Genocide

Course Description: This course explores the meaning, origins, forms and causes of genocide. It will examine major cases of genocide up to the present century as a basis for understanding the phenomenon. Case studies will include the experience of Native Americans, the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the Nazi Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge period in Cambodia, and the cases of Rwanda and the Darfur region of The Sudan. To better understand the subject, the course will compare genocide, considered by many as the "ultimate crime" with other cases of mass murders, including war crimes and crimes against humanity - a recurring part of armed conflict in more recent times. The course will also explore ways in which this crime can be confronted and the role of international law in dealing with genocide. Credit/Evaluation: Evaluation will take account of regular attendance, evidence of critical reading, engagement in class discussion, the quality of short reactions, and two assignments. There will be no course credit for anyone who misses three (3) classes in the quarter. Text: The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence, by Staub, Ervin; Others TBA.