Inculcating Peace through Literature: Towards an Evolved Pedagogy

Abstract

The constitution of UNESCO expressly states that ‘since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.’ As educators, we are only too cognizant of the role that holistic education plays in the formation of a mindset of peace; peace being not just the absence of war but the presence and active functioning of a culture of tolerance and inclusivity.

In a world fraught with tensions and conflict, the study of literature through a more involved and evolved pedagogy can work as an invaluable method of comprehending, inculcating, and applying the concept of peace at both school and higher education levels. In this context, the definition of peace must be construed not just as the absence of war (political peace) but on a larger and deeper scale, as social and individual peace.(Harris, 2002) For this purpose, the literature teacher will be required to reorient her pedagogy, progressing from a mere paraphrased critical investigation of a literary work towards a more thought-provoking inquiry into the ways in which a particular literary text can build/enhance the soft skills of students. (Polat et al, 2016)

This paper attempts to envisage a blueprint for teaching strategies aimed at inculcating and fostering peace using literature as a means, among students as a collective body, and in the individual student as a human being as well as citizen of a globalised world.