves a way of thinking" (p. 85), that
analysis is the systematic examination of the data to determine its parts, the
relationship that exists among its parts and their relationship to the whole. He
further stated that analysis is also a search for patterns and that one must
discover these patterns before moving on to describe the cultural behavior, the
cultural artifacts and the cultural knowledge of the setting.

Bogdan and Biklen (1982) in their discussion on analysis after data
collection suggest that when developing coding categories one can imagine a
large gymnasium in which thousands of toys are spread out on the ﬂoor and

"You are given the task of sorting them into piles according to a scheme that you

36

are to develop" (p. 156). Following their suggestions, this researcher selected the
following coding categories for the classiﬁcation of the different units of data, the
event codes, the activity codes and the strategy codes since these families best ﬁt
into the speciﬁc purpose of the study and its hypotheses. "Particular research
questions and concerns generate certain categories. Certain theoretical
approaches and academic disciplines suggest particular coding schemes" (p. 156).
Event codes, according to Bogdan and Biklen, are the units of data that are
related to activities that occurred in the setting or in the lives of the subjects
participating in the study. Activities codes are directed to regularly occurring
kinds of behavior such as showing ﬁlms, special conferences, etc. Strategy codes
refer to "the tactics, methods, ways, techniques, . . . and other conscious ways
peOple accomplish various things" (p. 161). For example, teachers may employ
certain selected methods and strategies to teach a subject matter that they
develop during their daily lesson plans etc. Hammersley and Atkinson (1983)
stated that "data in themselves cannot be valid or invalid; what is at issue are the

inferences drawn from them" (p. 191).

l in
'Isaias High School is a diocesan private Catholic secondary school. It is
located within an industrial city of 50,000 inhabitants, in an urban area but not
innercity. The total population of boys and girls in the school is of 1000.

Among the races with the student body are white, black, asian and hispanic.

 

'In order to protect the anonymity of the school and the participants, the
pseudonym Isaias High School was chosen for the school’s name.

37

Most students attending the school are from the middle class and some from the
upper middle class. Also, there are some students from low family incomes who
are on scholarships. Following are two tables illustrating the student population

according to racial distribution in the school.

Table 3.1

Racial Distribution of Students
in the School

Rage Smgents Pereent

 

 

White 963 96.30

Black 20 2.00

Asian 9 0.90

Hispanic 8 0.80
Table 3.2

Racial Distribution of Students
Who Participated in the Study

 

n r
White 60 92.33
Black 2 3.07
Asian 2 3.07
Hispanic 1 1.53

 

The school is located on approximately 70 acres of land. The landscape
and panorama of the school is ample and the architecture of its buildings is
modern and functional. The buildings are made of bricks and cement. Among
the physical facilities which the school has available for the students are a
chapel, a library and resource center, a cafetorium (combination of cafeteria-

auditorium), common areas rooms for students, a dome gymnasium, and several

38

classrooms including home economics rooms; arts and drafting rooms; a
computer center; a business room with typewriters; an audio-visual room with
T.V., V.C.R., tape recorders etc.; science lab rooms with equipment and a choral
room. The school also has main administrative offices, as well as other ofﬁces
for the department coordinators and teachers. The school has facilities and
services for all of the sports which are offered for the students. The school is
painted with different colors including bone white, yellow, blue, green, brown and
black panel for the wooden brown doors. The hallways are spacious with
aluminum student lockers painted in a variety of colors matching the colors of
the walls. The ﬂoors are made out of dark color granite. The structure and
comfortable physical settings of the building complex provide the students with
a very pleasant and neat school environment.

Following are two diagrams of the physical setting of the school and the
sports facilities available for the students. The dark-shaded areas in Figure 3.1
illustrate the present buildings’ complex and landscape. The light-shaded area
demonstrates parts of the construction plan for the future. Among the sports
facilities presently available in the light-shaded areas are the practice ﬁelds, the
basketball and tennis courts. The future facilities include a baseball ﬁeld, a
football stadium, a natatorium, an auditorium, more tennis courts and more
classrooms for the students. Parking areas are located in front and on the sides
of the school. Figure 3.2 contains the building complex distribution within the
school. This information was gathered from the interviews with the faculty and

school documents.

39

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buildings of the School, Including Landscape and Sports Facilities.

Figure 3.1

40

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41

Isaias High School has numerous extra-curricular activities for the

students. Among them are:

1.

The Student Council gives students a voice in the school’s events
and happenings.

The National Honor Society recognizes students who show
outstanding "character, academic excellence, community leadership
and school service" (Curriculum Guide, 1985-86, p. 3). Students
qualify for this organization if they have a grade point average of
3.2 at the end of their sophomore year. The N.H.S. sponsors many
school activities for the student body, including the Oxfam hunger-
poverty month, school tutoring programs, a Christmas dance and
3 Valentine’s party for elderly and people with handicaps.

The school provides the students with a variety of clubs. These
are the Chess Club, the Culture Club, the Drama Club, the Pep
Club, the Science Club, and the French, Latin and Spanish Clubs.
Each of them has a series of activities for the students.

Other groups include a Writer’s Guild for those who enjoy writing
where they study different styles of writing, a newspaper, a
yearbook and a marching band.

Sports that they offer include cross country skiing, baseball and
softball, basketball, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, tennis, track,

volleyball, and cheerleading squads.

42

Students are encouraged to become involved in a number of areas. Most
students agree that high school is much more fun if a person gets involved in
activities outside of school hours.

Isaias High School is a comprehensive secondary school with a tradition
of excellence due to the school curricula and the numerous extra-curricular
activities available for the students. Its educational goals are to cultivate
Christian values and to promote a general education for all students: "to offer
electives programs for those who wish to use their acquired skills immediately
after graduation; to provide a strong program to prepare those who desire to
continue their education in a college or university" (Curriculum Guide, 1985-
86, p. 1).

According to the mission statement of the religion department, the school
community provides the teachers and the students with a Christian living
environment where, through their secondary education, they can develop their
gifts and talents in order to cooperate "in the transformation of society in justice
and peace" (Mission Statement Curriculum Guide, 1985-86, p. 10). The primary
obligation for education resides with the parents. The curricula for the students
do not aim to replace the education of the home, but only to complement it
since parents have the essential role as chief educators of youth.

Thus, the principal objective of the school is to offer a Catholic

educational environment and program that covers the whole human

nature, that is, the body and soul along with the physical,
emotional, intellectual and spiritual facilities so that its students

can live intelligent and full lives on this earth and in eternity.
(Curriculum Guide, 1985-86, p. 1)

43

Isaias High School is subject to the limitations of Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, and may not discriminate on the basis of sex, color, race, or national and
ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies,
scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school administered programs
and activities, employment policies or contractual agreements. "Our curriculum
places high value on the development of knowledge, self-esteem, a sense of
personal worth, sensitivity to others, an internalization of Gospel values as
proclaimed by the Catholic Church and the democratic values of the United
States of America" (Curriculum Guide, 1985-86, p. 1).

The minimum requirements for graduation are: 4 years of religion, 4
years of English, 2 years of mathematics, 2 years of social studies, 2 years of
science and 1 year of physical education. This secondary school has seven
departments: Language Arts, Arts, Business, Science, Math, Religion, and Social
Studies. The members of the Religion Department are called to model, offer
leadership and support the formation of a Christian community. Through the
Religion Department program of studies:

Each student, . . . will be able to deepen the call of faith through

catechesis, to make a commitment to the Church as a community

and institution, to participate in celebration of the commitment in

sacraments, to develop social awareness and ﬁnally to perceive the

relationship of this commitment to one’s legitimate desire for self-

gig’fignigt and satisfying relationships. (Curriculum Guide, 1985-

The Religion Department Education Program offers the following courses

to their students.

0905

0234
0910
0910

0910

0920

0921

0925

0237
0930
0930

WWW. Grade 9. (1 semester, 1 credit).
When Grade 9. (1 semester. 1

credit).
WM. Grade 9. (1 semester, 1 credit).
W. Grade 10. (required, 1 semester, 1 credit).

quarter, 1/2 credit).

Mt -- The New Testament. Grade 10. (required,
quarter, 1/2 credit).

Understanding Christian Merality.

semester, 1 credit

BeacLanLSnciaLlustice Grade 11.
credit).

flfhe Chareh and Western Civiliaatien.

semester, 1 credit).

Western Civilizatien. Grade 11. (1 semester, 1 credit).
Chtistian Serviee. Grade 12. (required, 1 semester).

Wage. Grade 12. (required, 1 semester).

Grade 10.

(required,

Grade 11. (required,

(elective, 1 semester,

Grade 11. (elective,

This course will acquaint students with the realities of injustice
and lack of peace in the world in which they live. It will give them
an opportunity to discuss achievable solutions so that, as they move
into adult life, they may take steps to bring the world closer to that
ideal which they desire. This ideal world is the one held in the
vision of Christians ever since Christ came with His message of
hope; and His solution to the human problems that plague all
human beings in their earthly existence. A world where God lives
among men [sic.], and there will be no deaths and no more
mourning or sadness. (Curriculum Guide, 1985-86, p. 10)

45

' i n i °
i ' i i "

The morality of Christ will be explained in the Gospel and applied
to contemporary moral issues affecting our lives. The positive
expression of the Christian interpretation of life will be
emphasized. The students will be exposed to values clariﬁcation
techniques that will help them become more aware of the way
they acquire and apply their values. Christian moral principles
will be compared to other moral orientations. (Oirriculum Guide,
1985-86, p. 10)

 

Deseg’ptien Qf Fieldwerk
i i n r

The ﬁrst negotiations for this research project were made during the
months of March, April and May, 1985. The most decisive negotiations
concerning the project were made with the superintendent of Catholic Schools
in the State of Michigan. She demonstrated interest and concern for the
dissertation project and was open and ﬂexible in regard to visiting any Catholic
Secondary Institutions.

The Peace and Justice Education Center Director was also very kind and
helpful with this research project. He supplied a copy of the survey done by the
NCEA in 1975: "Peace Education in Catholic Schools," and offered use of the
peace and justice education library in the diocesan education office.

The second part of the negotiation process entailed visiting all Diocesan
Secondary Schools in the State of Michigan. Telephone calls were made during
April to each school in order to converse with the principals, religion

coordinators and religion teachers. Arrangements were made with each

46

secondary school for a visit, and appointments were made with the religion
coordinator to learn about the peace and justice education program available for
their students. Approximately ten teachers were brieﬂy interviewed with the
purpose of discovering the goals, lesson plans, experiences and activities for the
students. A total of ﬁve schools were visited from the Catholic Diocese in the
state of Michigan, and the schools were located in four different cities. When
each school was visited, a letter to the principal and religion teachers explained
the purpose of the study and the information and materials requested for the
study (see Appendix A for a copy of this letter).

After carefully studying, analyzing and considering the situation of each
secondary school and the type of religion program available for the students.
Isaias High School was chosen for this ethnographic study. It was considered
the best situation for this qualitative research because this high school had a
deﬁnite peace and justice education program in its religion curriculum. This
program and the school’s continuity on peace and justice education provided the
best setting for generating valid answers for the research questions and
hypotheses. The other high schools the researcher visited did not offer the
students a peace and justice curriculum; however, they did have some peace and
justice principles integrated in their social studies program. The only exception
was one high school that offered the students a two month mini-course on peace

and justice, where students met once or twice a week during last semester of

their school year.

47

The research proposal for the study was organized and structured from
January to May, 1985. The university committee approved it in July, 1985. Data
was collected on the peace and justice program of Isaias High School from

September, 1985 to January, 1986.

P1 11 f

This ethnographic study was done at Isaias High School which is located
in Michigan. The speciﬁc aim of the study was to understand the effect of the
teaching of Church doctrines through classroom practices and school experiences.
The purpose of this study was not to evaluate a program, but to describe how a
teacher and students tried to implement doctrines and the content of the _
Catholic Church’s teachings for peace and justice education at the 11th grade
level.

Further, another goal of this study was to identify the principal tenets of
the Church for the teachings on peace and justice and to discover what attempts
were made to integrate this content during classroom practices and school
experiences. Finally, the study also intended to show how the course,
"Understanding Christian Morality" helped the students to integrate what they
had learned in their "Peace and Social Justice" course with their daily lives and
future careers.

The population that participated in the study consisted of the
administrator-principal of the school, the ﬁrst administrator, the assistant
academic principal, the coordinator of the students’ activities, the student council

coordinator, the religion coordinator and the religion teachers, as well as the

48

students taking the course. The total population consisted of approximately 11
adults and 65 students. Students in the religion course taught during fall
semester, 1985 met for 45 minutes from Monday to Friday.

Observations in the classroom began the ﬁrst week of September from
9:45 to 10:36 am. and from 10:37 to 11:27 am. with two different groups of
students. These times were the scheduled 2nd and 3rd periods of a normal
school day. There was a total of 56 participant observation periods during the
whole semester.

The student interviews were held in groups of 3-4 and 5-6 students
depending on which students were present in school on the day of the interview.
In the 11th grade student body, 22 students volunteered for the interview

sections. The interviews were held near the end of the semester.

W

The study needed to change when research question 5 was addressed:
In what ways is this secondary school preparing the students to participate in
the building of social justice and peace as citizens and members of the Catholic
community? This research question is similar to the question used by the
National Catholic Education Association’s survey in 1975, "Peace Education in
Catholic Schools" (see Appendix A). During the research it was discovered that
the one course on "Peace and Social Justice" was not enough to yield answers to
this question. As a consequence, this researcher needed to analyze the curricula

of the school, and after collecting more data and examining the parts, during the

49

ﬁnal analysis it was found that there was an integration of peace and justice
education in the school’s curricula.

Peace and social justice teachings were integrated especially in the
Religion curriculum, in the English curriculum and the Social Studies curriculum.
However, it was conﬁrmed throughout the study that the peace and justice
course was the core of the religion curriculum in the school, it provided the
students with tools for them to become aware that the world is not really at
peace because of the many injustices that exist in their society and the world.

Another change in the study occurred during the ﬁrst interview session
with the students, when they were unable to give answers to these questions:

7. Where do you see yourself going in the future concerning your

career? Has this class affected your decision in any way?

8. How do you see your role as a Christian in society and how has

it changed since you have been taking this course? (Appendix C)
It was during February, 1986 that new research questions were generated to
discover why they were unable to relate what they had learned in their peace
and justice course with their role in society as Christians and with their future
jobs and careers. The second session of student interviews were conducted
during May, 1986, almost at the end of their second semester. The new set of
questions were:

1. How have you put into practice what you have learned in the peace

and justice course? Have you been able to apply what you’ve

learned in the peace and justice course to your own life?

50

2. Is it easy for you to relate now what you have learned in the course
on peace and justice to your role in society and future careers or
job? If yes, why? If no, why not?

3. How do you think that the school can help you or motivate you
to relate practically what you have learned with what you will be
doing in the future? (Appendix C)

The answers of the students to these questions helped to discover that
the course, "Understanding Christian Morality," aided them in their personal
decision-making processes to apply the principles and social teachings of the
Church on peace and justice education by giving them the tools to integrate the
knowledge acquired in their peace and justice course with their daily lives and .

their future careers and jobs.

Interview Sessiens

There were two series of interview sessions during the study. The ﬁrst
sessions were held during October and November for the faculty and teachers
and during December and January with the 11th grade students. Each interview
session lasted approximately 45 minutes. The main purpose of the interviews
was to obtain ﬁrsthand information from the faculty and the students in
reference to religious education in the school and more speciﬁc data concerning
the peace and justice educational program for the 11th grade students (see
Appendix C for interview questions).

The "Information Sheet" for the religion teacher was devised as a

supplementary information source related to the speciﬁc goals and content of

51

the religion program with each group of students. Additional information on
peace and justice education was also included in relationship to the students’
experience and classroom practices. The information sheet was given to the
teachers during the month of September and returned to the researcher at the
beginning of October. There was a total of six speciﬁc questions in the
"Interview Questions Sheet" (see Appendix C) and ﬁve statements to be

completed.

Administtatiea 9f Qaestiennaires

A total of three questionnaires were answered during the complete
semester of the research: an "Administration Questionnaire"; 3 "Religion
Department Questionnaire"; and a "Student Activities Questionnaire" (see
Appendix B). The "Administration Questionnaire" was answered only by the
ﬁrst principal of Isaias High School during the ﬁrst week of October. The
"Religion Department Questionnaire" was answered by the religion department
coordinator and the religion teachers. The "Student Activities Questionnaire"
was answered by the coordinator of the students’ activities, the student council
coordinator and all of the religion teachers, as well as by a group of 22 students
who volunteered.

The questionnaire for the religion department focused on: (1) the
religion teacher’s knowledge of selected Church documents and encyclicals; (2)
a series of speciﬁc instructional objectives relating to human rights, peace and
justice issues on a national and global scale, and a person’s responsibility to law

and conscience; (3) the role of the Church and its teachings on peace and justice

52

education; (4) socio-economic problems concerning peace and justice on national
and international levels; and (5) problems of war, peace and justice in general.

The questionnaire for the administration of the school focused on: (1)
how the school philosophy was related to the context of the curriculum goals in
relationship to the peace and justice educational subject matter; (2) what were
the allocated resources of the school for peace and justice education; (3) what
were the incentives provided by the administration for teacher education related
to the time and energy devoted to peace and justice education by the religion
teacher in the school.

The "Student Activities Questionnaire" focused on: (1) the opportunities
and activities that were offered for students both in the school and off campus
which gave students signiﬁcant experiences on peace and justice education to
concretize Christian values and principles; and (2) the resources and services
given to the school by national and international organizations that were
committed to peace and justice, providing the students with those services.

Tables 3.3 and 3.4 illustrate the participant observation schedule, the date

for the administration of questionnaires and the date for the interview sessions.

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54

Table 3.4

Administration of Questionnaires and Interview
Interview Sessions for the Second Semester

 

Ed Semester - February 1986 to July 1986
"Peace and Justice Program"

 

February Completion of Data Analysis (Part I) - Transcriptions of Taped
Interviews, Activities Tapes, and Video-tapes viewing.

March Formulation of New Research Questions for Completion of Study.
Negotiations for second interviews.

April Second Series of Faculty and Student Interviews Begin.

May Faculty and Student Interviews Continue.

June Completion of Data Analysis (Part II)

1. Analysis of Interview Sessions.
2. Comparisons with First Interview Sessions.

 

i i ' n n ii n

The following deletions and additions were made to the original
questionnaires. In the "Administration Questionnaire" (Appendix B), the
information on the school, diocese, state, street, city, zip, name of person and
position were totally deleted. In Part I, when rating the scale, the following
phrases and words were also deleted: "peace education"; and "plans". In Parts
II and IV, the words "send copies" and "emerging" were also removed from the
original questionnaire of the NCEA. The following additions were made to this

questionnaire. In Part I, "interest and" was added to the ﬁrst statement. At the

55

end of this same section, the following was also added: " Other.

 

Please indicate". Parts II and III remained the same as in the original. In Part
IV, the following question was deleted. "Which of the following steps have been
taken by your school?" And changed to: "Please check any of the following steps
which apply to your school." To statements E and G in Part IV, this was added:

"If so, please indicate: ." Section H was added in the same part with

 

None of the above." On Part V, the following question was added:

 

"Other type of assistance? Yes No. If yes, please indicate

 

In the "Religion Department Questionnaire" (Appendix B), the following
changes were made from the original. To the scale in Part I this was added after
number 1: "2. Some familiarity". The following encyclicals and documents were
deleted. "The Church in the Modern World," Call to Action, Progress of
Peoples, and To Teach as Jesus Did" The encyclical added to this part was
, W (1981), or "On Human Work." All encyclicals were included
with the original Latin name and the Pope’s name and year of writing. Two
pastoral documents from some Catholic Bishops from the years 1971 and 1983
were also added to this ﬁrst part. On the ﬁrst statement for Part II, the
following was added following the word student: "topics and". On the rating scale
for the same part on 1 _ _ the word "tangentially" was changed to "rarely", and
item 3 was also added: "The subject is covered sometimes." Two statements
were deleted from Part II - G and H. Statement E was added to the

questionnaire: "will be able to distinguish the differences and give examples of

56

personal sin and social sin." Part E in the original questionnaire was placed
following F in the adapted questionnaires for the study, and it was the original
statement found in the NCEA questionnaire. In Item F of the original, the
following words were deleted: "deﬁne", "in politics", "but not as ruler in the
secular order". The word "consider" was also added and "as a peace and justice
value giver". Thus, F because G for the adapted item for the new questionnaire.
G and H of the original were totally deleted. H and I in the adapted version
were totally added. Item I in the original had the following deleted word:
"humanistic" and "basic Christian Moral" added. I of the original remained the
same. K of the original was totally deleted. Item L had the following deletions:
"Christian", "to work and end war" . . . "among peoples no matter whether one
takes a just war, a holy war or a paciﬁst position." The new statement L in the
adapted version was: "recognize the responsibility which every believer has to
promote justice and peace for all peoples and nations." Item M in the original
basically had the following deletion: "in relationships between individuals and
peoples" and the word "governmental" was added. The parts of this section were
singled out adding the letters a), b) and c) to each particular topic being
addressed as an entity. The last statement N in the original had only one
change: "of" was changed to "for". Part ID in this questionnaire was the same
with only one added word: "interdependence". In Part IV the following
additions were made: "literature"; "human dignity and rights of people in regard
to race, sex and age"; and "distribution". Part V had one deletion "send any

capies" was changed to "give the researcher".

57

In the "Student Activities Questionnaire" (Appendix B), the following
deletions were made: The top section requiring the information of the school,
diocese, . . . name of person and position, etc. was totally deleted. In Part 1,
statement A was completely deleted, and in statement E, the word "issues" was
deleted. In Part 2, the following words were deleted: "of conﬂict, war and
peace" in statement C, and in statement D the words "and peace" were deleted.
The following additions were made: "please" in the directions for Part I,
statements A, B and D in their totality; C became E in the revised edition; D in
the original became E in the revised edition; D in the original became F in the
revised edition and the following words were added: "national and", "school
bulletins, etc." E in the original became G in the revised questionnaire and the
following was added to it: "peace and justice concerns within”. F in the original
became H in the revised edition and the following phrase was added: "related

to peace and justice education". I was totally added: "Other. Please specify:

 

In Part II of the "Student Questionnaire," "Check the activities" was
changed to: "Please check the activities which apply to your school." In this
section, other additions were made to the following statements: A "national and";
statement B "guide and", "and justice, and"; statement C "national and", "on peace
and justice human issues and events." Statements E, F and G were totally added.

In Part III, the word "please" was added. All the organizations listed in
this section were included as in the revised questionnaire but not in the same

order.

58

In Part IV, the following words were deleted: "send", "you have", "world
justice”, "concerns". And the following were added: "give the researcher", "that
has been" and "national and international justice and peace education."

The revisions of the three questionnaires that were used for the study
were done in a series of meetings in two or three weeks with the following
personnel: the superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese, the director
of the Peace and Justice Center at the diocesan level, the researcher’s graduate
committee from MSU, the principal at one high school, the 11th grade teacher
from the social studies department and the religion coordinator of the high
school. A total of 10 people worked on the revisions of all questionnaires in
order to adapt them to this ethnographic study.

In Appendix A is a copy of the letter written to the executive director of
the secondary department (NCEA) by this researcher, with a copy of the

permission granted by them.

Beseareh Metheds

The method of research used during this study was ethnography, also
known as qualitative research, naturalistic research or ﬁeldwork research
(Bogden and Biklen, 1983). The purpose of ethnography is to discover the
patterns of behavior that make up a social system in order to provide
descriptions about social human behavior. Many characteristics distinguish
qualitative descriptive research from others types of social science research.
Among these characteristics are the following. The natural setting is one of the

key sources of data. This type of research is concerned with context. It is

59

concerned with ﬁnding the meaning of this context as it is in the minds of the
people who participate in the natural setting.

The goal of this type of research is to try to discover why people are doing
what they are doing. This researcher also considered what experiences the
subjects had, how they interpreted their experiences and how they structured
their social world. For example, in the case of this study, the aim was to discover
how they related their class experiences and activities to the peace and justice
principles that they were learning. Another important area of discovery was how
they applied the peace and justice principles to their own lives in the school
community and to their future role as Christians in society.

The purpose of ﬁeld research in ethnographic studies is to learn about the
process rather than simply about the outcomes. Because nothing can be
considered trivial and unimportant, either the participants in the study or the
subject of study, the central concern of the ﬁeldwork is descriptive. Fieldworkers
are interested in the ordinary happenings of everyday life; they are interested
in the pe0ple they study.

Qualitative researchers go to the particular setting under study

because they are concerned with context. They feel that action can

be best understood when it is observed in the setting in which it

occurs. The setting has to be understood in the context of the

history of the institutions in which they are a part. . . . To divorce

the act, word, or gesture from its context is, for the qualitative

researcher, to lose sight of signiﬁcance. (Bogdan and Biklen, 1982,

p. 27).

One of the most common questions asked about qualitative research is:

Is qualitative research really scientific? In answering this question, Bogdan and

Biklen (1982) said:

60

Some people may use an extremely narrow deﬁnition of science,
calling only research which is deductive and hypothesis-testing
scientiﬁc. But part of the scientiﬁc attitude, as we see it, is to be
open-minded about method and evidence. Scientiﬁc research, to
us, involves rigorous and systematic empirical inquiry; that is, which
is data-based. Qualitative research meets these requirements.

(p. 39)
Bogdan and Biklen (1982), ethnographers who have done qualitative

research, analyzed their data inductively. It is not assumed that enough is known
when the research is started. The researcher tries to learn from the ﬁeldwork
what the important questions are. "You are not putting together a puzzle, whose
picture you already know. You are constructing a picture which takes shape as
you collect and examine the parts" (Bogdan and Biklen, 1982, p. 29).

Methods for gathering data for the analysis using the inductive method

The researcher used participant observations during the peace and justice
course, ﬁeldnotes, memos, quotations and class materials to keep a record of
what happened in the classroom. The ﬁndings are included in the following
chapters in the descriptions and vignettes. The natural setting was employed as
an important source for gathering the data. Hypotheses were developed in the
ﬁeld while observing the patterns of behavior among participants and then tested
and organized the concepts, inferences and ﬁndings according to the picture

being constructed as the different parts were examined.

61

During participant observations, there were classroom activities and school
experiences videotaped. The videotaped experiences were used as an authentic
source for enriching and illuminating the context of the data gathered.

2. Intendms

According to Spradley (1980), ethnographic interviews may be either
formal or informal. An informal interview occurs, "whenever you ask someone
a question during the course of participant observation" (p. 123). A formal
interview occurs, "at an appropriate time and results from a speciﬁc request to
hold the interview" (p. 124).

During this study, both formal and informal interviews were used to
obtain data and to clarify and reinforce what was observed and recorded during
participant observations. The faculty and the students who volunteered to
participate in the study were interviewed during the academic year. For this
researcher, the interview sessions were considered important and signiﬁcant since
they were a great source for interpreting the culture of the school community
and for better understanding the participants’ behavior. Two series of interviews
were held, one during December-January and another during April-May with the
faculty and students. Having two sets of interviews was necessary for the
completion of data collection.

The interviews proved to be a very reliable means for collecting
information about participants’ personal feelings, values, motives, beliefs,
assumptions and ideas related to the study’s purpose and goals. There was a rich

ﬂow of information during both series of interviews.

62

3. Questionnaires

The questionnaires used in the study were also an important source for
verifying the validity of the data gathered during participant observations and the
interview sessions. Three different sets of questionnaires were administered:
"The Religion Department Questionnaire," "The Administration Questionnaire"
and "The Student Activities Questionnaire." The questionnaires results were
triangulated with the other data sources.
4. Srhoolllogimems

Another valuable source of information was the school documents that
included descriptions of the different school activities and experiences in which
the students were involved. The research questions and problems required these
documents to make the data gathering process complete. For example, for
better understanding of the school’s Service Program for the community cited in
the last vignette, the documents provided clarity. It was the source that
completed the information and clariﬁed the students tasks, and their
responsibilities.
5. WWW

Another source of information was informal meetings with the faculty and
students. This researcher had lunch with faculty and students frequently during
the research time. It was during one of these informal meetings that the
researcher learned what happened when the girls walked out of the classroom
in protest because they thought the teacher was discriminating against them. In

this informal meeting, two of the girls explained to me their feelings and the

63

motives behind their leaving the classroom. This was cross-referenced
(triangulation) with the participant observation notes and the interview held with
the 11th grade teacher.

During another informal meeting in the home of one of the teachers, this
researcher received information about the students’ volunteer work in the school
for students with handicaps in their town and in the camps in a nearby city.
Also, explanations were given about the Resurrection Home in Appalachia,
Kentucky, and about the work that the students did among the poor and the
abused. Some of these events were incorporated in the descriptions of the

Vignettes.

SummanLQfBeseaLchA/Iﬂhods

This researcher used as a guide the ethnographic research cycle shown in
Figure 3.3 during the "cyclical pattern" (Spradley, 1980, p. 28), of the research
methods implemented in the ﬁeld. This cycle is like the original one Spradley
(1980, p. 29) has in his book Wm. Spradley’s six major steps
in the rectangular boxes with arrows were given numbers to demonstrate three
deﬁnite stages that were used throughout the whole process of this ethnographic
study: (1) the selection of the study; (2) asking the research questions, collecting
the data, and analyzing it; and (3) producing the written study with the
conclusion and major ﬁndings.

The changes consist in the numbers given to the stpes and in the

rewording of the three steps, "selecting an ethnographic study, making

ethnographic records," and "producing ethnographic study."

 

2
Making Ethnographic
Records, etc.

 

\

 

School Experiences

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and
Participant Activities
Observations \
Documents
2 i 1 Collicting
Asking Selecting an .
Ethnographic Ethno a hic Stud E’hmg’aph‘c
Questions gr p y Data
. Interviews
Informal Meetings Questionnaires

 

2
Analyzing
Ethnographic
Data

 

 

 

l

 

3
Producing
Ethnographic
Study

 

 

 

Figure 3.3 Ethnographic Research Cycle

65

The methods used in this research study are incorporated into the cycle and
added to Spradley’s (1980) original ﬁgure. These are participant-observations,
school and Church documents that were used throughout the study; the school
experiences and activities for the students; the interviews that were held; the
administration of questionnaires; and the informal meetings had with the faculty
and students. In Spradley’s original model "Making an ethnographic record" is
placed after "Collecting ethnographic data," but this author placed it before
"Collecting ethnographic data" and made the word record plural since this author
recorded participant-observation notes, memos, quotes, etc. right from the
beginning when asking ethnographic questions and much of the beginning
analysis rely on what was recorded before collecting the rest of the data for the

study.

r h r h K n m n

A researcher needs to be very objective and systematic when gathering
and analyzing the data, as well as during the ﬁnal process of producing the final
copy of an ethnographic study. But at the same time, it is a bit difﬁcult to
divorce oneself totally from formation, attitudes, experiences and personal values
because "analysis of any kind involves a way of thinking" (Spradley, 1980, p. 85).
The researcher’s thinking has been inﬂuenced by the Catholic Church’s teachings
and values because for 22 years she was a part of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
The option for the poor and the thrust for peace and social justice are important
components of this religious congregation. Also, she was blessed with Catholic

parents whose example lead her to experience what justice could do among

66

family members and in personal relationships with others. The researcher’s
personal insights have been touched by the life experience of a developing nation
since poverty is right in her own backyard and injustices are a daily part of her
social, economic and political system. Also, she was privileged to be able to
work in her native land and Puerto Rico with and for the poor and had the
opportunity of observing these people struggle for human survival and better
human living conditions. Of course, all of these experiences have made the
researcher biased toward the attainment of peace and justice in the world,
especially in the Third World, but also they have reafﬁrmed and strengthened
her Christian commitment.

During the process of qualitative research in the ﬁeld, the researcher is
the key instrument in the data gathering process and the ﬁnal analysis. The
information gathered are reviewed "with the researcher’s insight" (Bogdan and
Biklen, 1982, p. 27). The limitations of this researcher are also obvious since
doing research in a foreign culture may produce limited accounts and
interpretations. A person from a developed country would have probably told
the same true story about this particular cultural setting in the school, but
because of the personal insights and experiences, the approach and praxis when
telling the story would have been reviewed differently. And, of course, the prose
style of writing would have been more effective since English for this author is
a second language. An important reason for doing this ethnographic study in this
country is because the researcher wanted to learn something about curriculum

and instruction in an advanced modern technological society, and also because

67

in her home country, the Dominican Republic, there is no formal curriculum or
program on peace and justice education based on Christian principles and values.
The experience of doing this research in Isaias High School has been a rich and

powerful one for this researcher.

CHAPTER IV
DESCRIPTION OF VIGNET'TES

General Intredugien

Qualitative research can provide deep insights and authentic valid
knowledge about a culture and a particular group of people in a society. Oilture
is what people believe in, what people do, what pe0ple experience, what people
make and the artifacts that they use in their own way of life. In the observations
for this study, this researcher discovered a system of standards for perceiving,
believing and acting. This required a suspension of the researcher’s own cultural
values, principles and believes in order to enter into what Ihde (1979) called the
"epoche" or the setting aside of one’s own premise and assumptions about this
particular school situation. In trying to do this, this researcher was able to
discover, experience and understand the culture of the teachers, the 11th grade
students and the people who participated in the study. "It is a probing for what
is genuinely discoverable and potentially there, but not often seen" (Ihde, 1979,
p. 26).

On the process of analysis, Hammersley and Atkinson (1983) wrote that,
"ethnographic analysis is not just a cognitive activity, but a form of writing" (p.
206). ". . . the ethnographer is engaged in ’telling a story’ . . . . There is no
single correct method for construction of texts" (p. 209-212). Therefore, a simple
way of describing the major ﬁndings of the study has been chosen. There are

three vignettes which constitute the core of the study. In the beginning of each

69

vignette, an assertion is made which is preceded by the major research questions
of the study. Throughout the vignettes, new hypothesis or research questions are

included as they emerged from the analysis of data.

21:22:19.1
1. What is the position taken by the Catholic Church in the basic selected
documents regarding peace and justice?
2. What are the goals for the peace and justice education program in the
school curriculum?
3. To what degree are the concepts and social teachings studied congruent

with the position taken by the Church?

Assertion

The selected content and social teachings for peace and justice

education for the 11th grade students were congruent with the

principles and values of the Roman Catholic Church.

In regard to the position of the Church, it can be stated that justice is
viewed throughout the Church’s writings and documents as the foundation of
peace and that at the axis of all Catholic social teachings is the issue of human
rights and the person’s dignity. In the chapter on the precedents in literature, it
was mentioned that there was continuity found in the writings of the Church on
this tapic. Also, in the summary, it was concluded that all of the Church’s
documents on justice and peace tried to protect and promote the human being.

This is evident in the writings that have been referred to, especially "Justice in

70

the World" (1971), "Quest for Justice" (1981), and the encyclical Paeem in fI'erris
(1963), "Peace on Earth," where a charter is delineated on human rights and it’s
duties and obligations are fully described.

Basically, the ﬁrst ﬁve encyclicals quoted in Chapter II all address
different dimensions of human rights principles and values. It is also very
signiﬁcant that the Church’s writers address the dimension of human rights that
were prevalent at the time the document was produced. For example in Rem
Eta/3mm (1891), "A Call to Justice," the concern of the Church was on the poor
and the working class. Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical in 1891 still remains as the
basis of all the ofﬁcial Catholic Church position on social issues and concerns.
Forty years later, Pope Pius XI wrote Quadtagesimeﬁgmgz ( 1931), "The Social
Order," in which he focused attention on the basic causes of injustice and poverty
in society. In MateLeLMagistta (1961), "Christianity and Social Progress," POpe
John XXIII’s ideas on society were not different from other leaders of the
Church, but he warned people against abuses of power that were oppressing the
human person. In W (1963), "Peace on Earth," Pope John XXIII,
besides listing the human rights principles with their duties and obligations,
addressed the fundamental duties of civil authority in relationship to human
rights. In W (1967), "The Development of Peoples," Pope
Paul VI explained the basic causes of poverty before offering solutions to the
problem. He analyzed the global situation in the world and explained why there

was such an imbalance between rich and poor nations. In one of the latest

encyclicals, W (1981), "On Human Work," John Paul 11 built

71

upon the condition of human labor. This encyclical represented a new style of
social teaching in the Church, concerning human work and its just positions and
justiﬁcations.

The bishops’ writings on "Justice in the World" (1971), discussed the
biblical foundations of justice as it was revealed in the Old and the New
Testament in the Bible. It reminded the members of the Church of their grave
duties on behalf of justice and it motivated the members to fully participate in
the transformation of the world, since it is considered an essential dimension in
the preaching of Christ’s gospel. Finally, the U.S.A. bishops in "The Challenge
of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response" (1983), gave us a pastoral letter
with a mixture of biblical, philosophical and theological elements, and wrote
upon concrete problems of the present such as negotiation strategies among
nations, warfare, the arms race and weapons systems.

In summary, the position of the Catholic Church on peace and justice
education is as follows:

1. Justice is viewed throughout the Church’s writings as the

foundation of peace.

2. At the axis of all Catholic social teachings and writings is the issue

of human rights and the dignity of the person.

3. Poverty has been one of the major concerns throughout the history

of the Church.

4. Most of the time, the Church has been on the side of the poor, the

needy and the oppressed in society.

72

5. Justice and peace have been for the Church, one of the greatest

preoccupations of our modern time.

Now the study will focus on how most of the selected content and social
teachings for peace and justice education for the 11th grade students which was
taught in the school was congruent with the principles and values of the Roman
Catholic Church. The major source of data for this part of the vignette were the
notes taken during observation of the course and different materials accumulated
during the research process. The central content of the peace and justice
education course was the subject of human rights and the dignity of man. The
outline and objectives for the course are listed in Tables 4.1 and 4.2.

Table 4.1 contains a complete outline for each unit of the course, as it
was developed according to the topics of the lesson plans. Table 4.2 describes
what the students accomplished as they completed each unit, during classroom

practices and school experiences.

73

Table 4.1

Peace and Justice Course Outline

 

 

Unit Outline
1. Discrimination U.S.A. (racial, sex, age, handicap, religion)
a. Blacks, race, prejudice and minority groups.
b. Women
c. The Elderly
d. Some religious discrimination with groups.
11. Poverty (world and local)
a. Unemployment
b. Hunger
c. Living conditions
HI. Judicial System
a. Juvenile justice system
b. Adult justice
c. Court system
d Crime and capital punishment
e Prison, jails, victims’ rights, etc.
IV. The Catholic Church and the World

a. Church’s role in the world
b. Local social problems.

 

74

Table 4.2

Peace and Justice Education Course Behavioral Objectives

 

Unit I.Discrimination USA
After completing this unit, the students will be able to:

1. List groups of people in the US. who are discriminated against.
2. Give a brief history of types of discrimination in the US. and
attempts to overcome them.
3. Describe the impact of prejudice on the individual.
4. Give ways to overcome personal prejudices.
Unit II. Poverty
After completing this unit, the students will be able to:
1. Be more aware of world and local problems of poverty and hunger.
2. Know what a student can do to help ease the problems of poverty
and hunger.
3. Realize it is their duty as Christians to help those who are less
fortunate.
4. Discuss applicable solutions for problems the poor face and realize

the facts and reasons behind being poor.

Unit III. Judicial System
After completing this unit, the students will be able to:

9‘.“wa

Answer questions about juvenile court crimes, its effect on society,
and society’s way of dealing with young offenders.

Discuss the fairness of the adult court system - probation, parole.
Discuss jail and prison-punishment or rehabilitation.

Discuss the fairness of the system to the victim.

Discuss the moral issue of capital punishment.

Discuss the individual way to change the system to make it better.

Unit IV. The Catholic Church and the World
After completing this unit, the students will be able to:

1.

Discuss the Church’s role in world and local social problems.

 

75

The peace and justice course was conducted from September until January
and it lasted one semester, approximately ﬁve months. During those months, the
students met every day of the school week for one morning period that lasted
about 50 minutes. There were two different groups of students for the course.
The content for September and October was basically on the topic of
discrimination in the USA. The content for November and December was
basically on the judicial system. Also, the students studied the unit on poverty
during the months of September, October and November; and the Unit on the
Catholic Church and the World was basically completed during November,
December and January.

The goal and description for the peace and justice course was given in the
school’s Curriculum Guide (1985-86) as follows:

This course will acquaint students with the realities of injustice in

the world in which they live. It will give them an opportunity to

discuss achievable solutions so that, as they move into adult life,

they may take steps to bring the world closer to that ideal which

they desire. This ideal world is the one held in the vision of

Christians ever since Christ came with His message of hope; and

His solution to the human problems that plague all human beings

in their earthly existence. A world where God lives among men,

and there will be no more mourning or sadness. (p. 10)

According to Taba (1962), objectives are of "two different sorts: those
which describe the school-wide outcomes and the more speciﬁc ones which
describe behaviors to be attained in a particular unit, a subject area, a course,
or a grade-level program" (Taba, 1962, p. 196).

In relationship to the content for the peace and justice course and its

behavioral objectives, it is important to clarify that education does not consist

76

only in mastery of content, but that the objectives include the function of
describing the types of powers, the abilities or the skills which are going to be
developed or that need to be developed for a particular group of students. "The
most useful and clearest statements of objectives are those which specify both the
kind of behavior reaction that is expected and the content to which it applies."
For example, "if the behavior denotes knowing or remembering, the statement
of objectives should also indicate what is to be known or remembered" (Taba,
1962, p. 200). As far as the content and the behavioral objectives for the peace
and justice course, the content was speciﬁed by the 11th grade teacher and the
behavioral objectives described the type of behavior expected of the students at
the conclusion of each unit.

There were 15 behavioral objectives for the peace and justice course (see
Table 4.2). Seven of them referred to discussions that the students had during
classes according to the topics for each unit. Four of them referred to the
behavior of giving, listing or describing. Three behavioral objectives referred to
the behavior of knowing, realizing or being more aware. One of them referred
to the behavior of answering questions for the unit on the judicial system. These
course objectives were classiﬁed into the cognitive domain using Bloom’s
Taxonomy (1964). Demonstration of skills through discussion accompanied by
an exchange of views and opinions, depending on the topic of the class, was the
most common behavioral objective developed during religion class. This

frequency was to be expected since the general objective of the course was to

77

acquaint the students with the realities of injustice in the world and to give them
an opportunity to discuss achievable solutions.

This peace and justice course acquainted the students with the realities of
injustices in the world, but the behavior of discussing achievable solutions was
not often observed during the course in relationship to some of the behavioral
objectives that were intended for the units. For example, during the unit on the
judicial system, for behavioral objective #6 ("Discuss the individual way to
change the system to make it better."), there was one attempt to discuss the
individual way to change the judicial system to make it better. It was a
suggestion given in regard to parents becoming more aware of how the juvenile
court system functions. The particular suggestion given by the teacher was that
parents could send letters of petitions if their child was a juvenile delinquent so
that they would not be placed in adult jails, but in juvenile centers. There is no
evidence in the data that they had a group discussion on how to change the
judicial system to make it better. It can be stated, however, that there was
consensus among the students and the teacher that the judicial system needed to
have some changes made in regard to prison, jails and juvenile victim’s rights.

In the unit on poverty, almost the same could be said about objective #4
("Discuss applicable solutions for problems the poor face and realize the facts
and reasons behind being poor.") The students, after completing the study on
this unit, were well aware of the facts and reasons behind being poor; however,
as far as discussing applicable solutions in the classroom for solving some of the

problems the poor faced, there was not enough evidence in the participant

78

observations data to say that this was done very often. Nevertheless, the students
in the school were very cooperative in activities for the poor. Most of their
cooperation consisted in the giving of their time and talents to help in the
community and in donating material resources for the poor. Speciﬁc descriptions
of these activities and experiences for the poor will be provided in the following
vignettes.

In the unit on discrimination, for objective #4 ("Give ways to overcome
personal prejudices."), attempts were made during classroom practices to analyze
the situation in the school to see if there was some prejudice in regard to boys’
and girls’ opportunities in sports and women’s discrimination in general. But the
issue of black discrimination in the school was not directly addressed. However,
the social issue of discrimination in the USA. was very well developed
throughout the teaching unit, as will be described later in this vignette.

In relationship to the teachings of the Church and its position, the content
matter developed through the teaching units, the behavioral objectives,
experiences and activities for the students was in accordance with the position of
the Church, its principles and teaching values as shown in Tables 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 and

4.6.

79

Table 4.3.

Congruency of Church’s Principles and Values with
the Peace and Justice Course’s Content

 

Church’s Encyclicals and Documents
Principles, Content.

1. W- "A Call to Justice“, (1891).
The poor and the conditions of the working class.

2. W. "On Human Works", (1981).
Built upon human work and the condition of labor.

3. W- "The Social Order", (1931).
The basic causes of injustices and poverty in society.
4. WW. "On the Development of

Peoples", (1967).

Points out the basic causes of poverty in the world,
analyzing the situation and the imbalance between rich
and poor nations.

5. W. "Christianity and Social
Progress", (1961).
Examines the abuses of power that were oppressing the
human person.

6. W. "Peace on Earth", (1963).

Contains charter of human rights with duties and
responsibilities, addressing the fundamental duties of
civil authorities in relationship to human rights.

7. Wee. (1981)-
Contains Written records of USA. bishop’s stand on

political matters and social issues. (1960-80)

8. WW
Esme. (1983)-
Concern with concrete problems of the present such as
negotiations strategies among nations, the arms race,
warfare and weapons system.

9. WM (1971)-
Reminds Christians to participate in the transformation
of the world for justice and peace. Includes
recommendations for educating the person for justice
and peace.

Where it was found, taught and
learned.

Unit II mm
Unit II m
Unit II £93m
Unit 11 m

UnitI D' 'inin

Unit III ludisialjxsten

Unit 1 12mm
Unit 111 Wm;

UnitI i 'mi in

Unit in mm

Unit IV W

Unit IV The Qathelie threh
antheM

 

 

80

Table 4.4

Congruency of Church’s Principles with Peace and Justice Course

 

Church’s Encyclicals and Documents Where it was Found,
Principles, Content. Taught and Learned.

1. W "Christianity and Social Unit I Discriminatinn
Progress," (1961). Class Observations:

Examines the abuses of power that were Sept. 11
oppressing the human person. Sept. 12
Sept. 18
Sept. 19
Sept. 23
Sept. 25
Sept. 26

2. W, "Peace on Earth," (1963). Oct. 2
Oct. 8

Contains charter of human rights with duties Oct. 15
and responsibilities, addressing the

fundamental duties of civil authority in

relationship to human rights.

3. MW (1931) OCL 16
Oct. 23

Contains written records of USA. Bishop’s Oct. 24
stands on political matters and social issues.
(1960-80)

 

 

81

Table 4.5

Congruency of Church’s Principles with
the Peace and Justice Course

 

Church’s EncycTrcals and Documents
Principles, Content.

1. Remmﬂmm, "A Call to Justice", (1891).

The poor and the conditions of the working

class.

2. Lahoremﬁxercens, "On Human Works".
(1981).
Built upon human work and the conditions of
labor.

3. r "The Social Order",
(1931).

The basic causes of injustices and poverty in
society.

4. W, "On the Development
of Peoples", (1967).

Points out the basic causes of poverty in the
world, analyzing the situation and the
imbalance between rich and poor nations.

Where it was Found,
Taught and Learned.

UnitII Beyerty

Class observations:
Sept. 17, 85

Oct. 4-9-11

Nov. 6-8

Nov. 15, Films,

a) Water and the Face of
Hunger.

b) Must the World go

hungry.

Nov. 18-20, 85.
Conferences for students

on poverty.
Nov 21-22, 85.

Oxfam Prayer Services
and Experiences for
Students.

 

82

Table 4.6

Congruency of Church’s Principles with
the Peace and Justice Course

 

Church’s Documents, Principles, Content.

W (1981). Contains written
records of USA. bishops’ stands on political

matters and social issues. (1960-1980)

a) Correctional institutions should be for the
rehabilitation of residents. p. 213

b) Residents in correctional institutions should
be advised of their rights, privileges and
obligations. p. 215 #6

c) Juvenile delinquents should be separated
from adults in correctional institutions.
p. 214 #3

d) Most juveniles who are designated offenders
have not committed violent crimes but minor
offenses which are referred to as status
offenses. p. 238 #40

e) Most adolescents who are offenders are the
victims of broken families, turbulent
neighborhoods or limited job opportunities.
p. 236 #50

Where it Was Found,
Taught, and Learned.

Unit 111 mm

Class observations:
Nov. 7-85

Nov. 12-85
Nov. 13-85

Class observations:
Dec. 12-85

Dec. 19
Class observations:
Jan. 7-86

Jan. 9-86
Jan. 16-86

 

83

Here are some speciﬁc examples of how the content taught during
classroom practices and school experiences for the 11th grade students was in
accordance with the Church’s position, principles and values. A good example

was the activity of the ﬁlm entitled, "King," by Abby Mann. This video taped

 

ﬁlm was about the black movement in the United States and their leader, Martin
Luther King, Junior. It was a documentary that covered the major issues and
events of the struggle between blacks and whites in America and how the black - ‘ ,
peOple defended their human rights as a race. "Sometimes during the movie, the
actual scenes and episodes of what happened at that time were shown in black
and white, in contrast to the color ﬁlm the students were viewing" (Participant-
Observation notes).
The social problems of racism, prejudice and segregation were
substantially portrayed for the students through the content of this ﬁlm shown
during religion class on a typical morning. The teacher, with a resolute ﬁrm

voice, started the class by explaining to the students what they were about to

 

view. The teacher explained some important facts and happenings to the class
and said something similar to this: "Listen to some of their questions and
comments. These are religious leaders. . . . Many of these scenes actually
happened during those days." As the ﬁlm continued, some leaders of the town
were confronting King and they said: "Would you stop these demonstrations.
You are a man who is supposed to preach non-violence but now you are putting

your heart in violence, with these demonstrations and marches" ("King," Film).

The following summary contains some facts, principles and values touched

upon in the classroom through the content of the video-taped ﬁlm "King":

1.

The issue of segregation and the episodes on the Birmingham
integration struggle.

Mr. King was arrested by the police because of a protest march in
Birmingham.

Rosa Park’s bus scene, when she refused to give her seat to a white
person and as a consequence was put in jail.

King’s visit to the registration place and his demands that black
people be given the right to vote since it was negated to them.
They were prevented from registering and from voting.

King’s visit to the City of Chicago in order to talk to the city
ofﬁcials about jobs, housing, schooling and equal opportunities.
King’s visit to the poor neighborhood and when he planned to
present their problems to Washington, DC. government ofﬁcials.
The incidents of the death of two black garbage men in Memphis
on account of discrimination.

The episode of a housewife and mother (white) from Detroit
bringing food to the black people during the march from Selma to
Alabama. She was shot and killed.

Some ideas contained in Martin Luther King’s speeches: "There
comes a time when peOple get tired of being oppressed. . . I have

a dream . . . one day this nation will not judge people by the color

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of their skin. . . . All men are created equal. Some day blacks,
whites, gentiles, Jews, will sit together. Free at last . . . free at last
. . . free at last."

According to Taba (1962), speciﬁc facts such as those presented above
contain the "raw material for the development of ideas" (p. 175). Facts are the
materials which may feed thinking and thoughts, and from which a student can
derive generalizations and deep insights and with which thinking is or may be
precise. "Therefore a careful choice of the details to study is as important as
ever, and they need to be chosen selectively, to be related to and interpreted in
the context of the ideas which they serve" (p. 176). Taba clariﬁed, however, that
facts are only raw materials that may be used to "shape concepts" and "ideas" and
that it does not constitute the "fundamentals" in the sense that all students must
"master precisely the same content details" (p. 176). Facts are to be used as food
for thinking and thought only.

The following explanations of the teacher are an illustration of some of
the ﬁlm concepts that were thought upon by the students.

- These are blacks and some people think that they have no rights

in this country.

- Blacks make up about 12 percent of the total population in the

U.S.A., blacks are equal peoples as whites.

- People don’t have much tolerance for people who are different.
- Many times in incidents like those . . . while addressing a crowd,

King was hit and stabbed by some people.

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- Education was trying to be used as a means of solving prejudice through
busing and segregation.

Here are some of the students’ reactions during this class activity and
experience which portrayed some of their thoughts and opinions on the different
ideas presented. While the teacher was explaining to the class how racism was
such a political issue in America, one of the students replied, "If he gets involved
with them, he would win more blacks’ votes.” (This student was referring to
John F. Kennedy’s candidacy for president at the time of Martin Luther King,
Junior.) While the teacher was asking the students if they had any questions on
the types of discrimination they saw in the ﬁlm, another student said: "Did they
ever ﬁnd who shot him?", in relation to Martin Luther King’s death. Another
student had a concern about Mr. King’s wife and asked the teacher, "Is his wife
still alive?"

At this point, it is important to relate Taba’s ( 1962) suggestions on the
selection of ideas and facts for the teaching of content matter. She stated that,
"Basic ideas are the fundamentals of content. . . . In order to choose constructive
ideas, a variety of criteria is needed" (p. 214). Taba mentioned the criteria to be
used in this case and said that ideas "must have scientiﬁc validity; they must be
learned at the age level at which they are offered; they must have utility in our
current culture" (p. 214). The social ideas and facts on racism, prejudice and
discrimination to which the students were being exposed through the content on
human rights, have "scientiﬁc validity" and also have "utility" in America’s current

culture. According to the Church’s position and values, all persons are created

87

equal, this also has scientiﬁc validity from the religious standpoint as well as
from the cultural context and the civilization present in America today since
those ideas and ideals are part of the US. Constitution.

In relationship to these students’ experiences and activity when viewing
the ﬁlm King, and while the students were being exposed to the ideas and facts
concerning racism and prejudice, it is interesting to remember John Dewey’s
(1938) concepts on ideas and constructive experiences for students: "
experience in order to be educative, must lead out into an expanding world of
subject matter, a subject matter of facts and information and of ideas. This
condition is satisﬁed only as the educator views teaching and learning as a
continuous process of reconstruction of experience" (p. 87).

In 1958 the Catholic Bishops of the United States issued their ﬁrst
statement on discrimination in which they condemned racism in all its forms and
in 1966 they wrote "Race Relations and Poverty." This latter pastoral letter was
written in order to support "legislation against racial discrimination and poverty,
condemns discrimination based on race, language, religion, or national origin as
contrary to right reasons and Christian teaching" (Benestad and Buttler, 1981, p.
354).

Once again in 1979 they published another document on the issue of
racism titled, "Brothers and Sisters to Us." A copy of this writing in a shortened
format was given to the 11th grade students who were taking the peace and

justice course after they ﬁnished viewing the ﬁlm on Martin Luther King, Junior.

It was used as an example of the Catholic Church’s doctrines and social teachings

88

on the issues and events presented in the content matter on discrimination and
racism. When reﬂecting on this second pastoral letter on racism and when
parallelling it with the content taught during this course, it was evident that it
was congruent with the principles and values of the Catholic Church. These
sample passages show their correlation.

Racism is an evil which endures in our society and in our Church.

Despite apparent advances and even significant changes in the last

two decades, the reality of racism remains. In large part, it is only

the external appearances which have changed. In 1958 . . . we

pointed out the moral evil that denied human persons their dignity

as children of God and their God-given rights. A decade later in

a second pastoral letter, we again underscored the continuing

scandal of racism and called for decisive action to eradicate it from

our society. . . . We are convinced . . . that racial discrimination is

both unjust and unworthy of this nation. (Benestad and Buttler,

1981, p. 373)

The ﬁlm on Martin Luther King showed the students how wrong and unjust
racism and prejudice may be. The ideas, facts, values and principles developed
on racism and discrimination during classroom practices were in accordance with
the Catholic Church’s position and social teachings.

Human rights and the dignity of the human person have been a major
concern and a part of the Catholic Church’s social teachings for a long time.
Therefore, the social issues of discrimination, etc. have been discussed by many
pastoral leaders for many years. Some of the essential teachings on those issues
and concerns were found in the encyclicals, especially mm (1963),
"Peace on Earth," written by Pope John XXIII. It has been considered an

authentic charter of the human person’s dignity and rights. Here are some of its

teachings:

 

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Any human society, if it is to be well-ordered and productive, must
lay down as a foundation this principle, namely, that every human
being is a person, that is, his [sic.] nature is endowed with
intelligence and free will. By virtue of this, he [sic.] has rights and
duties of his own, ﬂowing directly and simultaneously from his [sic.]
very nature. These rights are therefore universal, inviolable and
inalienable.

. . . the conviction that all men [sic.] are equal by reason of their
natural dignity has been generally accepted. Hence, racial
discrimination can in no way be justiﬁed, . . . Thus, he [sic.] who
possesses certain rights has likewise the duty to claim those rights
as marks of his dignity, while all others have the obligation to
acknowledge those rights and respect them. (Gremillion, 1976, p.
203, 210)

The other encyclicals that were made reference to in Chapter II contained
pronouncements on the socio-economic order present in society and on the topic
of the dignity of the human person. This is true for mangessimme -
(1931), "The Social Order," by Pope Pius XI; W (1967), "On
the Development of Peoples," by Pope John Paul VI; and W
(1981), "On Human Work," by Pope John Paul II.

Besides the topic of black discrimination, the students also studied
religious discrimination, and discrimination against women and the elderly in
their society. One of the activities the students had for the development of the
content matter on women’s discrimination was a video-taped ﬁlm entitled, "The
Burning Bed," produced by Faith McNulty. It was the story of a woman who was
physically beaten by her husband. When the teacher introduced this topic, he
stated: "This is a classic case of an abused married woman." The teacher told
the class something like this to, "look in the ﬁlm for attitudes of people that

made women appear in society as having less dignity than men." This story was

 

90

about a girl named Francine, who was from the same town as the students, and
the ﬁlm was made from a book written about her life. After spending most of
their class period viewing this ﬁlm, there was time left for class discussion on
some of the events and the discoveries the students made about society’s
attitudes toward women. The teacher started the discussion by telling the
students, "Women are sometimes treated as if they are the property of their
husband." Immediately, a girl in the class replied, "I would never want to be a
man’s property." During this class discussion, the students also read the story of
Francine as it was written by her own children that was published in a local
newspaper. The students took turn reading the article aloud, analyzing its
content and expressing their own opinions on the issue of women’s
discrimination.

Another day during a similar classroom practice, the teacher brought a
series of articles on women’s accomplishments in society from the school library.
During the silent reading of these articles, the students discovered some of the
opinions of different authors and the talents and potentials of women in general.
The Church’s teachings on the issue of women’s discrimination were found in
some of the bishops’ writings. In 1976 they wrote: "To live in Christ Jesus: A
Pastoral Reﬂection on the Moral Life." In this reﬂection, there was a section
dedicated to women in the family, in private institutions and in public life.
These writings conﬁrmed that much needed to be done in the Church in
identifying "appropriate ways of recognizing women’s [sic.] equality and dignity"

(Benestad and Buttler, 1981, p. 38). The bishops’ explanations made it clear that

 

91

in society women are considered to be "men’s [sic.] inferior," almost "their
property". So, the leaders were promoting efforts in Christian communities to
win the recognition that women in society have some "dignity" and the same
"fundamental rights as men [sic.]" (Benestad and Buttler, 1981, p. 38).

During the discussion scenes in the 11th grade classroom when the
students and their teacher were analyzing and stating the role of women in
society, many of the statements and analyses corresponded with the bishops’
admonitions and teachings. The basic ideas that women were considered the
property of men and that they were thought of as being inferior to their
husbands are often consonant with the Church’s teachings and values. As far as
other documents of the Church, such as encyclicals, the issue of women’s
liberation in society was principally dealt with in the encyclical W
(1963), "Peace on Earth" written by Pope John XXIII. The Pope stated: "Since
women [sic.] are becoming ever more conscious of their human dignity, they will
not tolerate being treated as inanimate objects or mere instruments, but claim,
both in domestic and in public life, the rights and duties that beﬁt a human
person" (Gremillion, 1976, p. 209-210).

Here are some statements on the reality of women’s discrimination as
they were developed in the classroom during this course. The most common
methodology used in the classroom during discussion and sharing of opinions was
the method of question and answer. The teacher asked, "Do girls get away with
things in school?" A boy answered, "All the time." The teacher then said, "What

would happen if Jesus would come as a woman?" A student responded, "Yes,

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God was a male, that’s what they told me." Another student then intervened,
"How come we don’t have women as priests or as a pope?" One of the students
questioned those facts by saying, "Why does the Catholic Church say that only
men should be priests?" The teacher later on said, "Why do we talk about God
as being a father instead of a mother?" A student concluded with this answer,
"Because the laws of the Church are chauvinistic." The teacher continued and
ended this question and answer session by giving the class the following
conclusive statements:

Typically, the sex role which is accepted in society is that women

are weak and men are strong. Before women had to get married

to be accepted and respected in society. People are made to

believe that women belong to the weak sex. But women can work

just as hard as a man and be paid less. You see women have been

discriminated against a lot more than Blacks. Women were paid

33 percent less than men per work. Women would get laid off

easier than men. Women are in the majority in this country -- they

make up 52 percent of the population. (Participant-Observer

Notes)

While some of the Church’s leaders are advocating women’s liberation in
the sense that they should claim respect in domestic and public life, as Pope
John XXIII mentioned in his encyclical Paeemjnlegjs (1963), "Peace on Earth"
that women should defend their rights and duties that "beﬁt a human person," it
is true that there is some discrimination in Church’s law that does not allow
women to become priests. Theoretically, some leaders were promoting the right

values and principles about equality among men and women, but in reality some

of those theories have not yet been put into practice because of tradition and

laws.

 

93

Evidence have been given which showed that the selected content and
social teachings on peace and justice education for the 11th grade students were
in accordance with the principles and values of the Catholic Church, according
to class observations. More evidences as the result of the data analysis will
follow to conﬁrm this according to the series of interviews and answers given in
the questionnaires.

In the second series of interviews with the students, the following question
was asked to generate new answers for the study:

Do you think that the goals of your religion course are related to
the social teachings of the Church? In what ways?

Seven students out of sixteen stated or implied with their answers and
examples that the Church’s point of view and teachings on peace and justice
education were congruent with the Church’s doctrines and teachings. Most of
them said something like this:

- Many explanations were given to clarify points and aid you in
understanding the Church’s teachings on social justice and peace.

- The teacher would go into a lot of details.

- They tell you how the Church stands even though you disagree.

The other students did not give a speciﬁc answer, but there was consensus
among them that the basic teachings of their course were in accordance with the
Church’s principles and values.

There were six religion teachers who participated in the interview sections
and ﬁve of them clearly stated that the major intention of their course was to

teach, fundamentally, the subject matter according to the teachings of the

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Church. This is evident in the data that was gathered from the series of

interviews held with both the 11th grade religion teacher and the religion

teachers in the school. Some of their statements were as follows:

To hand on the teachings of Jesus Christ as preserved and
developed by our Catholic teaching and tradition.

To teach the basic teachings of the Catholic Church.

As a Catholic school, we have to show the children how important religion
is.

As Christians, we can make the world a better place to live.

I believe that it is important to have - ah . . . a program, a religion
program infused with justice and peace principles.

We’re trying to make the kids more aware of what is going on in the
world. (Religion teachers, lst series of interviews)

Three teachers out of four who answered the Religion Department

Questionnaires stated that they had some familiarity and knowledge on the

bishop’s documents W (1971), although no one was very

knowledgeable. It can be concluded from the results of the questionnaire that

the documents written between 1971, 1981 and 1983 were known by most of the

teachers (see Appendix B, Religion Department Questionnaire). Also, in

relationship to these results, it is important to recall what was stated in Chapter

II, in the summary about the Church’s encyclicals and documents characteristics,

that at the center of all Catholic social teachings are the transcendence of God

and the dignity of the human person. Therefore, if the documents written

 

95

between 1971-1981-1983 were better known by most of the teachers, it can be
implied that the Church’s basic teachings on human rights and the dignity of the
human person were known by most of the teachers who participated in the study.
Also, the teachers could have obtained the knowledge contained in the other
encyclicals and documents written between 1961-63-67, through other educational
means, since the Church has written many other documents on these matters and
has repeated the same basic principles.

Related to these facts three teachers out of four stated that the students
were able, in their religion classes, to list the human rights that belong to every
person and to show where these rights are taught in scripture and the social
doctrines of the Church (see Appendix B on the results of the Religion -
Department Questionnaire).

The answers for the teachings of the Church’s doctrines and values on
peace and justice in relationship to the "Student Activities Questionnaire" were
as follows: of 22 students responding with comments, ﬁve of them implied that
the peace and justice course was the core of the religion curriculum and that the
school had programs that went along with it. Here are their comments.

- I feel that our school is trying hard to teach us about the subject
of peace and justice and that it’s doing a great job at it.

- There are many programs in this school that go along with peace
and justice.

- Our school does a lot for the poor and hungry.

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- Peace and justice class teaches us about what society is like and

what people and all nations treat each other like.

- Mostly, though, this religion course gives the most information.

(Appendix B, Student Activities Questionnaire)

The majority of the students who answered this questionnaire did not
make comments about any program in the school that went along with the social
teachings of the Church on peace and justice education.

For the students, one of the meanings of the concepts of peace and justice
was to do what was in their power to alleviate the economic situation of the poor
in their own community by collecting canned food, clothing, contributing with
funds and participating in crop walks to raise money, etc. Basically, this is what
they meant when they said: "Our school does a lot for the poor and hungry."
Also, when they mentioned that, "there are many programs in this school that go
along with peace and justice," they were referring to the Oxfam poverty-hunger
week, the educational experiences which they had, the series of conferences in
which they participated in November, the visit to the Inter-faith Shelter, etc. (see
Appendix B, Student Activities Questionnaire). There will be more speciﬁc
details about these educational experiences and activities in the other vignette.

Also, when the students made reference to and said that the "Peace and
justice class teaches us about what society is like and what people and all nations
treat each other like." They were mainly relating what they were studying in the
units on discrimination, the judicial system and poverty in the world to their

society. For example, it was considered by the students that this course gave

97

them the most information and knowledge on those social issues and events since
many of them were not very much aware of how much discrimination there was
in their society and how this could affect people’s lives before taking this course
(see Appendix B, Student Activities Questionnaire, Answers, Part V).

Finally, continuity on peace and justice education was fundamentally
discovered in the religion department curriculum. There was also some
continuity found integrated in the English department and the Social Studies
department.

The dimension of peace and justice education according to the Church’s
teachings was carried out by the Social Studies department as it is deﬁned in the
goals for the courses on Ethnic Culture and Sociology. The department head
was brieﬂy interviewed and the following written information was gathered. In
the Ethnic Culture course the objectives stated that the students would be able
to:

- Explore one of the most serious problems facing our country,
namely, the equal treatment for all Americans.
- Acknowledge that this country was built on the hard labor, blood,

sweat and tears of the minority.

- Prepare to take a deﬁnite stand against discrimination and
prejudice.
- Quote from some of the famous court cases which were a part of

the efforts for justice and equality.

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In Sociology, the students objectives included that the students would be
able to:

- Gain a deeper understanding insight into the working of our
society; that they become aware of intergroup conﬂict, of the
behavior of crowds and mobs, and of much that is wrong in our
society.

- Respect and appreciate the varied ethnic groups and culture in our
country that differ from their own. This understanding should help
them to get along more smoothly with peoples whose values, beliefs
and general ways of living may be different from their own.

- Be delicately attuned to the sufferings and needs of others -- the
young, old, poor, or the handicapped, and the part they themselves
can play in alleviating suffering and promoting human welfare.

In regard to peace and justice education, the English department head
stated that the principles on peace and justice were incorporated in assigned
reading and in some of the research that they did in the library for their
assignments. For example, some of the equal rights issues were brought up in
their English classes through the analysis and discussions of some novels and
books that the students were assigned to read.

The mission statement for the religion department also conﬁrmed the
commitment of the faculty for peace and justice education as well as the
congruency with the Church’s teachings that existed in their educational system.

"We the members of the religion department are called to participate through

99

our educational ministry in the mission Jesus gave the Church." It continued by
saying that the community members of the school, because of their goals and
environment, were able "to cooperate in the transformation of society in justice
and peace" (Curriculum Guide, 1985-86, p. 10). The way this school cooperated
for the transformation of society will also be illustrated in the other vignettes.
It can be concluded that there was some continuity on peace and justice
education integrated in the different school programs and that the congruency
with the Church’s social teachings and Christian values was evident in the data
that have been quoted. The course on peace and justice education, according to
the major ﬁndings, was the core of the religion department’s curriculum as
conﬁrmed by the religion teachers and the students during the interviews. Also,
it made the students in the 11th grade aware that there is a lack of justice and

peace in the world.

Summary

In sum, in Vignette I, this author gave an account of the position taken
by the Church in regard to peace and justice education as found in the selected
documents and encyclicals for this study, showing also how the concepts, values
and social teachings studied by the students during their course was congruent
with the Catholic Church. The goals for the peace and justice program were
analyzed in relationship to the Curriculum Guide, the classroom outline program
and the position of the Church and its congruency. The speciﬁc classroom
examples cited to demonstrate this were the development of the topics on the

discrimination of both blacks and women in society.

 

100

Conﬁrming and disconﬁrming evidences were included according to the
data gathered during participant-observations, the questionnaires, the sequence
of interviews held with the teachers and students, the Church’s documents and
encyclicals, as well as school documents.

After giving an account on how the concepts and values studied by the
11th graders were congruent with the Catholic Church teachings, this researcher
will show in the next vignette the means and methods used to teach these
principles and values, especially during common classroom dialogical practices
and during various experiences and activities in which students were engaged in

the school and in the community.

 

 

CHAPTER V
DESCRIPTION OF VIGNET'TE II

4. When, during classroom practices, and in what ways are the teachings on

peace and justice related to the students’ activities and experiences?

gsenien 11

Most of the classroom practices and school experiences for peace

and justice education were conducted in an atmosphere of freedom,

a dialectical process of learning interactions between the teacher

and the students.

In this assertion, "an atmosphere of freedom" is simply meant to be a free
social communicative environment of learning interactions between the students
and the teacher. Learning interactions may be deﬁned as a back and forth
process of sharing cognitive knowledge and information where the teacher or the
students may initiate a statement, a dialogue or a discursive argument according
to the content that is being studied. In this vignette, the dialectical process was
interpreted to be a critical conscious process of human grth where the teacher
and the students learn from each other, the culture and the world around them.
The learning dialectical process is a freeing endeavor where ideas, thoughts or
events are sorted out according to the individual personality, potentials and life
experiences. Students can grasp and understand the mutual respect that is

present between the teacher and the students. Students are not afraid to make

102

a mistake. They are willing to accept the truth from another person’s point of
view. They are not afraid of being manipulated because they know people in
this environment are trying to be as just as humanly possible. And if injustices
or mistakes are made, they will be addressed, named and acknowledged in a
horizontal way since authority in this process is on the side of freedom -- it is not
imposed. It does not mean that there are no norms or regulations to follow in
a classroom situation. It means that people in this environment are free to learn
from one another.

Students basically understand that the teacher is trying to help them grow
as pe0ple. The teachers also understand that they can be helped professionally
by the students in the sense that the students are of diverse experiences, talents,
and intelligence. It simply adds to the teacher’s professional capacity to handle
students’ differences. Another aspect is that teachers do not know everything,
and neither do students, so the dialectical process is a cooperative endeavor of
the members of the school community where each person knows their position
and role. Teachers understand that on account of their teaching career, they
have accumulated skills, knowledge and life experiences that they needs to share
with the students. Because of the students’ age they have not yet acquired these
experiences and knowledge.

This dialectical process that is being transferred consists mainly of "acts
of cognition," not only of a "transferral of information" without understanding and

thinking during classroom practices (Freire, 1970, p. 67). It is understood to be

 

103

the classroom practice of examining content and ideas through the question and
answer sequences in order to determine their validity.

This dialectical process is also characterized by an atmosphere of freedom
which means, pragrnatically, that the stereotyped custom of the students having
to raise their hands to speak or share valid information may disappear. They are
free to share or have an orderly open discussion whenever they consider it
feasible, necessary or important according to their classroom situation. This was
a common practice observed during the peace and justice course between the
teacher and the students. "The principle that development of experience comes
about through interaction means that education is essentially a social process.
This quality is realized in the degree in which individuals form a community
group" (Dewey, 1938, p. 58).

For this vignette, descriptions of some activities and experiences that the
students had during classroom practices will show how most of them were
conducted in an atmosphere of freedom and through the dialectical process of
human learning interactions between the teacher and the students. The major
research question was:

When during the classroom practices and in what ways are the

concepts and social teachings on peace and justice related to the

students’ experiences and activities?
According to the data on participant-observation, it can be stated that most of
the classroom practices were accomplished in an atmosphere of freedom through

a process of dialectical human interactions. This was especially evident during

104

one of the most common classroom activities -- viewing video-taped ﬁlms and
ﬁlm strips.

The students viewed a series of ﬁlms on discrimination of blacks, the
elderly and women in society, the judicial system and on poverty. There is
enough evidence in the data to show that most of what was being studied was
related to students’ experience, activities and the culture in which they were
embedded. The evidences in the data that showed that most of what was being
studied was related to students’ activities and culture is illustrated in the
following examples.

The ﬁrst example was described in detail in Vignette I when the unit on
discrimination was being developed and in relationship to the t0pics on the
discrimination of blacks and women. The students analyzed the culture in
America as related to discrimination against blacks and women in society. The
reader will recall the episode where the students saw a ﬁlm that depicted how
black people were not allowed to vote. They also saw the black struggle for
integration in society as shown in the ﬁlm "King." In regard to women’s
discrimination, they learned how women in society were regarded with less
dignity than men through viewing the ﬁlm, "The Burning Bed." In relationship
to both of these topics, students viewed a series of ﬁlms and read a series of
articles in magazines, church documents and books. The students spent two
months of their course time studying the unit on discrimination.

The reality of the culture was also portrayed when studying the situation

of the elderly. The students learned how the elderly were stereotyped in society.

 

105

The same methodology that was used to develop discrimination of blacks and
women through ﬁlms, dialogue, class discussions and readings were used to
develop the topic on the elderly. For example, the students spent time during
the month of October on the issue of how the elderly were discriminated against.
During this time, they viewed three ﬁlms. The two ﬁlmstrips the students saw
on the elderly were "Our Elderly: A Generation Neglected," and "On Age" and
the videotaped ﬁlm "Harold and Maude." After viewing these ﬁlms during a
common classroom practice, the following hand-out was given to the students by
the teacher containing a summary of the principles and values that they had
learned on the topic of the elderly. It was used as a guide for the students to
recall the basic content which was developed in the series of ﬁlms. Also, facts
such as those were commonly explained during the Peace and Justice course to
the students. What happened was that the series of ﬁlms gave students the
necessary knowledge about the topic developed and a hand-out summary such
as this one synthesized the basic content learned for them. Here is this hand-
out summary:

1. The United States is so youth-oriented that the problems that the

elders face have often been ignored by the rest of society.
2. Over 20 million Americans - over 10 percent of the population are
over 65 years old.
3. It is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 30 million senior

citizens. The aged feel rejected, useless and have lost their ability

10.

11.

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to be productive in a society that measures worth of individuals by
productivity.

Usually, the senior citizen is forced to retire at age 65 or earlier
and when he retires, his self-image may be damaged.

Medicare was passed in 1966 to protect the old from large medical
bills. It is administered and funded by Social Security.

Medicare pays only 45 percent of all the elderly’s health cost. It
does not provide for home visits from the doctor or basic needs as
eyeglasses, hearing aids or dentures.

Social Security payments do not rise with the cost of living, (this
reality has changed since the study was done).

The older persons’ kids often end up paying hospital and nursing
home bills not covered by Medicare.

Five percent of the elderly are unable to care for themselves and
are institutionalized in nursing homes, many that are understaffed,
unclean and unsafe.

Senior citizens make up 17 percent of the vote in the US. and
have banded together in organizations to make them a political
power.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects only
those people who are between the ages of 40 and 65, but the law
says nothing about those over 65. Regardless of their competency,

employees continue to retire at a predetermined age.

107

12. Premature senility is often the direct result of early retirement.
The retired elder often is condemned to boredom.
13. Poverty is on the increase among the elderly. Over 25 percent live
below the minimum poverty standard set by the US. Government.
Many Americans who have retired within recent years, though they
had prepared well for retirement, are ﬁnding that inﬂation property
taxes and high cost of health care, even with Medicare are eating
up their savings and pensions.
It was discovered through the inductive analysis of data that the students
did not really know, most of the time, what the real situation was in their society
about the social issues or topics that they were studying. There is enough ,
evidence to state that the sequence of questions and answers between the
students and the teacher, as well as dialogue sessions, discussions, and
explanations were very effective and appealing methodologies for helping the
students understand principles and values on peace and justice education, and
also in helping them to change their mind and attitudes toward other people’s
situation and social problems.
Every Friday during the peace and justice course, each student brought in
a short written summary about an article they had read in a magazine or a
newspaper of their choice. The student shared the issues and events develop-
ed in the article with the class. The students then analyzed and discussed the

articles and at the end of class the students turned in a summary for grading.

 

 

108

Something like the following would happen during this common class experience
and activity for the students. The teacher would ask the students: "Have you got
a good current event?" On this occasion, a student read a summary of an article
about a poor family that depended on food stamps for survival. This article
speciﬁed that this family was also searching for employment since they had been
without a job for some time. During the dialogue, one of the students men-
tioned that it is a good idea to check on these people and ﬁnd out if they truly
depended on food stamps for survival because, in his opinion, they just might
have enough money. The teacher then said:

The majority of people who request food stamps depend on it

because they are very poor. . . but in reality most people who are

in a situation of poverty don’t like it or want it. . . . The reality in

this town is that even though it is supposed to be an industrial city,

many jobs are not that easy to ﬁnd.

Let’s say that you have a good job and the company that you are

working for decides to leave town. You have a wife and children

and you also have payments to make. What will you do?

A girl responded by saying, "I don’t want to be on welfare, so I would go
away to another place."

"You see," the teacher emphasized, "in a case like that, the family should
be able to get some help from the county, if they can’t help themselves." The
teacher continued, "You have more than other people. You come from a middle
class group. Poor people are not in the same situation as most of your families.
People are poor out there. You don’t realize that yet. Maybe you will when

you are a little older. . . . Sometimes we isolate them."

A student replied, "We are giving them all these things . . . is up to them."

109

The teacher at this moment very patiently and apparently not a bit
surprised by the students’ comments, went to the blackboard in order to explain
the meaning of the word empathy. "Empathy means," the teacher explained,
"that you can actually experience and feel what it is that the poor are going
through. You can put yourself in their situation. You identify yourself with what
it is that the poor are going through." Then he said, "look at what happened
when a factory comes into town. Thousands of people apply for a job. There
is a difference between being poor and being lazy. People who are poor
sometimes are exploited in their work . . . because they don’t have power,
prestige or money. You will graduate next year. What if I say that your future
is poverty?"

A student answered, "People who are rich work for it."

The teacher continued explaining, "There are some rich people who are
lazy. In our society, we want instant things. We want things automatic. We go
to a fast food hamburger store, for example, and we want this and that, very
exact, very quickly." With very similar concepts and dialogue, this class
continued and when it was almost time for the students’ next class, the teacher
said, "Before you leave, turn in the summary for the current event that you have"
(Participant-Observation Notes).

The previous example of a common current event day class demonstrated
the way in which a social issue such as poverty was developed through a process

of dialogue and how it was related to students’ contextual reality and cultural

experience. This particular current event day happened at the beginning of the

110

course on peace and justice, and the students were not yet studying the unit on
poverty.

Here is an example of a classroom practice that illustrates how the
students’ attitudes toward the poor changed as compared to the previous example
given. During the series of conferences on poverty and hunger, during the week
of November 18-22, the 11th grade students were gathered in the classroom
during their religion class for one of the conferences. The speaker was sharing
with the students some of the work experiences she had with the poor and
mentioned that in doing this, she tried to live the gospel message on justice by
serving the poor people in society. This speaker had worked with poor people
in the inner city of Detroit, migrant workers in the Lansing area and in
Washington, DC. Throughout this talk, the students were attentive, as usual and
more responsive because of the data. Basically, the change which they
experienced in their attitudes toward the situation of the poor was evident
because of their new understanding and ability to empathize which they showed
during this class dialogue and during the question and answer sequence.

During this experience, the speaker asked the students, "What does it
mean to you to be a Christian?" The students responded by saying that for them
being a Christian meant sharing what you have with the poor or those who have
less and helping the poor people as much as possible. The speaker made
reference after the students answers to Christ’s message found in the gospel by
mentioning His words that whatever, "you do for the least of these my brothers,

that you do unto me," (Matthew 25). Throughout this experience, the students

111

were interested in knowing if poor people in society normally asked for what
they need to survive. The speaker conﬁrmed to the students that they do, but
that some poor people experienced some difﬁculties when they do so. An
example to illustrate these difﬁculties was given in relation to the welfare forms
that contained 22 pages that had to be ﬁlled out for obtaining food stamps. The
speaker emphasized that sometimes poor people requesting welfare were
illiterate. Also, the speaker mentioned that they must include an address to
obtain those beneﬁts and some of the poor people in Michigan were migrant
workers who did not have a home or a permanent address.

The speaker then took the opportunity to remind students that most of
the poor people’s needs consisted of lack of food, transportation, medicine,
proper housing facilities, unemployment, etc. A student replied when referring
to those needs that even though there might be less unemployment in some
cases, a lot of beneﬁts that have been given to the poor in the past were now
being cut, implying that the beneﬁts presently available for them were much less.

As this dialogue continued progressing during this classroom practice and
as the concern for the poor evidently prevailed among the students, they also
asked other questions to the speaker: "What is being done for the poor?" "Do
you think that there is a solution for their social problems?" The speaker them
concluded and reminded the students that we all have a call to justice and that
Christians together need to ﬁnd out the right solutions for the poor’s social

problems and their needs for human survival.

112

Casteel and Stahl (1975) mentioned that there are areas of human
interactions that can contribute to value clariﬁcations in the classroom. Some of
the areas of human interactions that they mentioned were: "communicating,
empathizing, assenting and dissenting," etc. (p. 3). Communicating, according
to these authors, enhances the ability to communicate the students’ ideas, beliefs,
values and feelings. Assenting and dissenting enhances the ability of the
students, as members of a social group, to assent or dissent with some of the
content or the ideas being taught. Empathizing enhances the ability of the
students to empathize with other persons, especially those whose circumstances
may differ signiﬁcantly from their own.

These scenarios on the issue of poverty may be interpreted according to
some of Noddings’ (1984) concepts. The "one caring" (the teacher and speaker),
received the arguments from the one being "cared for" (the students), in order
to show them or explain to them the true reality of the poor people in their
town. Because, according to Noddings, "the purpose of dialogue is to come into
contact with ideas and to understand, to meet the other and to care" (p. 186).

The goals of the teacher and speaker during those classroom practices was
to help the students realize some facts and reasons behind being poor, and also
to help them understand some of the problems the poor were facing and
encountering in their own community. Strike and Soltis (1985) said something
that could easily be related to what the teacher and the speaker were helping the

students do as far as understanding and empathizing with the situation of the

poor.

113

Our moral intuitions are rooted in our ability to feel and empathize

as well as in our ability to think. . . . feelings help us to put

ourselves in the place of others, to identify with them, to know

what hurts and what helps. It will do little to be committed to

respecting the value and dignity of other persons if we cannot

experience life from their point of view. How else shall we know

how to respect them? How else shall we discover what counts as

afﬁrming their dignity? (p. 59)

The example of the class dramatization will be provided in contrast to the
other common classroom practices that have been described so far in the
vignettes. The contrast can also be seen in the seating arrangements of the
students in the classroom (see Figures 5.1 and 5.2). A publication about this
case appeared in the W on January 17, 1977 under the
title, "Why Dad Murdered His Pride and Joy," whose introduction the students
used to open their class dramatization.

This is what happened before the students dramatized this court trial case
in which they had to decide on the just sentence for the crime which Mr. Forest
Grigg committed for the murder of his young son Michael. Through the
teacher’s explanations and the viewing of a series of ﬁlms, the students learned
how the judicial system functions in America. Among the many facts that they
studied, was that the US. Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty under
certain circumstances does not constitute a "cruel and unusual punishment"
(Class Observations Notes), and that it is a justiﬁable form of punishment for
certain crimes and guilty offenses. Students also acquired knowledge on the
social teachings of the Church concerning capital punishment and the death

penalty. Through their class research and readings, they became aware of the

ﬁrm positions that the bishops have taken on this issue:

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Figure 5.2 Seating Arrangement for Class Dramatization

116

"United States Catholic Conference goes on record in opposition to capital
punishment" (Benestad and Butler, 1981, p. 221).

On account of juvenile delinquency charges with minor violations, students
discovered that they were locked up in adult criminal jails, in spite of the fact
that the Senate was trying to enforce the federal law that juveniles need to be
separated from adults and that they should not be placed in those criminal jails.
They saw the relationship between those laws and the position taken by the
Church in regard to young adults being placed in correctional juvenile centers for
rehabilitational purposes and not in adult jails.

After acquiring the theoretical information and knowledge on the judicial
system and the Church’s teachings for about a month, students had the
opportunity to apply some of the principles and values on peace and justice
education through the case method approach and the dramatization that will be
included later in this vignette.

Before the students dramatized this court case, they read and analyzed a
series of real case situations on young adolescent’s crimes, the type for which the
death penalty was allowed in several states. In order to do this, the class was
divided into groups and the students in each group had to decide two things:
(1) Should the guilty party be sentenced to death for his or her crime? and (2)
If not, what punishment do you think each should receive? For each case study,
the students were supposed to fully explain the reasons for their decisions, which
were made known to the class by the students and reviewed with the teacher’s

guidance.

117

The case studies that the students had previously analyzed helped them
to answer questions about juvenile court crimes, their effect on society and
society’s way of dealing with young offenders. They were also able to participate
in dialogue on the moral issue of capital punishment. They also experienced
frustration with the complexity and inadequacy of the system on account of the
sentences given by the judges to the cases they studied. Especially during the
case on Mr. Forest Grigg, whose sentence was so very different from their own
and which will be included later.

It was the morning of December 12, 1985 and the students in group I
were gathered as usual in their classroom after the bell for the second period
rang. The unusual thing about today’s class was that they were about to .
dramatize a court case for which they had been preparing for sometime during
their religion classes and for homework on their own. It was a cold winter
morning, but the sun could be seen shining through the two classroom windows
as they were preparing to start. A

The students were wearing their regular uniform for today’s class. Some
of the girls who were participating in this drama were wearing dark grey jackets
with gray slacks, white blouses and light gray sweaters. This is how the court
case scene for this dramatization was set up in the classroom: In front, near the
entrance door, was the tv set, the video-tape camera and the boy who was going
to videotape their class. A lectum was standing between the teacher’s desk and

the videotape camera with the tv set. The teacher was sitting at his desk,

because he was presiding over the case as the supreme court judge, whom the

118

students were to address with the title of your honor. On the other side of their
classroom and by the windows, were the six girls who were the grand jury. Most
of the students who were viewing the case were sitting on the left side desks in
the middle of the room. At the center of their classroom were four students
representing the defendant’s attorney and the two prosecuting attorneys. Twenty-
two students were participating in today’s class and about 12 or 13 took an active
role with speeches and important decisions for this court trial case. The rest of
the students in the audience were also active by contributing their comments and
diverse questions through the development of the case (see Figure 5.2).

The students were going to decide the sentence for Mr. Forest Grigg, a
51-year-old ex-pro football player, who in apparent desperation, had killed his
20-year-old son who was involved with drugs at the time. This class
dramatization began when a girl in the audience got up and stood in front by the
side windows facing the grand jury, the supreme court judge, the defendants and
prosecutors. She started by reading the following introduction for Mr. Forest
Grigg’s case trial:

Forest Chubby Grigg’s voice cracks with emotion, but he still

manages to tell why he walked into his son’s bedroom the night of

Oct. 31, folded the boy’s hands across his chest as he slept and

ﬁred a bullet into his temple. "Yes, I did it for him," the ﬁfty-one

year-old father said. . . ." About the relationship be had had with

his son Grigg, an ex-pro football player, explained, "A lot of people

thought we fought. But he and I never fought. . . . He was my

pride and joy, and we did all sorts of things together - until all this

happened three years ago. Everybody liked him. He was a good

boy, a good athlete. But he changed, he changed completely."

His father says his easy-going, likeable son was ﬁne until he

became involved in drugs. His sports activities ceased, and in his
senior year he was expelled from the 230 students . . . High School

 

119

because his hair was too long. He ﬁnished school by
correspondence. The relationship between father and son
worsened after he left school. Grigg said he knew his son used
drugs and was not trying to rehabilitate himself.

Grigg admitted Mike was not an addict and, to his knowledge, used
only valium and marijuana. "But my estimation is any drugs are
dangerous," Grigg said. "He was using pills, marijuana, cheap wine.
He was not on the needle. But you mix any of those with alcohol
and it gives you more kick. He got to where he had no ambition
or attention for anything. I tried everything. I thought we’d get
him straight, and then he’d start again. He’d get a job, then quit
and spend the money on this stuff. He kept maintaining he was all
right.

On October 31, Mike had a minor car accident and Grigg picked
him up and brought him home. He said he found some illegal pills
in Mike’s clothes as he put the boy to bed. Grigg said he went to
his room, got out a 22-caliber pistol and waited ﬁfteen minutes.

Then he walked in, folded the boy’s hands across his chest and
ﬁred.

"I didn’t care what the sentence was," the father said. "It didn’t
enter my mind. There wasn’t any question about me killing him.
. . . I had two different men come up to me . . . and say they came
awful close to doing that themselves. Course I guess I was the
only one crazy enough to have done it."

He paused, then said, "I’ll tell you, this old world is sure different
than it was."

After this introduction was given, a series of speeches for the trial the
students had written followed. These speeches were given by the prosecuting
attorney, the defendant’s attorney to the audience, together with the grand jury
interventions and the students’ audience discussions developed during the case.
These speeches have been named in the order in which they were presented
during the dramatization by each of the students who played each of those roles.
Each of these speeches was written by the students after reading enough about

the case and applying some of the principles learned to the content and adapting

 

120

the trial for their own class experience as they dramatized the story. Although
the students had the written speeches in their hands, most of them knew their
speech by memory and simply gave their own speeches to the audience.

During the class dramatization, the series of speeches reﬂected the
students’ thoughts and ideas about the case, and they also showed their own way
of thinking and their approaches in relationship to the judicial system and to
what they had studied. The evidence available to show that the series of
speeches and the dialogical process of learning interactions reﬂected students’
way of thinking was found in the content of their speeches and their speciﬁc
concerns during the dialogue. While the students struggled and searched for the
just sentence to Mr. Forest Grigg, they emphasized that they could not justify the
taking of another human being’s life, especially one of the same ﬂesh and blood.
They were of the opinion that Michael did not live to his father’s expectations
because his father was very much concerned with his social status and not at all
concerned with helping Michael solve some of his drug problems. The students
mentioned in their speeches that adolescence is a very difﬁcult time and that
adults should be willing to give them love, guidance and understanding, but
instead, Michael’s father took his life away. According to their opinions, this was
not a just solution to Michael’s problems, but the violation of a very basic
Christian principle on human life.

As we go back to the class dramatization and after the students ﬁnished
role-playing and dramatizing the case, the jury made up of six girls left the

classroom and went to another room to deliberate on the just sentence. And

121

after their deliberations and the decision was made, the verdict was read by one
of the students with words very similar to the following: "We have found Mr.
Forest Grigg guilty of ﬁrst degree murder for murdering his son Michael and
have sentenced him to life in prison." The students recommended psychiatric
counseling for Michael’s father since they considered the murder premeditated,
after analyzing the evidence. The real sentence for this case was given by the
teacher and it stated that the Supreme Court Judge had decided to put him on
probation for ﬁve years, and after this trial which lasted one day, he was free to
go home.

After they ﬁnished analyzing the series of cases about the situation of
adolescents, they took this particular case on Mr. Forest Grigg and considered
all the facts and evidences available for this case and on their own they came up
with a general conclusion about the ﬁnal sentence according to what they
considered to be the just thing. In order to do this, they needed to make some
applications, which denoted some knowledge and skills concerning what they
learned about justice’s guidelines and principles. Also, they needed to consider
the situation in their society and culture in order to come up with the right
decision according to their considerations and ﬁnal judgement. It was evident
throughout the dramatization that this case was of particular interest and concern
for the students since they could identify with Michael’s situation and with the
different characters whose roles they played so well during their class experience.

According to the data on classroom observations, there is enough evidence

to conclude that the "case study approach" and the "role-played dramatization

122

of a court trial case," gave students an opportunity to apply basic principles on
peace and justice education to their own experiences, activities and classroom
practices.

In summary, the ﬁlms, teacher’s explanations, class readings and the group
case studies approach helped students acquire the knowledge on the judicial
systems and the teachings of the Church on peace and justice. The dialogue
sessions and the question and answer sequences were an integral part of the
dialectical process of learning interactions between the teacher and the students
which was the most common methodology used for acquiring knowledge and
applying principles on peace and justice education.

In almost all of the religion classes I’ve observed and discovered

that during the course, students are very much at ease, expressing

their thoughts, ideas, experiences and feelings toward the content

being developed. There is a lot of interaction going on between

the teacher and the students and they are easily engaged in

constant dialogue when learning and when applying some of the

principles and values on peace and justice. (Class Observation

Notes)

The "case method approach" was used by the teacher as a "pedagogical
tool" to give the 11th grade students an opportunity to apply some of the
concepts and theories on justice and peace and put them into practice through
previous case group work, and ﬁnally, the culmination of the dramatization on
the trial court case described before. Fensterrnacher and Soltis (1986)
recommended the "case method approach" in order to stimulate student teachers’
thinking in the ﬁeld of education. At the secondary level, the "case method
approach" can also help the students mix the theoretical with the practical. This

is what happened in several of their religion classes when the students were

 

123

studying the unit on the judicial system. It gave them an opportunity to analyze
and discuss a series of juvenile delinquent cases and to apply some of the
previous concepts learned through a very practical classroom experience.

i .
Wm}: 15.”.

During the week of November 18 to the 22, the religion department in the
school organized an educational experience on hunger for all students. The
sophomore religion teacher coordinated the school experiences and activities for
students in grades 9 through 12. The goal of this program was to sensitize the
students on the problems of hunger at local, national and international levels.
Each religion class in the school was given an opportunity to explore and reﬂect .
on the realities of hunger in the world. During this week, a series of activities
was organized for the students with the objective of making the students more
conscious of the problems of poverty and hunger and to heighten an awareness
of the different types of human hunger in the world. ’

One of the educational experiences for the students was the series of
conferences and lectures they had during the 18th, 19th and 20th of November,
1985. During these activities, students had the opportunity of learning about the
reality of poverty in the world from persons who had worked with the poor in
the Interfaith Shelter, the Salvation Army, Catholic Social Services, Oxfam
Organization, in inner cities in the United States, with Native Americans, and at

the rural ministry. Also, they acquired some knowledge from the experiences of

 

124

persons who had worked in Central America, South America and Africa. This

is what happened during this educational experience for the students:

1.

Each speaker was presented to the class by the teacher and then
the speaker would give a general background of their work for
peace and justice with the poor.

The students would listen attentively to their presentation by
receiving the information from their experiences.

In almost all of these lectures, there was time for questions and
answers from the students as well as from the speaker.

Dialogue and spontaneous discussions during the speakers
presentation was an integral part of all of these conferences.
Most of the time, the dialogue sessions and the question and
answer sequences showed a positive response from the students,
they demonstrated much interest and concern on the topics and
social issues presented.

Some of the speakers used slides to complement their particular
experience with the poor and to clarify some of the facts and points
developed. Thus, speakers had written materials or articles that
they shared with the students.

Most of these conferences were given during their regular religion

class periods for all students in the schools.

 

 

125

8. There were approximately seven speakers and each religion group
had the opportunity of beneﬁting from at least three to four of
these experiences.

Here are some facts that were given to the student body during the

conferences on the world’s problems concerning poverty and hunger:

1. Three-fourths of the world’s population is hungry: 700 million.

1.4 million people lack safe drinking water.
20 million people die of malnutrition.

100,000 people go blind due to lack of vitamin A.

MP?!“

The gross national product (GNP) of the poor nations is $166 per
year income.
The income per family in the U.S.A. is about $7,890 per year.

7. The U.S.A. consumes ﬁve times more food than other countries in

the world -- approximately 2,000 pounds of food.

8. 29 million Americans live in poverty.

The students were also able to view a ﬁlm entitled, ‘The Face of Hunger,"
produced by Mary Knoll. This was a very powerful ﬁlm that revealed the
conditions, causes and effects of poverty and starvation in several countries in
the world. It emphasized that the real problem in the U.S.A. is not lack of food,
but a problem of distribution.

Here are some signiﬁcant passages that were quoted from the lived taped
lectures. One of the speakers told the students that poor people suffered the

most from the exclusion and rejection from members in their society.

126

Poor people want to be recognized as a human person, as people
that have some rights because they belong to this society too. They
want to be accepted and recognized and be given the opportunity
to develop and grow as a person. The message that comes through
from them is: "Don’t pity me . . . I want to be recognized as a real
person. I have some hopes. I am not dumb. I have lots of
abilities. I want a job. I want to go to school."

We need to change our attitudes about the poor in America. We
must see them as people who have been denied chances that you
have bad. You must try to walk in their shoes. We see poor
people in terms of their problems instead of their rights and
opportunities which they should have.

When students acquired more knowledge about poverty in the world and

the realities of the poor in this country, this was their normal response, typical

reactions and what actually happened during these experiences. Normally, they

asked questions like the following:

What is a meal like for a poor family?

What would their biggest meal be?

What city in America has the poorest people or whose peOple are in the
poorest conditions?

Why are their poor peoples in the USA?

If there are too many poor peoples in our country, why do we give to
peoples in other countries?

How come those peoples who are trapped in New York can’t go to
another city or place?

Do you see now a day a lot of new requests that come from the poor in

our country?

127

Students different answers in regard to poverty in the U.S.A., that showed

their level of awareness on the issue, were as follows:

1. The poorest peoples in this country are among the elderly, middle
age peoples, peoples who can’t work and young children of single
parents.

2. The present living conditions of poor peoples must make them feel
from a lower economic status in society when they really aren’t.

Normally, students’ concerns, questions, answers or responses were well

received by the different speakers. They took the time during these series of
lectures to explain to the students the situation of the poor, to answer their
speciﬁc questions and to clarify any facts or knowledge acquired by the students.

After school on November 2lst, the students had a peace vigil for hunger

and justice. During this activity, there was time set aside for prayer and
reﬂection on hunger and on the injustices in the world, and a visit to the Inter-
faith Shelter for those students who volunteered to meet the hungry and help
serve meals. Poor people who went to this shelter were homeless and hungry
and they went there to get food and shelter for the night. On November 22nd,
there was an Oxfam fast activity for the students and faculty. Oxfam is an
organization that takes care of distributing food to people who are hungry in
different parts of the world. On this day, there was a school lunch fast activity
that consisted of buying a piece of bread, milk and a cup of soup. The money
that was collected during this lunch activity was donated to Oxfam. On the same

day, the students had a paraliturgical celebration or prayer service on hunger and

128

the human family. For this prayer service, 130 students and six faculty members
gathered in the library. The parts for this prayer service were: ( 1) A short
introduction and opening ceremony; (2) A call to worship (common prayer); (3)
The proclamation of the gospel (John 6:1-15, multiplication of the bread); (4)
Procession of the Bread; (5) Students’ testimonies (visit to the shelter); (6) Guest
speaker from Oxfam; and (7) A ﬁnal prayer.

Actually, what happened during this paraliturgical celebration was that
the students who visited the Interfaith Shelter had an opportunity to share with
the students what they did and experienced at the shelter. Two students out of
eight who volunteered to go gave the following testimony of their experience.
They told the students that they helped with the serving of the meals after
meeting with those who were hungry. The element that was mostly expressed by
the students was the fear that they had of being there and eating the same food.
This was a new experience for them and that’s how they illustrated it and
summarized it since they were not exposed to poor people before or to eating a
very simple meal.

The words and prayer that opened this ceremony emphasized the desire
that they had as a group of accomplishing peace and justice in their society and
world. Also, they had a procession during the offering of the bread during the
paraliturgical ceremony that it was carried by the students as a symbolic
reminder of how the world was hungry, this was the same bread that would be
consumed during the fast lunch activity that day, and the money collected was

donated to poor people who were less fortunate than they and had nothing to

129

eat in different parts of the world. During this ceremony, they also had a short
lecture from one of the members of Oxfam. Basically, they stressed the idea that
as an organization, they concentrate on stating publicly what are the real causes
of poverty in the world. Their major goal was to make people aware that some
systems in the world needed changes in order to be able to accomplish
transformation in the world in relationship to hunger and poverty.

Evidence has been given in this vignette on how most of the classroom
practices and school experiences were conducted in an atmosphere of freedom.
The author had speciﬁed ways in which concepts, principles and social teachings
on peace and justice education have been applied to students’ experience and
activities during their religion course and school activities. A summary of these
experiences include the following:

1. Viewing a series of video-tape ﬁlms.

2. Current events day on Friday.

3. The "case method" approach as applied to the cases on juvenile

delinquency in the judicial system and the students’ dramatization.

4. The program and educational experience on poverty and hunger

which included:

a. The series of lectures on poverty and hunger.
b. The viewing of the ﬁlm "The Face of Hunger."
c. Vigil for hunger and justice.

(I. Inter-faith Shelter visit.

e. Oxfam fast activity.

 

130

f. A service of prayer.

Some disconﬁrming evidence in relationship to the classroom experiences
and activities was that during one of their classroom practices when the students
were studying about women’s discrimination in society, a group of girls walked
out of the 11th grade classroom in protest because they thought that the teacher
was discriminating against them. As a result, there was a disruption in the
process of learning interactions between the teacher and the students. The
teacher used this event as a learning experience for the students when they had
to accept the consequences of their choices and decisions. The students accepted
the consequences and made up for the class time they missed when they walked
out, but they still felt that the teacher was discriminating against them at the
moment when they protested. The teacher seemed to be playing an opposite
role in order to motivate the girls in the class to take a stand on the issue of
women’s discrimination; however, this was not how the girls interpreted his
actions, so they decided to take some action of protest to let the teacher know
that they were against his actions.

The other disconﬁrming evidence was the short lecture given by the
Oxfam speaker. According to the data, the response of the students to the
content presented was not as receptive, in fact there was very little response from
the 130 students present. The Opportunity was given for questions and sharing
of opinions, but none were made and according to this researcher’s interpretation
of this experience, the content given was more for a college audience than for

a high school audience. It was beyond their level of concretizing, understanding

131

and interpreting the general concepts presented on why different systems and

structures in the world should change in order to accomplish justice.

Summary

Evidence has been given to show when and in what ways students’
experiences and activities for the teachings on peace and justice were conducted
in freedom through dialogue and the dialectical process of learning interactions
between the teacher and the students. Also, it was demonstrated how the
teachings on peace and justice and their applications of principles and values
were basically accomplished during classroom practices and school experiences
and activities through: (1) the viewing of video cassette ﬁlms and ﬁlm strips; (2)
the question and answer sequences; (3) especially dialogue sessions and
discussions with an open exchange of facts, ideas, opinions and views; (4) the
sharing of information and knowledge by explanations and lectures; (5) the
readings of documents, articles and summarized hand-outs; (6) students’ written
summaries handed in during current-event days on Fridays; (7) the case method
approach, some role-playing and class dramatizations; and (8) the Educational
Experience Program for the students in grades 9 to 12.

Conﬁrming and disconﬁrming incidences were included with speciﬁc
examples on a current-event day dialogue on poverty, the class dramatization on
the court trial case, and the Educational Experiences Program in the school.

This author has given evidence in this second vignette on how the
dialogue sessions were basically the best way for learning and applying principles

and values on peace and justice education for the 11th grade students. Examples

 

132

were also given of other methods used in the school to accomplish the religion
curriculum goals. The next vignette will demonstrate how this dialogical mode
of learning interaction between the teacher and the students helped the students
in their personal decision-making process when applying these values to their

own lives, future careers and jobs.

 

 

CHAPTER VI
DESCRIPTION OF VIGNETTE III

5. In what ways is this secondary school preparing the students to participate
in the building of social justice and peace as citizens and members of the

Catholic community?
Asssnicuﬂ

The school curriculum for peace and justice education intended

primarily to provide the young with the necessary knowledge,

information and tools (intellectual and moral), for them to be able

to make personal decisions as citizens and members of the

community.

The word tool in this assertion has been interpreted to be the means or
the instrument used to accomplish the school’s goals for peace and justice
education for the students. According to the inductive analysis of data for the
study, the two major courses, 0920 Understanding Christian Morality and 0921
Peace and Social Justice, gave the students the necessary tools for them to be
able to make personal decisions as citizens and members of the community.
Also, this secondary school prepared the students to participate in the building
of social justice and peace through the mini-course on Peace and Justice, the
Christian Service Program in the community for seniors, as well as the students

volunteer work with peoples with handicaps and the poor.

 

134

The goal of the morality course was to increase awareness on moral-
social issues and to increase the students’ ability to make personal moral
decisions. The text for the morality course was Deciding by McCarty (1981).
The students developed the content for their morality course based on the
outline shown in Table 6.1. This table shows the congruency which was
discovered in the content of this course with the Church’s principles and values.

According to Dewey (1967), ethics rightly conceived is "the statement of
human relationship in actions" (p. 223). In his article on teaching ethics in high
school, he promoted not so much the study of ethics, but "the study of this
complex world" in which we live (p. 226). In this study of morality, Dewey
explained that students are not studying about norms and rules of conduct
without being involved in the analysis of their attitudes and sentiments which
motivates their human behavior in the activities in which they are participating
in their society. The ideal, according to Dewey (1967) is to get the students in
the habit of constructing actual scenes of human interactions that will provide
them with the necessary means of discovering "the generic phases of human
activity in society" (p. 224). The study of typical cases and examples would be

the best content of any ethical theory which is being taught in the schools.

135

Table 6.1

Congruency of Church’s Principles and Values with
Understanding Christian Morality Course’s Content

 

Church’s EncycIic—als and Documents Wherth was found, taught and

Principles, Content. learned.

1. W. "A Call to Justice", (1891). Unit VI Poverty-Hunger
The poor and the conditions of the working class.

2. W. "On Human Works", (1981). Unit VI Poverty-Hunger
Built upon human work and the condition of labor.

3. . "The Social Order", (1931) Unit VI Poverty-Hunger
The basic causes of injustices and poverty in society.

4. W. "On the Development of Unit VI Poverty-Hunger
Peoples", (1967).

Points out the basic causes of poverty in the world,
analyzing the situation and the imbalance between rich
and poor nations.

5. Mater et Magistra. "Christianity and Social Unit I Drug Abuse and
Progress", (1961). Alcohol
Examines the abuses of power that were oppressing the
human person.

6. ' . "Peace on Earth", (1963). Unit 11 Responsibility in the
Contains charter of human rights with duties and decision making
responsibilities, addressing the fundamental duties of process concerning~
civil authorities in relationship to human rights. human dignity and

right»-

7. W (1981). Unit III Juvenile Delinquency
Contains written records of U.S.A. bishop’s stand on and the moral issue
political matters and social issues. (1960-80) of capital

punishment.

8. f ’ Unit IV Human relationships
Kim. (1983). and sexual
Concern with concrete problems of the present such as relationships
negotiations strategies among nations, the arms race, (abortion, etc.)
warfare and weapons system.

9. Wham (1971). Unit V Social current events

Reminds Christians to participate in the transformation
of the world for justice and peace. Includes
recommendations for educating the person for justice
and peace.

(nuclear war, etc.)

 

136

In the morality course in this study, the 11th grade students did what John
Dewey suggested. They analyzed a series of cases dealing with moral issues
according to the topic they were studying for each chapter in their textbook.
Similarly, during the peace and justice course when studying the unit on the
judicial system, they analyzed and discussed speciﬁc cases of juvenile delinquency.

Noddings (1984), in mg, described her concerns about moral education
and the ethics of teaching, she described the functions of the teacher as the one
who cares in a "more specialized-caring" relationship (p. 175). Noddings’ ideas
are pertinent because in this study dealing with ethics, moral education and
especially with the application of peace and justice principles in a particular
school community, the most common way of applying these principles was
through dialogue and discussions where students sorted out beliefs, values,
opinions, views and ideas in a dialectical freeing process of learning that involved
interactions between the teacher and the students. Noddings (1984) stated: "The
school, ideally, is a setting in which values, beliefs, and opinions can be examined
both critically and appreciatively. It is absurd to suppose that we are educating
when we ignore these matters that lie at the very heart of human existence" (p.
184).

The interview sessions held with the morality teachers revealed some
redundancy in the topics the students studied in the morality and the peace and
justice courses. These topics were: (1) world hunger and poverty, (2) current
issues in their local community, (3) capital punishment, (4) nuclear war and

world peace, (5) abortion, and (6) alcohol and drug abuse. According to the

 

 

137

teachers who were interviewed, the similarity between the peace and justice
course and the morality course was that they both dealt with social issues, events
and happenings in their society. The difference was in the fact that during the
morality course the students had to deal with the events in society on a more
personal moral level in relationship to their own decision-making process.
Speciﬁc examples on how the morality course complemented the students’
knowledge on peace and justice education and aided them to integrate what they
learned with their daily lives and future careers is explained later on in this
vignette.

The religion course on peace and social justice was the core of the religion
curriculum on peace and justice education and it primarily, "acquaints the
students with the realities of injustice and lack of peace in the world in which
they live" (Curriculum Guide, p. 10). The description for this course given in the
course outline for the students stated that the students will explore social
problems that are important for the Church today. The topics that were studied
are the following: ( 1) discrimination of all kinds, (2) issues surrounding poverty
and hunger, and (3) justice in today’s society. According to the data compiled
from the "Student Activities Questionnaire," this peace and justice course was
very beneﬁcial for the students. Here are some of the comments that the
students made about this course:

- I think that the peace and justice course should run for the full

year.

138

It was a good program. Taught me a lot about rights of the peOple
and about how the court works. It was interesting. We got to
voice our opinions.

It makes us more aware of what is happening today. Also, there
is individual class time that is donated to world affairs.

Peace and justice class teaches us about what society is really like
and what people and all nations treat each other like.

The movies were good. I like current events articles. The class
was good. Learning about the justice system was interesting.

My peace and justice class is my most enjoyable class. All of the
students get to voice their own opinions on many controversial and
moral issues. I think that it is very important for young people to
have a chance to do this.

We at our school try to service others by learning from missionaries
who tell of their experiences in helping other countries. We have
had many great speakers talk to us. We also learn through
experience on special days set aside for the whole school (World
Hunger Week). Mostly, though, this religion course gives the most
information.

I feel that our school is trying hard to teach us about the subject
of peace/justice and that it’s doing a great job at it.

Interesting.

 

 

139

- I feel that having peace and justice should be taught in more
schools.

- I really think this was a great course. The teacher was great. I
would recommend this to other people.

At this point, it is important to mention that these positive statements
about the 11th grade peace and justice course represent 50 percent of the
student population who answered the questionnaire. These statements were
made in an open item on part V, where the students could add any comment(s)
on the school program and /or activities or about the survey.

The data showed on the ﬁrst series of student interviews that there were
some similarities and relationships between what they stated in their
questionnaires and what they said in the interviews concerning the peace and
justice course. The students found the class interesting because there was a lot
of student participation, especially during dialogue and class discussions, and they
liked being able to voice their own views and opinions. They enjoyed the video-
tape ﬁlms about the topics of human rights. Most of the students were mainly
concerned with the issues of poverty, world hunger, the judicial system, capital
punishment and racial discrimination. The students also preferred this class
because they had open dialogue and discussions on different topics and most of
the time they did not have to memorize things, while at the same time it helped
them learn about society and the real world. One student stated, "It is not taking
the issues and events to memorize, but it’s: do it, live it, learn it." Other

students mentioned the following about the course: "What you learn in this class

 

 

140

is about every day life." This course "is supplying us with more information so
that we get to realize what the status is around the world and what exactly justice
is, so that we could later on ﬁnd out what the answers are and maybe some
solutions to the problems." This course "is about the future, not what people did
in the past." Most of the students who participated in this interview also
mentioned that the course gave them the most information about society and
world problems and that it was helping them ﬁnd answers to their concerns.

In relationship to the following questions, there were some signiﬁcant
answers.

How do you see your role as a Christian in society and how has it

changed since you have been taking this course?

Since they were taking the peace and justice course, the students stated
that they had received a lot more information and that they were more aware of
people’s concerns and the many problems affecting them in society. They
emphasized that their personal values began to change and that the class also
reinforced their Christian beliefs and values. One student mentioned: "This
course makes you aware of wrong viewpoints ﬂoating around." Most of the
students in this interview said that they learned a great deal about their own
community and how they can help one another. "Those people are the same as
you," a student emphasized. Others mentioned that they wanted all people to be
treated the same. There was only one student that felt that during the course

they did not seem to "tie up the topics with the Church too much."

141

When the question "What do you like about this course?" was addressed
during the interview, some of the students responded with something like the
following:

- You learn more in this course because you participate more.

- You get to say how you feel about some things and why you feel
that way.

- You don’t know where other people stand in other formal classes.
Here you ﬁnd out that other people have the same feelings and
views.

- The teacher makes a lot of difference; most teachers can’t get to

have the kids say what they’re thinking.

Most of the students in the class had worked on at least one community
project, and this is what they said about their experiences. Four students stated
that they learned how poor people really live. One of the students added: "It
makes you feel thankful for what you’ve got." Another student said that from his

9

community experience he discovered that: "Solutions aren’t really big. . . . Its
basically what I think justice is. As long as you help some people out, it matters
that you did it."
Where do you see yourself going in the future concerning your
career? Has this class affected your decision in any way?

In relationship to the above question, the students were not able to give

any straightforward answers concerning their careers and how this course

142

affected their decisions toward their future careers. Later, this issue will be
addressed with more detail and examples.

In synthesis, this was how the peace and justice course prepared its
students to participate in the building of social justice and peace as citizens and
members of their community:

1. The course gave the students the necessary tools, information and
knowledge needed to make them more aware of social issues,
problems and concerns in their society, and in their world.

2. The course reinforced the students’ Christian beliefs and values,
making them more conscious of people’s needs in their community
and their society. It aided them in ﬁnding ways in which they
could help one another.

As was mentioned earlier in this vignette, because the students were
unable to give any straightforward answers during the ﬁrst series of interviews to
the question of how taking the peace and justice course has affected their career
decisions, new questions were made for the study:

Is it easier for you now to relate what you’ve learned in school with

your role in society? If yes, why? If not, do you think that there

is a gap in between what you’ve learned in school about peace and

justice and in your career or job in the future?

These new questions were used with the students during the interview
session held in May during the second semester of their junior school year. Most

of the students agreed that the peace and justice course gave them information

143

and knowledge and made them aware of societal issues, concerns and problems.
It made them more conscious of what was going on in society and also reinforced
their principles and values on peace and justice. They believed that they were
better prepared to analyze different situations in the world and society, and,
therefore, they were more open to world news. With their answers, they also
conﬁrmed that they were a little bit more mature in their ability to look at a
situation in society, search for facts and valid information before making any
hasty judgments or decisions. For example, they said they were better prepared
to vote. They emphasized that the morality course helped them to relate what
they learned in their peace and justice course with their role in society and with
their future job or career. This was how the students tried to explain it:
- We will try to be just to people and we will consider other people’s
needs. The peace and justice course helped us to put ourselves in
other people’s shoes.
- We will apply the justice and moral principles we’ve learned by not

making hasty judgments before having all the information and

facts, and making ﬁnal decisions.

What the students were trying to explain about their decision-making
process may be related to what Strike and Soltis (1985) explained in the
following excerpts:

Responsible decisions result not only from freely available
information, but from the wisdom and capacity to use it. (p. 40)

Maturity is a many-faceted thing acquired over a long period of
time. (p. 41)

144

A person creates his/her own values through decisions. We must

choose our own values by our words and actions, free, as much as

possible, from authority, conditioning, and social pressures. Only

in this way do values become authentically our own. There is no

way to prejudge situations, and no other person can really tell us

what is right or wrong. (p. 93)

In conclusion, both courses, the one on peace and social justice and the
other on understanding Christian morality gave the 11th grade students the
necessary intellectual and moral tools for them to be able to make personal
moral decisions and to participate in the building of social justice and peace as
citizens and members of their Christian community. In sum, the peace and
justice course gave the students the intellectual tools - the knowledge, the
information and the awareness -- to better function in their society and the world
in which they live. The morality course gave them the moral tools to better
prepared them to make conscientious moral decisions and choices as young
adults. This was conﬁrmed through the fact that in their morality course they
covered such topics as moral principles, moral issues, moral codes and norms,
theories of conscience, stages of moral development, Christian morality and their
responsibilities in the decision-making process.

During an interview, one of the morality teachers stated the following
about the 11th grade religion courses:

I think more that they are parts in the whole picture. I don’t think

you can look and say that’s the time something is going to happen.

I think it is a gradual process. You know and I would say that if

kids can see that we are talking about morality and see that

reﬂected in the teachers they are associated with . . . in some of

the students they’re associated with . . . ah - THAT contributes to
the whole picture.

145

The following quote from Strike and Soltis (1985) summarized the
morality teacher’s statements:

In our view, growth as a moral agent, as someone who cares about

others and is willing and able to accept responsibility for one’s self,

is the compelling matter. Promoting this kind of development is

what teachers ought to be fundamentally about, whatever else it is

that they are about. We are ﬁrst and foremost in the business of

creating persons. It is our ﬁrst duty to respect the dignity and

value of our students and to help them to achieve their status as

free, rational, and feeling moral agents. (p. 63)

In sum, the students found that the principles of peace and social justice
they learned ran counter to their own society’s value system. The students
experienced conﬂict between the social teachings of the Church on peace and
justice and their society’s value system. According to the data gathered, the best
way the students could confront this dissonance was through their own decision-
making process in relationship to their personal choices and decisions in society.
For example, when voting, they could choose people to represent them in ofﬁce
who would have similar values. Also, they would apply some of these principles
by striving not to discriminate against people who are different from them and
especially they learned not to make hasty decisions before having all of the
information gathered.

In the ﬁrst part of this vignette, this author has basically shown how the
students intended to use the intellectual and moral tools obtained in the "Peace
and Social Justice" and "Understanding Christian Morality" courses, to make
personal decisions in their own lives and within their Christian community. The

school also provided the students with complementary knowledge and

experiences which aided them in applying the principles and values learned

 

146

through students’ services to the community. This is how the students had the
opportunity to make their own personal decisions while applying what they
learned.

During the students’ senior year, the school prepared the students to
participate in the building of social justice and peace through the Community
Christian Service Program and a mini-course on peace and justice. The mini-
course on peace and justice was a course with a concentration of approximately
two months where the students meet for class two days a week for nine weeks.
The goals for the mini-course were:

1. To help young adults develop an understanding of particular

secular issues which demand a prophetic Christian response.

2. To create a framework for meaningful personal answers to

questions of social injustice.

3. To help students interpret history and social science from a

Christian point of view.
4. To focus primarily on the economic and political aspects of
society’s problems.
In addition to class participation two days a week, student were required to
research an area of social injustice and to submit a typewritten summary,
including a summary of the problem, its causes, who or what was affected and
how, and also what steps would be necessary to provide just solutions. They
had to read ﬁve articles related to issues of social justice and to submit one page

of written work on each article. On Friday, students did library work or

147

scheduled AV presentations. 'The class work will consist of presentations and
discussions on the historical roots of social justice and will focus on certain key
issues selected from among the many (poverty, hunger, economics, militarism,
population)" (Peace and Justice Mini-Course Outline, p. 1). Students were then
tested on the class material. During an interview with the religion department
coordinator, she stated that the four year religion plan for the students in the
school should, "replete the students with the facts that the world isn’t at peace
and that justice isn’t carried out" (Interview, Religion Department Coordinator).

The Christian Service Program for the students was established as a result
of an evaluation in 1975 done by the Diocesan Ofﬁce of Religious Education.
"The evaluation showed a weakness in the area of Christian service and it was
recommended that a service program be initiated" (Fallon and Russell, 1980, p.
11). This program began at the opening of the school year in September, 1979.
All seniors were required to participate in this one semester program that
included approximately 20 hours of free service to the community. They were
not paid for their services. Students were supposed to complete the
requirements of this program before graduation. The framework source for this
service program was in the "U.S.A. Bishop’s Pastoral Message on Catholic
Education" (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972).

The description of one Christian Service Program found in the Curriculum
Guide of the school is:

An action oriented program involving the students in service to the

community in the areas of education, parish service, care of the

aged, deprived, poor, etc. The service oriented thrust will be
complemented by regular seminar meetings for reﬂection on the

 

 

148

religious basis and projects will be conducted outside of school
time. This is a semester course required for all seniors. Each
service project must have the approval of the Director of Service.

(p. 10)
The purpose of the School Religious Department Christian Service
Program is:

1. To develop in the student the attitude of Christ.

2. To build up the kingdom by spreading the "Good News" of the
gospel.

3. To impart the moral imperative of Christ that what we can do for
our brother or sister, we must do.

4. To give the opportunity to see that those people who are really
happy in this life are those who have sought and found how to
serve.

5. To make students more aware of the great dignity which our
Heavenly Father has bestowed on each and every person.

6. To aid in the development of the diverse spiritual, intellectual and
social potentialities of each student.

7. To integrate religious truth with life.

8. To enable our students to take part in the mission of the Catholic
Church to our world in ways appropriate to their age and
responsive to their needs and the needs of those whom they serve.

9. To develop student responsibility to those in need.

10. To provide a ministerial experience in which the students will not

only touch the lives of those in need, but their own lives as well.

149

Through a ministerial rebound, students will see that their own
lives have been touched and that the world needs them.

11. To bring religion from the classroom to the real world they

experience.

12. To give the student the opportunity to develop compassion,

understanding and friendship for people of different ages, lifestyles
and problems. (Fallon and Russell, 1980, p. 12)

The students normally arranged their hours of service with a member of
the teaching faculty. Students had the option of making up their 20 hours of
work in the community during the ﬁrst or the last period of their regular class
schedule. They could choose a place of work or an agency within the local
community with the approval of the director of service and the agency or place
of service. The students were responsible for their own transportation to the site
of Christian service. At the place or service, a supervisor is assigned for each
student.

The student shall be assigned a letter grade A, B, C, D or E from

his/her advisor. The advisors grade judgement shall be based upon

the advisor’s own personal judgement, in conjunction with the

evaluation of the student’s supervisor at the site the service is

performed. . . . The grade assigned by the advisor of the student

in the service program shall be combined with the grade the

student receives from the mini-course instructor, and this will be

one overall grade the student receives for the semester. The

quarter grades depend upon the mini-course grades assigned at the

time. (Fallon and Russell, 1980, p. 39)

During the interview, with the principal of the school when addressing

research question #5 (In what ways do you think your school is preparing the

students to participate in the building of social justice and peace as citizens and

150

members of the Catholic community?), he mentioned the Christian Service
Program. He referred to it as an example of how the school was preparing the
students to participate effectively in the building of social justice and peace in
the community. Through their concerns, caring and disinterested service to
people, the students were "bringing the microcosm of the world into their own
community" (Principal’s Interview Session).

The people with handicaps that the students visited and worked with were
the physically or mentally impaired that includes the mentally retarded.
Members of the student council are especially expected to participate in this
experience with a representation from all grade levels in the school. During the
last week of school in December, students visited people with handicaps in the
school and brought them Christmas gifts that were donated by the students.
Students also did volunteer work in a camp with people with handicaps. The
students worked at this camp during the summer when they went with the
student council coordinator to work for at least one week of service and caring.
Also during the summer, students volunteered to work with poor people in
Appalachia in the Resurrection Home in Kentucky for two or three weeks.
Students donated money to them for the program for the poor and the abused.

In relationship to this work, the student council moderated stated during
the interview session:

In high school education, I believe that the best is to help students

experience some need for justice and some joy in learning to share

what they have with others who might have less. There are many

different types of poverty. For example, poverty of experience and

poverty of knowledge. Students need to know that there are other
people with different needs. . . . that they are not the only ﬁsh in

151

the pond. I suppose that when you don’t see the immediate results

of what you have been trying to teach, you might wonder if it is all

worthwhile.
She also mentioned that she liked what many of her former students "have
become" after they leave the school. "They are caring individuals and persons
with true values." In relationship to these comments, the writing of Noddings
(1984) is relevant. "The one-caring is engrossed in the cared-for and undergoes
a motivational displacement toward the projects of the cared-for. . . . It means
that one-caring receives the other, for the interval of caring, completely and
nonselectively. . . . she starts from a position of respect or regard for the projects
of the other" (p. 176).

What the student council coordinator was trying to accomplish through
having the students do volunteer work with the handicapped people and the
work with the poor in the Appalachian region could be summarized with a quote
from Noddings (1984):

. . . wants to attain competence in his own world of experience.
He needs the cooperative guidance of a fully caring adult to
accomplish this. The one-caring as teacher, then has two major
tasks: to stretch the student’s world by presenting an effective
selection of that world with which she is in contact, and to work
cooperatively with the student in his struggle toward competence
in that world. But her task as one-caring has higher priority than

either of these. First and foremost, she must nurture the student’s
ethical ideal. (p. 178)

152

Summary
In sum, in vignette III, this author has demonstrated how this secondary

school prepared the students to participate in the building of social justice and
peace as citizens and members of the community according to their religion
curriculum goals. The references to data showed primarily how the school
curriculum for peace and justice education gave the students the necessary tools
intellectually and morally, the knowledge and the information, for them to be
able to make personal decisions as citizens and members of the community.

Descriptions and explanations were included on the 11th grade religion
courses "Peace and Social Justice" and "Understanding Christian Morality," the
mini course on peace and justice for seniors and the students’ community service
programs. Also, reference was made to some of the work that students did in
a nearby camp with people with handicaps and with the poor people in
Appalachia. This vignette fundamentally showed how the peace and justice and
morality courses helped most of the students view their future Christian role in
society through their careers and jobs, and in their personal decision-making
process.

In synthesis, this school prepared the students to participate in the
building of social justice and peace and aided them in their personal decision-
making process with:

1. The peace and justice course for juniors.

2. The morality course.

3. The mini-course on peace and justice for seniors.

6.
7.

153

The Christian Service Program in the community.

The school educational experiences during the Hunger-Poverty
Week (as described in Vignette II).

Students’ volunteer work with people with handicaps.

Students’ volunteer work with the poor in Appalachia.

Conﬁrming and disconﬁrming evidences were given according to the data

compiled from participant observations, the series of interviews, written

documents of the school and informal meetings with the faculty.

Now that the descriptions and explanations have been given in these

vignettes, which has constituted the core for this ethnographic study, a summary

of the study is provided following in the last chapter for this dissertation on

peace and justice education.

CHAPTER VII
CONCLUSIONS AND FINDINGS

Intmdnetion

This last chapter comprises four sections. The ﬁrst section contains a
summary of the study, showing the congruency with the Catholic Church’s
principles and values discovered in the Peace and Justice curriculum, the
methodology which was used to implement the principles and values taught
during the "Peace and Justice" course and how what the students learned in
"Peace and Justice" and "Understanding Christian Morality" inﬂuenced their
decision-making process when applying peace and justice values to their own lives
and future careers. The second section explains the limitations of the study
which is followed by the third section on the implications for future research.
The last section includes the author’s personal reﬂections on what may constitute

an educated person based on some general Christian values.

n r l
Congruency of the Catholic Church principles and values on Peace and
Justice Education were found in the curriculum in Isaias High School, especially
in the Religion Department curriculum. There was also congruency discovered
in the English Department curriculum and the Social Studies Department

curriculum. The congruency found in the English Department was in relationship

155

to the goals and values on human rights and the dignity of the human person,
accomplished through the assignments in the reading of some novels and books.
In the Social Studies, the congruency was found in the goals for the course on
Ethnic Culture and Sociology, through classroom practices, school experiences
and activities (see Table 7.1 in parts II-III). Descriptions to illustrate this were
given in Chapter IV in Vignette I. The encyclicals and documents that were
selected for this study are also listed in Table 7.1, with a summary of the central
principles and values of each one in order to show the congruency that was found
between them and the curricula in Isaias High School.

Table 7.1 is important because it integrates in sum what has been
discovered in the study that has been developed and described in these vignettes,
and it also shows where the principles and values are found in the curricula of
the school and how they were taught and learned.

In Vignette I, it was shown how the content of the units during class
practices for the Peace and Social Justice course corresponded with the teachings
of the Church (see Tables 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6). These tables in Chapter IV for
Vignette I, showed how each unit corresponded with the principles and values
contained in the encyclicals and documents selected for this study. This is why
the "Peace and Social Justice" course description and goals in the Religiert
Medium, are included in Part II #1 in the outline summary for the study in
Table 7.1.

 

156

 

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157

The same may be said about the course ”Understanding Christian Morality" that
was illustrated in Chapter VI, Vignette III, and also congruency according to
units was shown as contained in Table 6.1. Descriptions were given in Vignette
III to also show how the mini-course on Peace and Justice’s goals for the 12th
grade were found congruent according to the inductive analysis of data.

The student service program to the community has been explained in
Chapter VI in Vignette III. The Christian Service Program together with
educational experience and school activities (Chapter V, Vignette II) for the
students basically demonstrated how the students were able to apply principles
of peace and justice education to their Christian community (Table 7.1, Part H,
#5 A,B,C).

In sum, it can be stated that the principles and values on peace and justice
education on human dignity and rights that were contained in each of the
selected encyclicals and documents, were discovered in Isaias High School’s
curricula as has been illustrated in parts I and II of Table 7.1 and as described
in the three vignettes that constituted the core of this study, through the
methodology shown in Table 7.1 part III, since this is how they were taught and
learned according to the ﬁnal inductive analysis of data.

During the 11th grade religion course on "Peace and Social Justice," the
following summary is included for the methodology used in order to apply the
Church’s values on peace and justice education:

1. The sharing of information and knowledge by explanations and

lectures.

158

2. The viewing of video-cassette ﬁlms and ﬁlmstrips.

3. Dialogue and discussions with an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions
and views.

4. The question and answer sequences.

5. The readings of documents, books, articles and summarized hand-
outs.

6. Students’ written summaries.

7. Students’ group work.

8. The case method approach.

9. The role-playing and class dramatization.

10. Students’ prayer services and meetings.

11. Students’ services to the community.

It is also important to emphasize that the most effective way of teaching and
applying peace and social justice principles and values for the students was
through dialogue during classroom practices and during the various school
experiences and activities in which they were engaged. The evidence for this is
shown in the explanations, examples and descriptions given especially in Chapters
V and VI, in Vignettes II and III, and illustrated in Table 7.1, part HI.

In sum, the most common classroom procedures were the dialogue
sessions and the question and answer sequences held between the teacher and
the students throughout the discussions and the sharing of opinions and views.
The most common classroom activity was the viewing of videotaped ﬁlms; there

was a total of 12 ﬁlms shown during the course. Six of them were on

159

discrimination of blacks, the elderly, women and religious discrimination. Three
of them concentrated on the judicial system and the last three were related to
poverty in the world.

It is also important to note that previous descriptions given in Vignettes
II-III about the students’ Christian services to the community and the students’
activities and experiences demonstrated how Isaias High School cooperated in
the transformation of society according to the school’s educational goals and
objectives in relationship to peace and justice education.

It can be concluded that the educated person for the 11th grade students
meant becoming acquainted with the realities of injustices and absence of peace
in our world, and developing moral abilities and skills in the process of personal
decision-making. It was discovered as has been mentioned previously, that
dialogue accompanied by questions and answers was the most effective
methodology for changing consciousness and for learning and applying principles
and values on peace and justice education. Many examples of this fact and
discovery has been given in the description of vignettes, especially in Vignette II.
The dialogical mode of teaching gave the students an opportunity to discover
their own level of conscientization or their level of awareness toward injustices
found in their society and world. It gave them an opportunity to sort out their
own Christian values and to reinforce their Christian principles and beliefs. This
was conﬁrmed during the series of interviews and observations where they so
clearly stated that on account of dialogue they became aware of other people’s

problems and concerns, and their own attitudes toward the poor peoples

160

were changed. Precisely the opportunity to converse, express their own thoughts,
ideas and opinions on moral issues such as these also aided them in deciding how
they were going to apply peace and social justice values to their lives, careers and
Christian community. Thus, through dialogue and experience, the 11th grade

students were best able to learn and apply peace and justice principles.

1"' [151

The limitations that were found for this ethnographic study on Peace and
Social Justice education are as follows:

1. The contribution that this study has made to the existing body of
knowledge concerning the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
in a secondary school cannot be generalized, they are limited to a
very speciﬁc cultural setting.

2. The study was not extended to the students’ involvement in the
community after graduation, so it is unknown whether or not the
students were able to apply in their own lives and in their Christian

community what they have learned on Peace and Justice Education.

1i i r r h
The implications for future research on account of the two major
limitations found are:
1. Speciﬁc follow-up research is needed regarding the students’
commitment and social involvement in the community after

graduation regarding peace and justice education principles and

161

values to discover how they have been able to apply what they
learned to their daily lives and in their Christian community.

2. Research is needed on a one-year basis on the courses
"Understanding Christian Morality," and "Peace and Social Justice"
in order to discover how the moral principles and the social
teachings of the Church on Peace and Justice will be integrated to
their own decision-making process if the students were to take the
morality course ﬁrst. Then those results could be compared to this
ethnographic study.

3. Future research is indispensable in the area of peace and justice
to really prove how effectively the school is realizing the "educated
person" according to the curriculum goals or preparing these
students to bring about justice and peace as young adults within

their Christian community.

Personalﬁeflecticns

The doctrines and social teachings of the Catholic Church map the
Christian way of life, direct personal commitment and have reinforced our
Christian responsibilities. Catholicism then means a personal commitment to
God through Christ with all the social implications and individual responsibility
toward the attainment of peace and justice in our society and world. Christian
morality in general is a reformulation of the ten commandments of the Old
Testament. In these ten commandments, a very basic Christian principle is

contained, to love God ﬁrst and then our neighbors as ourselves. So, Catholics

162

accept Christ in faith as the norm and reason for their conduct. Philosophers
may very well justify their codes of moral principles by argumentation and logical
reasoning. But what differentiates Catholic’s morality from that of others is
Christ, who for the Christian is ”the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).
Therefore, morality goes beyond a series of commandments or prohibitions
because it involves something higher and more intimate. Finally, striving to live
through faith, hope, justice and love is more meaningful and absorbing than any

n

intellectual conceptualization or any norms or Church laws. . . . social norms
of whatever kind are not only to be explained, but also applied. This is
especially true of the Church’s teachings on social matters, which have truth as
its guide, justice as its end, and love as its driving force" (Byers, 1986, p. 146).

For this author, the "educated person" is someone who is committed and
responsible to live according to these Christian principles mentioned and who
would strive to love their neighbors. They are authentic, responsible, mature,
honest and true to themselves. They are conscious, committed individuals who
can think objectively and critically. These pe0ple make responsible choices and
can accept the consequences of those choices. These educated persons are ﬂex-
ible, open to changes, new situations and discoveries. They are always willing to
learn something new and to grow personally. They have acquired some funda-
mental knowledge through formal and information education. These educated
persons are optimistic about the future and believe and hope for a better

generation founded on principles of peace, justice and love for all humankind.

One of the many reasons why this author is optimistic and hopeful for the future,

163

and believes in a new generation, is precisely because she believes in the good
will of peoples in this nation and many Third World nations whose leaders
throughout history have striven to promote justice and peace in their nation and

abroad.

164

April 17, 1985

Mr. Michael Guerra

Executive Director

Secondary Department

National Catholic Education Association
One Dupont Circle NW

Washington, DC. 20036

Dear Mr. Guerra:

Today in our telephone conversation, I mentioned to you the fact that I am a graduate
student at Michigan State University, in the doctoral program in the Collect of Education
in the area of Curriculum and Instruction. I am now in the process of writing my
dissertation proposal and the main purpose of my study is to identify the content for the
teachings of social justice and peace of the Roman Catholic Church, and to ascertain to
what degree and in what ways, attempts have been made to integrate this content into the
Secondary School curriculum through the religion textbooks and classroom practices.

During my literature search, I came across a survey done by members of the N CEA called:

anoe Edooation in Catholio Schools: "A Report On the NCEA Peace Studies Survey of

Catholic Schools and a Plan for Initiating and/or Developing a Peace Studies Program," a
publication of the NCEA Secondary Department, July 1976.

This letter is written in order to request your legal permission to use some of the
instruments and questionnaire used in this survey. Especially, permission is requested for
using the following:

1. Activity 3B. Kay gzonooots and Standards. Pages 96, 97, 98, and 99.
2. Appendix 1. Administration. Pages 107-108.
3. Boligioo Dooartmont. Pages 111-112.
4. Stodont Attivitios. Pages 117-118.
There will be some deletions and additions in somecases in the items since I would like

to be able to adjust them to the study. Of course, always the work of the NCEA members
will be credited by making the correct references and quotations from the report.

 

165

I hope that your permission will be granted from the NCEA, so that I can use some of
those instruments and questionnaires to gather the data for the descriptive study of my
doctoral dissertation research.

Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

Sincerely,

Magaly Alt. Piﬁa M.

P.S. Please place for me the following order for the NCEA.

Full name and address:

Magaly Alt. Piﬁa M.

1646 L Spartan Village
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48823

Tel. (517) 353-7945

 

 

Appendix A

Letters

N

 

166

C E A

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May 10. 1985

Ms. Magali Alt. Pina M.
1646 L Spartan Village
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48823

Dear Ms. Pina:

In response to your letter of April 17, you have our permission to use
the items you list, with appropriate acknowledgements and references.
We would also expect that a copy of your final paper would be sent

to NCEA for our file.

Sincerely,

Mug ;

Michael J. Du
Executive Director
Secondary School Department

 

MJG:jw

167

April 26, 1985
East Lansing, Michigan

Dear Principal,

Last week I had a meeting with the superintendent concerning my doctoral
dissertation research proposal at the Diocesan Education Ofﬁce. She was very open and
understanding in relationship to what I propose to do for my study and she said that I could
go ahead and make the preliminary arrangements for setting up the proposal with the
Secondary Schools.

As you already know from our recent telephone conversation, I am a graduate
student at Michigan State University in the College of Education in the area of Curriculum
and Instruction. The Chairperson for my Studies Committee is Doctor Ben Bohnhorst who
is directing my research proposal. The task of setting it up encompassed the gathering of
some practical information from your school such as: (1) the type of program or studies
which you have for peace and justice education for the students, especially during religion
classes; (2) the general goals of the program or studies; (3) the name of the text book(s)
or lesson plan units and any available information on the author(s) and the publishing
company; (4) the name of the topics and content materials which are used; (5) the materials
and resources which are an integral part of the students’ experiences and school activities;
and (6) a copy of your curriculum guide.

This study will involve information which we hope to obtain from you, from the
coordinator of the Religion Department or the coordinator of the Religion program, and
from some of the high school level religion teachers. I believe that the best way for me to
gather this information soon is by coming to your school in order to get the necessary
materials. I am looking forward to meeting you and visiting your school.

The contributions which you will make for my doctoral dissertation research will be
very valuable. This knowledge I hope to share some day with the people in developing
nations, such as in the Dominican Republic, my native land.

Thank you for your time and cooperation on this matter, for which I am truly
grateful.

Sincerely yours,

Magaly Alt. Piﬁa M.
MSU Graduate Student

168

Magaly Alt. Piﬂa M.
Michigan State University
1646 L Spartan Village
East Lansing, MI 48823

July 29, 1985

Diocesan Education Ofﬁce

Dear Sister:

On July 19th, at Michigan State University, the graduate studies committee met in
the College of Education presided by the Chairperson Dr. Richard Navarro. During this
meeting, the committee reviewed my dissertation proposal and approved it. Included in this
letter is a copy of the University-required form signed by the committee. Therefore, I
would like to request your permission to do my research, which is an ethnography study, in
Isaias High School.

As we discussed during Spring term, the study will be done during the school year
1985-86, which begins next Fall--from September ’85 to March ’86 approximately. I am
especially interested in researching the "Peace and Social Justice Course" for the 11th grade
students.

A copy of the following instruments which will be used during the study are included
with the letter:

1) A copy of the University-signed form ofﬁcially approving the type of research.
2) A summary-abstract of the study.
3) A copy of the research questions.

4) A diagram-schedule for the participants-observations sessions, and the students
observations within the school community.

5) A copy of each of the following questionnaires:
a) The Administration Questionnaire;
b) The Religion Department Questionnaire:
c) The Students Activities Questionnaire.

6) The Interview Questions Sheet for the Religion Department Coordinator and
the Religion Teacher(s); and the volunteer 11th grade students.

7) The Religion Teacher Information Sheet.

8) A copy of the letter for the parents.

169

All information which will be gathered for the study will be totally conﬁdential and
anonymous. Pseudo-names will be used throughout the study in order to protect the school
and its informants. No information will be disseminated without the consent of the teacher
and principal of the school. The religion teachers will have access to all data accumulated
during the study.

I would appreciate your letting me know when the permission requested is granted,
so that I may communicate with the Principal-Administrator and the Religion Teachers

sometime during the month of August, in order to make the necessary arrangements for the
study with them.

Your understanding and flexibility concerning my graduate studies and dissertation
research are deeply appreciated. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Magaly Alt. Piiia M.

MP/lkc

170

October 29, 1985

Michigan State University

Dear Parents:

I am a graduate student at Michigan State University, presently doing my dissertation
research in Isaias High School, in the 11th grade religion classes on Peace and Justice
Education. The aim of my research is to discover what happens during a religion course
in a classroom situation when the students and teacher try to implement concepts and
teachings of the Catholic Church on peace and justice education.

Also, one of the major concerns of the study is to discover how concepts and
teachings on social justice and peace in the school are related to the students’ experiences
and activities within their Catholic community. Because your child has chosen to be a
member of the National Honor Society, and/or on the Student Council in the school, I
would like to request your permission to interview him/her and to please have your child
answer the Students Activities Questionnaire, if he/she so desires.

It is necessary to explain to you that the participation of your child in the interview
and the answering of the questionnaire mentioned above, is totally voluntary and
anonymous. There is no penalty for not participating in either of these activities and your
child’s grades will not be affected in any way if he/she chooses not to participate or
cooperate in this dissertation project. Your child may also discontinue the interview section
and his/her participation with the answering of the "Students Activities Questionnaire" any
time during the study if he/she chooses to do so. However, the cooperation of your child
will be greatly needed for the success of this study and it will be very much appreciated by
this researcher.

The information which will be gathered from the students’ interview sections and the
students’ activities questionnaires will be compiled together, shared and communicated in
the dissertation and in any other research publications which will be made later in order
to share the ﬁndings of the study. The information which will be obtained will be totally
conﬁdential and anonymous, and when communicating the ﬁndings and results,
pseudo-names will be used for the school and its participants. If you have any further
questions concerning the study, I will be more than happy to answer them. Please call me
at the following telephone numbers:

Home (517)353-7945
Work (517) 355-8722
355-8727

During school hours, I will be available in Isaias High School from 10:30 to 12:00 in the
morning.

171

For your information, this research has been reviewed and authorized by a University
Committee in the Michigan State University College of Education. Questions of concern
may be addressed to Dr. Richard Navarro in the College of Education: (517) 355-3266.
It has also been authorized by the superintendent at the Diocesan Office.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

 

MSU Student

172

May I encourage you to discuss this with your child and to ﬁnd out about his/her
willingness to participate before signing this letter.

Please sign, send to school with your child.

I have read the above letter and I grant the permission and the authorization
requested for my son/daughter to participate in the
study on Peace and Justice Education which the principal and teachers have agreed upon
with the Michigan State University graduate student during the school year 1985-86.

 

Parent’s Signature

Appendix B

Questionnaires

173

When you answer the questionnaire, please follomhemzeoiﬁcjﬁoctioos
given in the beginning of each section. It will take you approximately 30 to 35

minutes to answer all of the items.

Your pagioioatjog in answering this questionnaire is W and
you may discontinue it any time, if you want to. If you choose to answer the
questionnaire; however, your cooperation is greatly appreciated and needed for
the success of the study. Your answers will be conﬁdential and anonymous;
therefore, do not write your name on it. The proof of your voluntary consent for
participating in the study and answering this questionnaire is veriﬁed when you
return this questionnaire, with your answers, to the researcher.

The information which will be gathered will be shared and oommonioatod
in the dissertation and during its ﬁdallosnlts and ﬁndings and in any other future
writings which will be prepared for publication of the research.

Thank you for your cooperation.

174

PEACE AND JUSTICE SURVEY Dissertation Project
School Year 1985-86 Michigan State University
W

(This questionnaire was tried and discussed with Secondary Administrator
and Faculty)
1. On a scale of one to ﬁve, please rate you school’s interest and

commitment to peace and justice education.

1. Little or no interest

3. Some interest but we have no deﬁnite plans or activities

5. Speciﬁc peace and justice education program with deﬁned goals.
A.

as a school community

 

Students’ Activities
Religion Department
English Department
Science Department
Social Studies Department
Other. Please indicate.

 

2. Does the school have a peace and justice studies class (es)?
yes Elective? no Required?

 

Please give the researcher any copies of curriculum materials, units,

projects, etc. relative to peace and justice education in your school.

3. Please check which of the following elements are explicitly included in
your school’s philosophy/statement of purpose:
A. school is located within a world community perspective.
B. responsibility of the school, as part of the Catholic Church,

to educate for greater justice and world peace.
C. dignity and human rights of the individual person.

D. responsibility to the civic community and respect for law.

 

 

175

Gospel values supporting world justice and international
peace.

responsibility of the individual Christian to work for justice
and peace.

concern for non-violent conﬂict and resolution in the school,
local and national communities.

appreciation of cultural and ethnic differences.
development of the peaceful person who will seek
alternatives to violence.

development of harmony within the Christian community.

Please check any of the following steps which apply to your school.

A.

.U

In order to help students learn to live in our evolving world
community, a school committee has developed a plan for
education in national, world justice, and international peace.
A faculty member, or a committee, is responsible for
developing and coordinating the program for the school.

The program is based on written agreed-upon guidelines.

Guidelines were drawn up by a committee made up of

representatives from:

faculty school board
students diocesan peace/justice office
parents other, please indicate.

A professional peace consultant (or organization) helps plan
the program. If so, please indicate:

 

The school has in-service opportunities for teachers to

develop their competency in political, ethical and
educational questions related to national, world justice and

international peace.

 

176

G. The school has (is developing) a world justice and peace
resource center (or unit within the library or resource
center). If so, please indicate:

H. None of the above.

 

Does the diocesan justice /peace ofﬁce offer assistance in peace education

by providing:

resources and materials for teachers? _ yes _ no
in-service opportunities for teachers? __ yes _ no
service of professional consultants? _ yes no

other type of assistance? yes no

If yes, please indicate:

 

Please add any comments about your school programs and/ or this survey.

177

 

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179

PEACE AND JUSTICE SURVEY Dissertation Project
School Year 1985-86 Michigan State University

LIINEP

(This questionnaire was tried and discussed with Secondary Faculty)

1. On a scale of one to ﬁve, please indicate how familiar religion teachers
are on your staff with the following documents:
1. Little or no familiarity
3. Some familiarity
5. Very knowledgeable

"Christianity and Social Progress". W. Pope John XXIII,
1961.

"Peace on Earth". W. Pope John XXIII, 1963.

"On the Development of Peoples". 39W. Pope Paul VI,
1967.

"Justice in the World". National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Synod
of Bishops, 1971.

"On Human Work". W. Pope Paul H, 1981.

"The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response". Pastoral
letter, 1983.

2. On a scale of one to five, please indicate the degree to which the
following students’ topics and goals are part of your religion class.

1. Rarely mentioned in class
3. The subject is covered sometimes
5. Specific instructional objectives cover the subject

THE STUDENTS:

__ A. list the human rights that belong to every person.

_ B. show where these rights are taught in Scripture and the Social
doctrines of the Church.

180

recognize that many societal problems arise because of rights and
conﬂict with each other.

analyze solutions to problems of justice and peace within the
framework of the Church teachings on human dignity and rights.
will be able to distinguish the differences and give examples of
personal sin and social sin.

discuss the various ways that peace is experienced in the human
community as inner tranquility, as harmony and cooperation in
society, and as order in civic communities.

consider the role of the Church as a peace and justice value-giver,
and examine the active participation of its’ members in working for
a better society.

state the attitudes toward war, justice and peace as found in some
of the Church’s documents and teachings.

explain the Catholic positions on a) the development of peoples,
on b) social progress, and c) the conditions of workers.

debate the limits of legitimate defense using basic Christian moral
principles, Catholic social teachings and Gospel values in
supporting their position.

examine the various ways in which non-violence has been taught
and experienced in society and the political and ethical supports for
non-violent conﬂict resolution.

recognize the responsibility which every believer in Christ has to
work in order to promote justice and peace for all people and
nations.

discuss the various ways that justice is experienced in the human
community as in: a) the recognition of human dignity and rights;
b) the equitable distribution of the earth’s resources; and c) laws
and governmental systems of law.

acknowledge the legitimacy of government and laws, and at the
same time accept the Christian responsibility for conscientious
judgment for specific laws.

181

3. Please check if liturgical or para-liturgical experiences are designed or

planned to help students:

A. incorporate into their lives the teachings of Jesus and the Church
on the interdependence and brotherhood of all mankind.

__ B. appreciate the value of harmony and cooperation in the family and
in the community (including local, school, civic and global).
__ C. identify themselves as members of a global community.
D. relate the teachings of the Church in regard to world justice and

peace to their personal and community responsibilities.

4. Where you have had a cooperative, inter-departmental project or activity
related to a concern listed below, please indicate which departments
shared in the project:

Social Studies English Lit. Other
human dignity and rights

of peoples in regard to race,

sex and age

 

conscience and war

 

non-violence

 

world hunger

 

population

 

world resources scarcity

and distribution

 

governmental systems and laws

 

biological warfare

 

military power and weapons

 

other

 

5. Do you have a peace and justice class part of your religion

curriculum? yes no

 

6. Please add any comments about your school program and/ or this survey.

182

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Table B.4
. r . r . r . . i
W
Faculty
_Exp_ede_n_c_es N = 4
A. incorporate into their lives the teachings 4
of Jesus and the Church on the inter-
dependence and brotherhood of all mankind.
B. appreciate the value of harmony and 4
cooperation in the family and in the
community (including local, school, civic
and global).
C. identify themselves as members of a 4
global community.
D. relate the teachings of the Church in 2
regard to world justice and peace to
their personal and community
responsibilities.
Table 8.5
Whi h D m n h r I r n
Tegether with the Religien Depgnment. whege
WM“
r-D m n ' ' '
Social Studies English/Lit. Other
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World Hunger 1 25 1 25
Governmental Systems and 1 25 -- --
Laws

Other: Departments and
Issues are all Interrelated -- -- -- --

 

186

ENTA E NN E

This questionnaire was discussed with the Administrator and faculty in a
Secondary School.

1.

2.

For each of the activities listed below please indicate the extent to which

students in your school have participated.

A.

4. many 3. some 2. few 1. none

Assemblies and speakers on national issues concerning justice and
peace.

Assemblies and speakers on international issues concerning justice
and peace.

Work with approved community groups as part of the school
learning experience.

Volunteer work, project and activities in the local community.
Participation in programs such as the Model United Nations.
Expressing national and world concerns in student newspaper,
school bulletins, etc.

Participation in political campaigns and peace and justice concerns
within the local community.

Study trips to Washington, DC. or to foreign countries related to
peace and justice education.

OTHER. Please specify:

 

Please check the activities which apply to your school.

A.

Bulletin boards, the newspaper and school announcements call
attention to special national and international events and days of
celebration; for example, UN. Day, Human Rights Day, etc.
The School Counselors guide and aid students interested in careers
related to Peace and Justice, and world affairs.

The school has a teacher/student resource center focusing on
national and international concerns and questions on peace / justice,

human issues and events.

187

D. The school library/resource center keeps an up-to-date selection
of materials related to national and international concerns on
peace/justice for faculty and students.

E. The Student Council in the school participates in projects and
activities dealing with national and international justice/peace
celebrations and events.

F. Students in the National Honor Society participate in national and
international justice /peace projects and activities of the school and
the community.

G. OTHER. Please name:

 

3. Please check which of the following organizations have served as resource
agencies for the school or for school projects.

_ American Association for _ National Council for
University Women Social Studies
_ American Friends Service _ Overseas Development
Committee Council
_ League of Women Voters _ Bread for the World
_ Overseas Development Council _ Center for Concern
_ National Catholic Educa- _ National Education
tional Association Association
_ Center for War/Peace Studies _ Foreign Policy Association
_ Fellowship of Reconciliation _ United Nations Association
_ Foreign Policy Association _ World Federalists, USA
__ Institute for World Order __ World Affairs Council
__ World Without War Council __ United States Catholic

Division of Justice and
Other(s) (Please list) Peace

188

Please give the researcher any students’ activities materials that have been
developed relative to national and international justice and peace education.

Please add any comments about your school program and school activities
related to peace/ justice or about this survey.

189

 

 

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196

September 1975

Peace Studies Survey: A Project of the National Catholic Educational
Association

 

 

 

ADMINISTRATION
School Diocese Date
Street City Zip

 

 

 

Name of person ﬁlling out this questionnaire:

 

 

Position:
3 8 t
1. On a scale of one to five, rate your school’s commitment to peace
education:
1 -- little or no interest in peace education
5 -- specific peace education plans with deﬁned goals
A. as a school community
B. Student Activities

Religion Department
English Department
Science Department
Social Studies Department

2. Does the school have a global justice/peace studies c1ass(es)?
yes Elective?
no Required?

Please send copies of curriculum materials, units, projects, etc. relative to
peace studies in your school.

3. Check which of the following elements are explicitly included in your
school’s philosophy/statement of purpose:

A. school is located within a world community perspective

B. responsibility of the school, as part of the Catholic Church,
to educate for greater justice and world peace

C. dignity and human rights of the individual person.

D. responsibility to the civic community and respect for law.

 

197

Gospel values supporting world justice and international
peace.

responsibility of the individual Christian to work for justice
and peace.

concern for non-violent conﬂict and resolution in the school,
local and national communities.

appreciation of cultural and ethnic differences.
development of the peaceful person who will seek
alternatives to violence.

development of harmony within the Christian community.

Which of the following steps have been taken by your school?

A.

 

 

In order to help students learn to live in our evolving world
community, a school committee has developed a plan for
education in national, world justice, and international peace.

A faculty member, or a committee, is responsible for
developing and coordinating the program for the school.

The program is based on written agreed-upon guidelines.

Guidelines were drawn up by a committee made up of
representatives from:

faculty school board
students diocesan peace/justice ofﬁce
parents other, please indicate.

A professional peace consultant (or organization) helps plan
the program.

This school provided for in-service opportunities for teachers
to develop their competency in political, ethical and
educational questions related to world justice and
international peace.

The school has (is developing) a world justice and peace
resource center (or unit within the library or resource
center).

Does the diocesan school ofﬁce offer assistance in peace education by

providing:

resources and materials for teachers? _ yes _ no
in-service opportunities for teachers? _ yes _ no
service of professional consultants? _ yes _ no

Please add any comments about your school programs and/ or this survey.

198

September 1975

Peace Studies Survey: A Project of the National Catholic Educational
Association

RELIGION DEPARTMENT
School Diocese Date

 

 

Street City Zip

Name of person filling out this questionnaire:

 

Position:

 

This questionnaire was/was not discussed with the religion faculty.

1. On a scale of one to ﬁve, please indicate how familiar religion teachers
are on your staff with the following documents:
1 -- little or no familiarity 5 -- very knowledgeable

Mater et Magistra

The Church in the Modern World
Pacem in Terris

Call to Action

Progress of Peoples

Justice in the World

To Teach As Jesus Did

2. On a scale of one to ﬁve, please indicate the degree to which the
following students’ t0pics and goals are part of your religion class.
1 -- tangentially mentioned in class to 5 -- speciﬁc instructional
objectives cover the subject

The students»-

list the human rights that belong to every person

show where these rights are taught in Scripture and the Social
doctrines of the Church

recognize that many societal problems arise because of rights and
conﬂict with each other

analyze solutions to problems of justice and peace within the
framework of the Church teachings on human dignity and rights

F305”?

3.

B
C.
D

199

discuss the various ways that peace is experienced in the human
community as inner tranquility, as harmony and cooperation in
society and as order in civic communities

deﬁne the role of the Church in politics as value giver and as active
participant in working for a better society but not as ruler in
secular order

state the attitudes toward war and peace as found in my;

MWﬂcﬂdandW

explain the traditional Catholic positions of war, i. e., the just war,
the holy war and paciﬁsm.

debate the limits of legitimate defense using humanistic principles,
Catholic social teachings and Gospel values in supporting their
positions

examine the various ways in which non-violence has been taught
and experienced in society and the political and ethical supports for
non-violent conﬂict resolution.

judge if it is ever morally permissible for a person to support and
take part in wars and violent revolutions. Judgement should be
made rationally and based on clearly articulated values.
recognize the Christian to work to end war and promote justice
among peoples no matter whether one takes a just war, a holy war
or a paciﬁst position

discuss the various ways that justice is experienced in the human
community as in the recognition of human dignity and rights in an
equitable distribution of the earth’s resources, in relationships
between individuals and peoples, and in laws and systems of law
acknowledge the legitimacy of government and laws, and at the
same time accept the Christian responsibility for conscientious
judgment for speciﬁc laws

Please check if liturgical or para-liturgical experiences are designed or
planned to help students:

A.

incorporate into their lives the teachings of Jesus on the
brotherhood of all mankind

appreciate the value of harmony and cooperation in the family and
in the community (including local, school, civic and global)
identify themselves as members of a global community

relate the teachings of the Church in regard to world justice and
peace to their personal and community responsibilities

200

4. Where you have had a cooperative, inter-departmental project or activity
related to a concern listed below, please indicate which departments
shared in the project:

Social Studies English Lit. Other

conscience and war
non-violence
world hunger
population
world resources scarcity
governmental systems and laws

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

biological warfare

military power and weapons

other

5. Do you have a peace and justice class part of your religion
curriculum? yes no

 

6. Please add any comments about your school program and /or this survey.

201

September 1975

Peace Studies Survey: A Project of the National Catholic Educational
Association

 

 

 

STUDENT ACTIVITIES
School Diocese Date
Street City Zip

 

 

 

Name of person ﬁlling out this questionnaire:

 

Position:

 

This questionnaire was/was not discussed with student leaders.

W

This questionnaire was/was not discussed with student leaders.

1. For each of the activities listed below please indicate the extent to which

students in your school have participated.
4 -- many 3 -- some 2 --- few 1 - none

A. assemblies and speakers on national issues concerning justice and
peace

B. work with approved community groups as part of the school
learning experience

C. participation in programs such as the Model United Nations

D. expressing world concerns in student newspaper

E. participation in political campaigns and issues in the local
community.

F. study trips to Washington, DC. or to foreign countries

2. Check the activities

A. Bulletin boards, the newspaper and school announcements call
attention to special national and international events and days of
celebration; for example, UN. Day, Human Rights Day, etc.

B. The School Counselors guide and aid students interested in careers
related to peace and world affairs.

9’

Ce
Ce

.“

.U'

202

C. The school has a teacher/student resource center focusing on
national and international concerns and questions of conﬂict, war
and peace.

D. The school library/ resource center keeps an up-to-date selection
of materials related to national and international concerns and

peace.

Please check which of the following organizations have served as resource
agencies for the school or for school projects.

American Association for University Women _League of Women Voters
American Freedom from Hunger Foundation _National Council for the Social
American Friends Service Committee Studies

Bread for the World Overseas Development Council

nter of Concern National Education Association
nter for War/Peace Studies National Catholic Educational

Fellowship of Reconciliation Association
Foreign Policy Association United Nations Association
Institute for World Order United States Catholic Conference

Division of Justice & Peace
_World Affairs Council
_World Federalists, USA
_World Without War Council
_Others (please list)

Please send any student activities materials you have developed relative
to world justice and peace concerns.

Please add any comments about your school program and/ or this survey.

203

R EW 0 TION FOR [1L I. Li) I D
SESSIQNI

What are your reasons for choosing the peace and social justice course?
Are you concerned about some problems in the world? What are they?

Do you think that this course is helping you in any way to ﬁnd some
answers to your concerns? If yes, how? If no, why not?

What do you like about this course?

Have you worked in a community project?

What did you learn from this experience?

Where do you see yourself going in the future concerning your career?
Has this class affected your decision in any way?

How do you see your role as a Christian in society and how has it changed
since you have been taking this course?

Is there anything else which you would like to share?

 

Appendix C

Interview Questions

How have you put into practice what you have learned in the peace and
justice course? Have you been able to apply what you have learned in
peace and justice to your own life?

Is it easy for you to relate now what you have learned in the course on
peace and justice to your role in society and future careers or job? If
yes, why? If no, why not?

If not, then do you think that there is a gap in what you have learned in
school about peace and justice and your career choice or future job after
graduation?

How do you think the school can help you or motivate you to relate
practically what you have learned with what you will be doing in the
future?

Do you think it would help you in any way if the school were to have a
peace and justice coordinator? What would the main role be?

Do you think that a coordinator or peace and justice center in the school
would help you to participate more fully and effectively in the building of
peace and justice in your school and community?

How would you describe what happened in your religion class when you,
your teacher and classmates tried to implement or apply some of the
teachings of the Church on peace and justice education?

How were some of the concepts and teachings on peace and justice
related to your activities and experiences in the school community?

205

Do you think that the goals of your religion course are related to the
social teachings of the Church? In what ways?

Do you think that you have acquired some basic knowledge on the
teachings of the Church on peace and justice?

Did you acquire this knowledge before or after taking this course?

How do you think that the school can improve the course on peace and
justice? Do you have any suggestions or comments on it?

Do you have any suggestions or comments for this study?

206

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School Diocese Date

Street City Zip

Tel. Teacher Grade

Textbook

Unit1.esson(s)

PLEASE:

1. State brieﬂy the general goals of your religion group program:

2. State brieﬂy how these goals are implemented:

3. Name the topic(s) and content on peace and justice which are studied in
your class:

4. Name any supplementary resources used with your group:

5. Describe brieﬂy when and how are the concepts and teachings on peace

and justice related to the students’ experiences, activities and classroom
practices?

3a.

3b.

207

IL]! 1 l__ O l I ON 0 i i 2-. _0 D 'i..{ .111
What do you think is the main purpose of the school in reference to

religious education?

What do you think is the goal of the Peace and Justice program in the
school?

What do you expect of the students at this level?

What do you think is the appropriate role for the school to play in the
educational process of peace and justice for the young?

When do you expect the peace and justice programs to be reﬂected in the
students’ experiences and activities?

In what ways do you think your school is preparing the students to
participate in the building of social justice and peace as citizens and
members of the Catholic community?

Is there anything else that should be added or that you would like to
share?

208

L]. T0 Idl’ _! 0] I. 0' IglR O
.EPLilul ., 0‘01. a 01:1.” hi, i - IN I...‘ 11’.

Bani
1.

How do you see the students (in the 11th/12th grades) taking what they
have learned in the peace and justice course(s) and put it into practice?

Do you think that the students see any connection or relationship in the
theoretical teachings on social justice and the practice or application of
these principles in their own lives?

Do you think that it is easy for the students to relate what they have
learned in the course(s) (Peace and Justice/Mini-Course for Seniors) with
their future roles and careers in society? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Do you think that perhaps there is a gap in what they have learned and
in how to relate those principles to their career(s) choices / jobs, which they
will have after graduation?

Do you think that the school is motivating or inﬂuencing them enough to
pragmatically relate what they have learned with what they shall be doing
in the future?

Do you think that it would be convenient for the school to have a peace
and justice curriculum coordinator and/or a resource center for the
beneﬁt of the teachers and students? If so, what would the main role be?

How do you think it is that the students can participate more effectively
in the building of social justice and peace as citizens and members of their
school community?

Is there any other comment or suggestion that you would like to make
concerning this course or this study?

N DEP RD

M

How would you describe what happened in the classroom (11th-12th
grades) when you and the students tried to implement some doctrines and
social teachings of the Church on peace and justice education?

How were some of the concepts and teachings on peace and justice
related to the students’ experiences and activities in your classroom and
in the school community?

How congruent do you think are the goals of the 11th grade peace and
justice course and the senior mini-course with the school mission
statement for the Religious Department?

How congruent do you think are the goals of the Peace and Justice course
and the senior mini-course with the social teachings of the Catholic
Church?

How congruent do you think is the mission statement or the goals of the
religion department with the social teachings of the Church on peace and
justice?

Do you consider yourself with a good background and some knowledge
of the main documents of the Church related to peace and justice
education?

Is there any comment or suggestion that you would like to make
concerning this course or this study?

210

1 ,- o Ml'it o 1- .IO _, 931.1- 1.. _L;_DE
W

III

Am I right in believing and stating that while you were teaching this
course you were really trying to live out with the students (as much as
humanly possible) what you were theoretically and pragmatically trying to
teach them about the social teachings of the Church on peace and justice?

For example: The just approach and fair open-relationships that I
observed between you and the students in the classroom . . . .

I would describe it shortly as: "open-just, dialectical-process of classroom
learning-interactions."

Do you recall any other more speciﬁc examples of this process that might
help me better understand and describe this reality?

In your opinion, how was this principally done?

Is there any other example that you might want to add to explain any
other dimension of theory versus practice during this course? Or theory
versus experience?

211

W
W

SESSIQIELII

How do you see the students in your morality class using, relating or
putting into practice what they have learned in the course on peace and
justice?

Do you think that the students see any relationship or connection between
the theoretical teachings on social justice and peace and this morality
course?

While teaching this morality course, did you relate in any way its
principles and teachings with the peace and justice course?

If yes, how is this done? Please give me speciﬁc example(s) of how it is
actually done in your classroom.

Do you think that the peace and justice course complements this morality
course and vice-versa? Or is it a continuation for the peace and justice
course? How, if yes? Why, if it does not?

How would you describe what happened in your classroom when you and
the students try to relate some of the principles on morality to peace and
justice?

What do you think are some of the similarities and differences between
this morality course and the peace and justice course for the 11th grade
students?

Is it possible for me to obtain a copy of the goals and general outline of
this course? Please, explain it brieﬂy.

212

I i ,._W-O LLTION _O’ 11L CALL... ‘ 0’. C 1
IE N
DEPARI MEN IS AND :1 EAQHEBS

What do you think is the main purpose of the school in reference to
social studies, English/lit. or science education?

What do you think is the goal of social studies, English/lit. or science
curriculum?

What do you expect of the students at this level? What do you think is
the appropriate role for the school to play in the educational process of
peace and justice for the young?

When do you expect peace and justice education in the social studies,
English/lit., and science curriculums to be reﬂected in the students’
experiences and activities?

In what ways do you think your school is preparing the students to
participate in the building of social justice and peace as citizens and
members of the Catholic community?

Is there anything else that should be added or that you would like to
add?

10.

11.

213

W
W

How did you become the principal-administrator of the school?
By election? By appointment? Other

How long have you been in this position?

What is your role in the school?

Do you have any assistant principal(s)-administrator(s)?

Are you the director of all the academic programs?

How would you describe the organizational structure of the academic
programs?

Is it possible to obtain a copy of the general organizational structure of
the school?

How would you describe the philosophy of the school?

How do you think that this philosophy is related to the organizational
structure and the academic programs?

What are the academic educational goals of the school?

How many students do you have during this school year?

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

214

Are your students from the upper middle class or the middle class only?

Do you have any students who are considered minority groups such as
Hispanic, Mexican American, Black, etc.?

Who supports the school? What is the cost of the tuition?

How many Departments in the school have a peace and justice course or
any other mini-courses that are related to peace and justice education?
Please name them

And in which grade levels?

 

Is it possible to obtain a copy of these programs with their general goals?

Do you think that most of the experiences and activities for the students
this year are related to peace and justice education according to the
teachings of the Catholic Church?

How do you think that this school is preparing the students to participate
in the building of social justice and peace in their community and in their
society?

Is there anything else that you would like to add or share?

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

215

“U-.. 11 o 1.10 o: 1.1; 1.0-111 9:101“.--
W

How did you become the assistant academic principal of the school?
By election? By appointment? Other?

How long have you been in this position?
What is your role in the school?
Are you the director of the academic programs?

How would you describe the organizational structure of the academic
programs?

Is it possible to obtain a copy of the organizational structure of the
academic programs?

How would you describe the philosophy of the school?

How do you think that this philosophy is related to the academic
programs?

What are the academic educational goals?

How many departments in the school have a peace and justice course or
any other mini-courses that are related to peace and justice education?
Please name them

And in which grade levels?

 

Is it possible to obtain a copy of these programs or mini-courses with their
general goals?

Do you think that most of the experiences and activities for the students
this year are related to peace and justice education according to the
teachings of the Catholic Church?

How do you think that this school is preparing the students to participate
in the building of social justice and peace in their community and in their
society?

Is there anything else that you would like to add or share?

216

W
W

What are some of the reasons for having a Students’ Activities
Coordinator?

What is your role as a Coordinator in the School?

How long have you been coordinating the Students’ Activities?

What are some of the experiences and activities provided for the students
by the school?

Are the students involved in any community projects or activities? If yes,
what types of projects and activities?

What grade level is involved in the community projects and activities?

Are any of these experiences and activities related to peace and justice
education (such as poverty, hunger, civil rights, etc.), according to the
teaching of the Catholic Church?

In what ways do you think that this school is preparing the students to
participate in the building of social justice and peace in your local
Catholic community and in society?

Is there anything else that you would like to share?

10.

11.

All

217
.’I\V011IO Oi luI. le; 900.10 _I.
0.131-; .iikl-.. lo! [1' db OICJI.u0. '1...
When was the students’ national honor society/student Council founded
in the school?
Who founded it?
Why was it founded?

What are some of its goals?

Is the students’ participation and membership in this society voluntary?
How are the students chosen to participate in it?

How many students are members this year?

What is the role of the students as members of this organization in the
school?

What types of activities and experiences are available for students as
members of this organization?

Are there any activities and experiences related to peace and justice
education?

In what ways do you think that this school is preparing its students to
participate in the building of social justice and peace in their local
Christian community and in society?

Is there anything else that you would like to share?

218

W
FTHENATI NALH N IE
ENT I N

What are your reasons for being a member of the honor society or the
Student Council Association?

What are some of its goals?

Is student participation and membership voluntary?

What is the role of the students who are members of this society or
student association?

What types of activities and experiences are available for students?

Are there any activities and experiences that are related to hunger,
poverty and civil rights, according to the teachings of the Catholic Church?

In what ways do you think this school is preparing you to participate in the
building of social justice and peace in your local Catholic community and
in society?

Is there anything else which you would like to share?

Bibliography

219

Benestad, J. & Buttler, F.J. (Eds). (1981). W. Washington, DC;
United States Catholic Conference.

Bloom. B-S- (Ed) (1964). ImumofEdncatinnalthmim New York: D.
McKay.

Bogdan. RC. & Biklen, SK (1982). WWW
Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.

Byers, D.M. (Ed.) (1985). MW. National Conference of
Catholic Bishops, United States Catholic Conference.

Casteel. JD. & Stahl. RJ. (1975). WWW
Primer. Paciﬁc Palisades, CA: Goodyear Publishing Company, Inc.

Catholic Conference of Bishops. "(1983). "The Challenge of Peace: God’s
Promise and Our Response." Wong, June 17, 1983, p.
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Chazan, B.I. & Soltis, J.F. (1973). W. New York: Teacher’s
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Dewey, J. (July, 1967). ”Teaching Ethics in High School," W,
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Dorr, D. (1983). W. New York: Orbis Books.
MW International Edition. (1989). Danbury, CN:

Grolier, Inc.

Fallon, JP & Russell AJ- (1979) MmlelLQLChnsnanﬁndech
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Fenstermacher, G.D. & Soltis, J .F. (1986). W. New
York: Teacher’s College Press.

Freire, P. (1970). MW. New York: Herder and Herder
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Fremantle. A (Ed) (1963). W New York:
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Gibbons, W.J. (Ed.) (1963). W. New York: Paulist
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Gremillion, J. (1976). W. New York: Orbis

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New York: Tavistock Publications.

Ihde, D. (1979). W. New York: Paragon Books.

Intercom, Center for War/Peace Studies. (1973). "Teaching Toward Global
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Katznelson. 1.. and Weir. M- (1985). MW:
Demcgmjdideai. New York: Basic Books.

McCarty, M. (1981). Deciding. Dubuque, 10: Wm. C. Brown Co. Publishers.

National Conference of Catholic Bishops. (1975). W
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