Holocaust and genocide studies

The twentieth century has been called 'the century of genocide' but genocidal violence has continued unabated into the new millennium. This minor asks students to reflect upon why genocides take place and how people come to participate in mass violence. It promotes the study of the Holocaust and its relationship to the broader phenomenon of genocide and mass killing in history. Issues covered on the Holocaust include anti-Semitism, the Nazi state, ghettos and death camps, and the responses of victims, perpetrators and bystanders. Students examine the Holocaust as a symbol of the modern condition, its uniqueness and relationship to other forms of violence and genocide.

This minor also challenges students to grapple with the histories of other genocide beyond the Holocaust, including such case studies as Armenia, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Darfur, as well as questions pertaining to Indigenous populations of the Americas, Africa and Australia, among others. Themes studied across all genocides include 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.

This minor presents strong overseas unit offerings that enable students to integrate their academic inquiry in Australia with intensive on-site study and hands-on practical work in places including Rwanda and South Africa, as well as European sites of life and destruction associated with the Holocaust.

Availability

Holocaust and genocide studies is listed in A2000 Bachelor of Arts at Caulfield and Clayton and 0202 Bachelor of Letters at Clayton as a minor.

It is available to students who have completed at least two gateway units in Arts.