Leader: Mark Baker

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2008 (Day)
Clayton First semester 2008 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit examines the Holocaust and its place in the broader phenomenon of genocide and mass killing in history. Major topics covered include antisemitism, the Nazi state, ghettos and death camps, and the responses of victims, perpetrators and bystanders. The course will reflect on the Holocaust as a symbol of the modern condition, its uniqueness and relationship to other forms of violence and genocide. Other themes studied are trauma and testimony, the limits of representation, the survivor experience across generations and cultures, the role of the law in adjudicating war crimes, media coverage of atrocity, and the failure to prevent genocide in the post-war period.

Objectives

Upon completion, students will be expected to possess:

1. a knowledge of events leading to the Holocaust, its course and aftermath;
2. an understanding of Jewish responses to the Holocaust across Europe;
3. an understanding of the issues involved in representations of the Holocaust, including literature and the arts;
4. an appreciation of how collective and national memories of genocide are created;
5. An understanding of the United Nations Genocide Convention and debates about the definition of genocide;
6. A knowledge of the major cases of post-war mass killing and their relationship to the Holocaust

Assessment

Participation in class: 10%
Short essay (1000 words): 20%
Long essay (2500 words): 40%
Exam (1000 words equivalent): 30%

Contact hours

2 x 1 hour lectures and 1 hour tutorial per week

Prerequisites

A first year sequence in History, or permission

Prohibitions

HSY3580/JWC3580