Lecturer: Dr. Eugene Finkel (Johns Hopkins University)
Email: efinkel4@jhu.edu
Timetable: Lecture 1 on Zoom (March 15, 2022, 18:00 CET), Lectures 2-6 May 2-5, exact time of each class will be specified
Genocide is often labeled as the worst of crimes, the nadir of human behavior, and the world’s most “odious scourge.” The goal of this class is to examine the origins and causes of genocide and to introduce students to the key insights of the growing field of genocide and mass violence research. For decades, genocide mainly referred to the Holocaust. However, events in post-Communist Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere have drawn scholars’ attention to genocide as a political phenomenon that may be studied across regions and time periods.
In this class, we will consider several key questions:
• What “genocide” is and what are the problems with existing definitions?
• What are the major theories explaining the occurrence of genocide?
• What makes people take part in mass violence?
• What are the long-term legacies of mass violence?
- Teacher: Eugene Finkel
- Teacher: Irena Kalhousová