The Role of Social Studies Education in Achieving a Global Peace

Social Studies helps nations to be informed and reasoned decisions for the public good and citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. It describes the importance of cultural unity and diversity within and across groups. Social Studies cuts across several disciplines which are all connected to human population, situations, and psychological understating in achieving global peace among nations. It educates people by providing them with the skills and attitudes that may help them become responsible and competent citizens. Social Studies is vital for peace education as well as promotes national and international development. The focus of Social Studies is essentially man, the society and the environment. Its ultimate aim is to equip individuals with knowledge and understanding for peaceful relationships and living. Through the subject, learners are expected to acquire requisite skills, values, attitudes, and cognition to meet the challenges of a peaceful international society. It has been observed that the nations who used Social Studies as a corrective measure for reconstruction and rehabilitation of their societies placed high value in the implementation of their Social Studies curriculum because the subject exposes them to new values and skills necessary for the sustainability of a peaceful nation .One of the benefits of Social Studies is the ability to think critically when it comes to social issues and their understanding. It encompasses civic, moral, security, and peace education among others and is a part of a school or college curriculum concerned with the study of social relationships, and functioning of society. It usually incorporates courses in history, government, economics, civics, sociology, geography and anthropology etc. In the milieu of the incessant violence, terrorism, militancy, insurgence, hate speeches, kidnapping, injustice, marginalization among other threats to peace and security in the nation, this paper is of the view that Social Studies, if refocused at all levels, can be a vehicle for achieving global peace. It is therefore recommended among other things, that Social Studies should be made compulsory from nursery to university levels of education. These will, among other benefits, help in the elimination of discriminating practices by governments at all levels in order to create harmony of co-existence and co-operation among nations.