79-157 Anthropology of Genocide

6 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Genocide has shaped human history, yet the term itself emerged only in the twentieth century. This course takes an anthropological approach to understanding genocide, exploring the cultural, social, and political forces that enable mass violence. Through scholarship, survivor testimony, and film, we will examine specific cases of genocide, analyze the role of identity, dehumanization, and state power, and consider strategies for prevention. Throughout, we will assess how the answers to these questions are determined What does it mean for an atrocity to be officially labeled a genocide What role do cultural narratives and historical memory play in both enabling and resisting genocide And how can anthropological perspectives inform efforts to prevent future atrocities

Prerequisites: none listed

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