| Unit name | Genocide in the Twentieth Century and Beyond (Lecture Response Unit) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISTM0049 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Andy Flack |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Can we call the twentieth century the Century of Genocides? Over the past hundred years we have witnessed a rise in state sponsored and ideologically driven violence against civil populations. But was is unprecedented? Or did the twentieth century only stand out from previous epochs because, for the first time ever, the international community defined and tried to prevent genocides? If imperfect, the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was truly unprecedented. Endeavouring to answer those questions, ‘Genocides in Twentieth Century and Beyond’ begins by trying to define the term genocide. We will then examine the recurrent nature of genocide and the measures taken to stop it. We will explore some of the most important aspects of the relationship between state sponsored violence and its effects on individuals and communities who are subjected to, and must eventually come to terms with the aftermath of genocide. We will focus on the manner in which the state vilifies ethnic and social minorities and on the circumstances under which scapegoating turns into massacres and genocide. We will analyse the destructive psychological effects of mass murder but also its ability to produce and reproduce those who partake in killing. Finally, we will try to understand why the international community keeps failing to prevent genocides. The unit examines the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust (the paradigm case) and mass killing in the Soviet Union. We will also analyse mass killings and genocide in Central America, Asia, Yugoslavia and East Africa. This is a multidisciplinary unit that draws on sociology, psychology, and history to explain the phenomenon of genocide. Therefore, we will base our discussions on the readings of various sources: history writings, literary works, investigative journalism, diaries and memoirs, and on analysing documentary films.
1) To give students a broad grounding in the history of genocide during the twentieth century.
2) To improve students’ ability to argue effectively and at length (including an ability to cope with complexities and to describe and deploy these effectively).
3) To be able to display high level skills in selecting, applying, interpreting and organising information, including evidence of a high level of bibliographical control.
4) To develop the ability of students to evaluate and/or challenge current scholarly thinking.
5) To foster student’s capacity to take a critical stance towards scholarly processes involved in arriving at historical knowledge and/or relevant secondary literature.
6) To be able to demonstrate an understanding of concepts and an ability to conceptualise.
7) To develop students’ capacity for independent research.
1 x 2-hour interactive lecture per week.
One summative coursework essay of 5000 words (100%). This will assess ILOs 1-7.
Gellately, R. and Kiernam, B. (eds.) The Specter of Genocide: Mass Murder in Historical Perspective, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003) Herzog, D. (ed.) Brutality and Desire: War and Sexuality in Europe’s Twentieth Century (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) Naimar, N. Genocide. A World History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016) Palmer, A. Colonial Genocide (London: Crawford House, 2000) Weitz, E. A Century of Genocide (Princeton and London: Princeton University Press, 2003)
