Perception of Violence and Peace among the Student Population of the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo

Abstract

Phenomena of violence and peace represent important theoretical and professional categories in contemporary social sciences, within which students at the Faculty of Political Science are educated, particularly at the Department of Security and Peace Studies and the Department of Social Work. Although both departments are grounded in contemporary theoretical approaches, there has been insufficient research into the extent to which students internalize these concepts, recognize different forms of violence, and perceive their own professional responsibility in peacebuilding. The results show that students from both departments clearly distinguish between positive and negative peace and recognize various forms of violence. However, certain differences have been observed depending on departmental affiliation: social work students primarily perceive their professional contribution to peace through working with individuals and communities, while students of security and peace studies place greater emphasis on institutional reforms, along with differences in highlighting specific forms of violence. These differences primarily relate to the ways in which peace and violence are professionally operationalized, while at the normative and value level there is a high degree of convergence, confirming the existence of a shared theoretical and value framework.