STATEMENT OF INTENT
S-CAR has anchored itself, theoretically and practically, on applied ethics, a normative value framework that far surpasses, in complexity, the traditional ethical framework of “neutrality.” At S-CAR, we use “reflective practice” as the method by which we grow as human beings and as theorists, researchers, and practitioners; it refers to the process by which persons learn, with others, from reflection on their experience.
Over the years, S-CAR faculty have used “reflective practice” to develop theoretical frameworks and research methodologies to explore the root causes of conflicts, publishing books and articles that are used widely across other academic programs. S-CAR has also innovated in terms of clinical training. We created the Applied Practice and Theory (APT) program, a year-long course in which a cohort of students work in and with the community on the resolution of a conflict. This hands-on field experience is a central component of the S-CAR curriculum.
In doing so, our work aims to remove barriers between theory and practice, and to create a field characterized by “praxis.” S-CAR’s work is consciously directed toward the creation of a new academic field and profession—not so much a “multi-disciplinary” but a “trans-disciplinary” effort to understand and contribute to the solution of serious social conflicts.
