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Quaker Studies
Over the past year, I have been developing
an independent minor in Quaker Studies, and
in November 2011, it was approved by Haverford
College. The following is an adaptation of
my Petition for an Independent Minor that I
submitted to the College for approval:
I see this independent minor in Quaker Studies
as being divided into two thematic parts: 1)
a specific and focused study of Quaker religious
belief, testimonies, and practices, and 2)
a broader study of how Quakers and non-Quakers
use personal beliefs as catalysts for social
action with the aim of improving societal conditions.
These two parts are inherently interwoven and
interconnected. My aim is to explore the innate
relationships between these two themes.
The foundations for this Quaker Studies minor
can be gained from courses in Political Science,
Sociology/Anthropology, History, and Religion.
Select courses within these disciplines will
provide me with the theoretical and empirical
frameworks for understanding individual and
collective responses to oppression. Quakerism
itself was born in the mid-1600s as a direct
response to religious persecution by the
Church of England. It is from these roots
that Quakers have worked continuously for
the betterment of society. I wish to develop
a deep knowledge of the connection between
Quaker history and practice, and resistance
to societal inequities.
List of Courses in the Minor:
- HC POLS123: Difference and Discrimination
in American Politics
- HC SOCH237: Social Movements
and Civil Rights in the US
- HC RELG240: History
and Principles of Quakerism
- HC ICPR244:
Quaker Social Witness
- SC PEAC071: Research
Seminar: Strategies of Nonviolent Struggle
- SC PEAC077: Peace Studies and Action
- HC
HIST480: Independent Study: History of
Friends Institute 1880-1980
Although I have divided this minor into two
thematic parts, all seven courses listed above
complement one another. Quaker Social Witness
(ICPR244) and History and Principles of Quakerism
(RELG240) provided me with two distinct perspectives
on Quakerism that academically enriched my
understanding of Quaker history, faith and
practice. In the former (ICPR244), we explored
how Quakers, both historically and in the present,
live out their testimonies. We did so by reading
Pendle Hill Pamphlets, and excerpts of The
Journal and Major Essays of John Woolman, and
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Faith
and Practice,
and by dialoguing with guest speakers who put
their faith in action. The latter course (RELG240)
was in many ways an extension of the former,
providing the historical and theological context
for present day Quakerism.
My Independent Study: History of Friends
Institute 1880-1980 (HIST480) is a continuation
of this exploration. My interest in Friends
Institute was sparked while writing my final
paper in History and Principles of Quakerism
(RELG240). Friends Institute was a Philadelphia-based
organization of primarily young adult Quakers
whose aim was to foster social interaction
among Friends. The Institute was created
at a time when Friends in the Philadelphia
area were sharply divided along theological
and philosophical lines. My research is showing
that Friends Institute served as a unifying
force in these divisive times. My understanding
of the political and theological Quaker scene
in the 19th and 20th centuries was gained
from the two preceding courses: ICPR244 and
RELG240.
As mentioned above, Quakerism was born out
of religious persecution in 17th century
England. Since that time, Quakers have been
internationally recognized for challenging
oppression and injustice and fostering peace-building
efforts on local and global scales. The other
four courses in this minor will parallel
and enhance my study of Quaker peace work
and resistance to oppression. These four
courses are truly interdisciplinary, from
the political perspective gained from Difference
and Discrimination in American Politics (POLS123)
to the sociological and anthropological insights
gleaned from Social Movements and Civil Rights
in the US (SOCH237).
While none of the material covered in Difference
and Discrimination in American Politics (POLS123)
and Research Seminar: Strategies of Nonviolent
Struggle (PEAC071) dealt with Quakerism specifically,
these two courses provided invaluable context
for my study of Quaker responses to oppression.
The theories, strategies, and tactics of
nonviolent campaigns that I learned while
taking Strategies of Nonviolent Struggle
(PEAC071) have been invaluable in my present
course, Social Movements and Civil Rights
in the US (SOCH237). My semester-long research
project for that latter course is on the
Earth Quaker Action Team, a group of Friends
and friends of Friends in the Philadelphia
area that is currently using nonviolent direct
action tactics to press for the end of mountaintop
removal coal mining in the Appalachian Valley.
Peace Studies and Action (PEAC077) will expand
my knowledge even further, bridging the gaps
between research, theory and social witness.
I envision that the summation of my research
for my independent study credit (HIST480),
together with my semester-long research project
on the Earth Quaker Action Team, will constitute
the "capstone" work for this minor.
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