PLSC 120 Syllabus 1
PLSC 120
Global Issues: Genocide and Mass Murder
Fall 2013
TR 9:30-10:45
401 Pray-Harrold
Professor Petra Hendrickson
602H Pray-Harrold
Office Hours: TR 12:30-1:30
phendri2@emich.edu
Course Description
This course examines global concerns that transcend boundaries of local and national
communities. It emphasizes global perspectives and approaches to analyzing and solving world
problems. This course will examine theories and histories of genocide. Beginning with
definitional concerns, we will examine broad theories of genocide and their application to
specific instances thereof. We will also discuss the consequences of intervention and nonintervention into instances of genocide and mass murder, as well as possible strategies for
prevention.
Course Objectives
In this course, students will:
• Understand the definitional complexities of genocide
• Differentiate between conceptualizations of genocide and other forms of political
violence
• Apply the definition of genocide to cases of mass violence
• Explore the dynamics of specific instances of genocide
• Analyze various popular, academic and journalistic accounts of genocide
Required Readings
This course will utilize a variety of sources in order to provide a richer understanding of both
theories and historical accounts of genocide. To that end, the assigned readings will come from
the following books. Any assigned readings on the syllabus that do not come from the three
required books will be posted on the PLSC 120 site (http://www.emuonline.edu).
Sacco, Joe. 2001. Safe Area Gorazde. Seattle: Fantagraphics Books. (Sacco)
ISBN: 9781560974703
Stassen, J.P. 2006. Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda. New York: First Second. (Stassen)
ISBN: 9781596431034
Totten, Samuel and Paul R. Bartrop, eds. 2009. The Genocide Studies Reader. New York:
Routledge. (TB)
ISBN: 9780415953955
PLSC 120 Syllabus 2
Course Requirements
Although the information bolded below is the most pertinent, it is vital that students read the
entirety of the requirement to ensure they complete the task according to the guidelines. In this
course students are expected to:
• Complete Indiana University plagiarism test and turn in accompanying certificate of
completion within the first two weeks of class (by September 17). Plagiarism is
dishonest, unethical and unacceptable. This test requires students to identify instances of
plagiarism, which will greatly reduce the possibility of unintentional plagiarism
committed because of lack of knowledge of what qualifies as plagiarism. The test can be
found at the following address: https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/plagiarism_test.html
(10%)
• Complete required reading. The reading load in this class will be moderate – around 2530 pages of reading will be assigned per class period. On rare occasions, reading
assignments will be longer. Students are expected to read the assignments carefully and
come to class prepared to discuss, ask questions and make analytical connections
between the readings and the day’s topic.
• Take a midterm exam (October 22) and a final exam (December 17). These exams will
cover material contained both in the readings and in class lectures and discussions. The
final exam will be non-cumulative. (15% each; 30% total)
• Engage the texts and recent news articles in 4 brief analytical papers (1-2 pages each)
throughout the semester (due September 24, October 10, October 31 and November
26). These papers should relate course content to a recent news article about mass
violence or genocide. News articles should have been written no more than 3 years ago.
Options for analysis include comparing the issues in an assigned reading to the issues in
the news article; contrasting the issues in an assigned reading to the issues in the news
article; identifying how the events discussed in the news article are similar to a case
discussed in readings/lecture, etc. Students are free to develop other forms of analysis not
mentioned, but these essays SHOULD NOT simply be a summary of the news article and
a summary of the reading assignment with no connection made between the two. (the two
highest scoring papers will be worth10% each and the two lowest scoring papers will be
worth 5% each; 30% total)
• Compare two cases of genocide covered over the course of the semester in a 4-5 page
summary and analysis paper (due December 12). This paper should focus on the
content of the assigned readings and additional insights provided in lecture and
discussion. Questions to consider include, but are not limited to: How do the two cases
relate to one another? Along what basis were victims identified? Were the policies of
implementation similar? Was there any form of international intervention? If so, what
form did it take? Use facts and summary deliberately as a way to support your arguments,
not simply to meet the page requirement. (20%)
• Analyze the film shown in class in a 2-3 page paper that responds to the guiding
questions provided by the instructor. The questions are designed to encourage a critical
viewing of the film, and should be kept in mind while watching the movie. (10%)
Late Assignments and Make-Up Exams
Assignments will be graded down one letter grade for each day they are late. The midterm must
be made up within one week of the original test date (by October 29). The final exam must be
PLSC 120 Syllabus 3
made up by the end of finals week (by December 20). The format of make-up exams may differ
from the format of the exam provided during the assigned class period.
Attendance
I expect students to attend all classes, arrive on time, remain for the entire period, and bring the
day’s readings with you to class. Unexcused absences (including arriving late, leaving early, or
coming unprepared) will affect your overall course grade as follows: 4-5 unexcused absences
will result in a one-half-grade drop your overall grade (i.e., from A to A-, A- to B+, etc.); 6-8
unexcused absences will result in a whole-letter-grade drop in your overall grade (i.e., from an A
to B+, A- to B-, etc.); 9 or more absences will result in a grade of an F for the course. Note:
excused absences include medical excuses, when a student’s illness is sufficiently debilitating to
warrant absence (usually requiring a health-care provider note), and emergencies, such as a death
in the family, serious illness of a family member, court appearances, or hazardous weather that
makes attendance impossible.
Paper Format
All papers must conform to the following specifications: 1” margins on all sides, 12-point Times
New Roman font, double-spaced, last name and page number on each page and appropriate intext citations. Because the only required source is the course textbook, it is not necessary to
include a works cited page for the short analysis paper. However, it is necessary to include intext citations when referencing specific points and arguments raised in the textbook. Students can
use the citation format of their choice from the following list: APA, Chicago, MLA, and citation
style should be consistent throughout the paper. Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/) has guides to the various citation styles available on their
website. Papers must be submitted electronically via EMU-Online.
Writing Support
The University Writing Center (115 Halle Library; 487-0694) offers one-to-one writing
consulting for both undergraduate and graduate students. Students can make appointments or
drop in between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on Fridays. Students should bring a draft of what they’re working on and their
assignment sheet. The UWC opens for the Fall 2013 semester on Monday, September 9 and will
close on Thursday, December 12.
The UWC also offers small group workshops on various topics related to writing (e.g.,
Organizing Your Writing; Incorporating Evidence; Revising Your Writing; Conquering
Commas; Using APA or MLA). Workshops are offered at different times in the UWC. Visit the
UWC page (http://www.emich.edu/uwc) to see our workshop calendar. To register for a
workshop, click the link from the UWC page for the type of workshop you wish to attend.
The UWC also has several satellite sites across campus. These satellites provide writing support
to students within the various colleges. For more information about our satellite locations and
hours, visit the UWC web site: http://www.emich.edu/uwc.
The Academic Projects Center (116 Halle Library) also offers one-to-one writing consulting for
students, in addition to consulting on research and technology-related issues. The APC is open
PLSC 120 Syllabus 4
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays for drop-in consultations . Additional information
about the APC can be found at http://www.emich.edu/apc. Students visiting the Academic
Projects Center or any of the satellites of the University Writing Center should also bring with
them a draft of what they’re working on and their assignment sheet.
Academic Dishonesty
In addition to being a wholesale bad idea, plagiarism is also forbidden by the EMU Code of
Student Conduct. Any assignment that is plagiarized to any extent will receive a score of zero.
Cheating on exams is also forbidden and will also result in a zero on the exam.
Classroom Etiquette
Laptops are permitted in class only for the purpose of taking notes. Other uses are not allowed,
and if students are repeat offenders, i.e., caught more than once using their laptop for
unauthorized purposes will have their in-class laptop privileges (yes, using a laptop in class is a
privilege and not a right) revoked. Use of other forms of technology, especially cell phones, is
absolutely not permitted.
Disclaimer
It may become necessary to alter the schedule provided below. In such an occurrence, students
will be notified well in advance and provided with an updated electronic copy of the syllabus.
Grading System and Scale
The percentage values allocated to course components are listed after the description of the
course component. The grading scale breaks down as follows:
Grade Value
A
AB+
B
BC+
Percentage Range
93-100%
90-92.9%
87-89.9%
83-86.9%
80-82.9%
77-79.9%
Grade Value
C
CD+
D
DF
Percentage Range
73-76.9%
70-72.9%
67-69.9%
63-66.9%
60-62.9%
below 59.9%
Schedule of Lecture Topics and Reading Assignments
Reading assignments should be completed PRIOR to the class period for which they are listed.
Thursday, September 5: Syllabus Day
PLSC 120 Syllabus 5
Tuesday, September 10: Definition of Genocide
Topics:
• Genesis of term
• UN Convention definition
• Alternative conceptual definitions
Readings:
• TB ch. 1.1
• TB ch. 1.4
• TB ch. 2.1
Thursday, September 12: Other Forms of Mass Murder
Topics:
• Other “cides:” politicide, ethnocide, democide
• Ethnic cleansing
Readings:
• Minow, Martha. 2007. “Naming Horror: Legal and Political Words for Mass Atrocities.”
Genocide Studies and Prevention 2(1): 37-41.
• Schabas, William A. 2009. “‘Definitional Traps” and Misleading Titles.” Genocide
Studies and Prevention 4(2): 177-183.
• TB ch. 3.3
Tuesday, September 17: Genocidal Motivation and Policies
Topics:
• Why/how “ordinary” people commit genocide
• How genocide is carried out
Readings:
• Browning, Christopher R. 1998. “Ordinary Men.” Ordinary Men: Reserve Police
Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. New York: Harper Perennial. 159-190.
• TB ch. 4.4
Due:
• Indiana University Plagiarism Certificate
Thursday, September 19: Genocide of Indigenous Peoples (Americas)
Topics:
• US policy regarding Native Americans
• Canada’s First Nations
Readings:
• Rensink, Brenden. 2011. “Genocide of Native Americans: Historical Facts and
Historiographic Debates.” In Genocide of Indigenous Peoples. Genocide: A Critical
Bibliographic Review. Volume 8. Samuel Totten and Robert K. Hitchcock, eds. New
Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. 15-36.
PLSC 120 Syllabus 6
Tuesday, September 24: Genocide of Indigenous Peoples (Australia)
Topics:
• Tasmania
• Removing Aboriginal children from their families
Readings:
• Levarch, Michael. 1997. Bringing Them Home: National Inquiry into the Separation of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. Sydney:
Commonwealth of Australia.
o Chapter 2: National Overview (p 22-32 of PDF)
o Chapter 4: Victoria (p 50-61 of PDF)
o Chapter 8: South Australia (p 103-113 of PDF
Due:
• 1-2 page analytical paper
Thursday, September 26: Armenia
Topics:
• History of Armenians/other Christians in Ottoman Empire (Millet System)
• Massacres initiated by Sultan Hamid II in 1890s
Readings:
• Balakian, Peter. 2003. “The Sultan and the Armenian Question.” The Burning Tigris: The
Armenian Genocide and America’s Response. New York: HarperCollins. 35-52.
• Cohan, Sara. 2005. “A Brief History of the Armenian Genocide.” Social Science
Education 69(6): 333-337. (Map on p 334 only)
Tuesday, October 1: Armenia 2
Topics:
• 1910s
• International responses
Readings:
• Adalian, Rouben Paul. 2003. “American Diplomatic Correspondence in the Age of Mass
Murder: The Armenian Genocide in the US Archives.” In America and the Armenian
Genocide of 1915. Jay Winter, ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 146-184.
PLSC 120 Syllabus 7
Thursday, October 3: Holocaust
Topics:
• Jewish persecution 1933-1939
o Nuremberg Laws
o Kristallnacht
• Early WWII
o Warsaw Ghetto
Readings:
• Gilbert, Martin. 1985. “‘The Seeds of a Terrible Destruction.’” The Holocaust: A History
of the Jews of Europe during the Second World War. New York: Henry Holt and
Company, LLC. 66-83.
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/nazi_genocide_timeline/index_embed.
shtml
Tuesday, October 8: Holocaust 2
Topics:
• Specific policies
o Eugenics
• Concentration Camps
Readings:
• Lifton, Robert Jay. 2000 [1986]. “Sterilization and the Nazi Biomedical Vision.” The
Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide. New York: Basic Books.
22-44.
Thursday, October 10: Holocaust 3
Topics:
• Nuremberg Trial
• Bringing former Nazis to justice
Readings:
• Michael R. Marrus, ed. 1997. The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial, 1945-46: A
Documentary History. Boston: Bedford Books. Chapter 3: “Preparations.”
• TB ch. 10.1
Due:
• 1-2 page analytical paper
Tuesday, October 15: Stalin/USSR
Topics:
• Gulags
• Ukrainian Famine
Readings:
• Pohl, J. Otto. 2010. “Stalin’s Genocide against the ‘Repressed Peoples.’” Journal of
Genocide Research. 2(2): 267-293.
PLSC 120 Syllabus 8
Thursday, October 17: Cambodia 1
Topics:
• Khmer Rouge
• Killing Fields
• Vietnamese invasion
Readings:
• Hinton, Alexander Laban. 2004. “‘Why Did you Kill’? The Cambodian Genocide and the
Dark Side of Face and Honor.” In Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology. Nancy
Scheper-Hughes and Philippe Bourgois, eds. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. 157-168.
• Weltig, Matthew Scott. 2009. “Life Under Pol Pot.” Pol Pot’s Cambodia. Minneapolis:
Twenty-First Century Books. 106-123.
Tuesday, October 22: MIDTERM (Cambodia will not be covered on the midterm)
Thursday, October 24: Cambodia 2
Topics:
• Aftermath
• Justice
• Tribunal
Readings:
• Fawthrop, Tom, and Helen Jarvis. 2005. “Clinching Convictions – The Challenge for the
Prosecution.” Getting Away with Genocide? Elusive Justice and the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press. 210-231.
• Kamm, Henry. 1998. “Life Starting Anew: 1979-1980.” Cambodia: Report from a
Stricken Land. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 170-185.
Tuesday, October 29: Bosnia 1
Topics:
• Battle of Kosovo
• 1st Balkan War
• Croatia During WWII
Readings:
• Sacco TBD
Thursday, October 31: Bosnia 2
Topics:
• Death of Tito-1995
• 1994 bombing of Sarajevo
Readings:
• Sacco TBD
Due:
• 1-2 page analytical paper
PLSC 120 Syllabus 9
Tuesday, November 5: Bosnia 3
Topics:
• Dayton Peace Accords
• Bosnia since Dayton
Readings:
• Sacco TBD
Thursday, November 7: Rwanda 1
Topics:
• Historical overview of Rwanda/Burundi 1960s-1990s
Readings:
• Lemarchand, Rene. 1998. “Genocide in the Great Lakes: Which Genocide? Whose
Genocide?” Yale Center for International and Area Studies Working Paper GS 03.
• Longman, Timothy. 2001. “Identity Cards, Ethnic Self-Perception, and Genocide in
Rwanda.” In Documenting Individual Identity: The Development of State Practices in the
Modern World. Jane Caplan and John Torpey, eds. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
345-358.
Tuesday, November 12: Rwanda 2
Topics:
• Rwanda from 1990-1994
Readings:
• Straus, Scott. 2006. “Genocide at the National and Regional Levels.” The Order of
Genocide: Race, Power, and War in Rwanda. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 4164.
Thursday, November 14: Rwanda 3
Topics:
• Justice
Readings:
• TB ch. 12.2
• TB ch. 12.3
• TB ch. 12.4
• TB ch. 13.1
Class Activity:
• Begin Hotel Rwanda
Tuesday, November 19: Rwanda 4
Topics:
• Rwanda since end of genocide
Readings:
• Stassen (entire)
Class Activity:
• Finish Hotel Rwanda
PLSC 120 Syllabus 10
Thursday, November 21: East Timor
Topics:
• Dutch colonization
• Indonesian takeover and rule
• Independence
Readings:
• Dunn, James. 2009. “Genocide in East Timor.” In Century of Genocide: Critical Essays
and Eyewitness Accounts. Samuel Totten and William S. Parsons, eds. New York:
Routledge. 263-296.
Due:
• 1-2 page analytical paper
Tuesday, November 26: Darfur
Topics:
• Brief history
• Most active period (mid-2000s)
• More recent events in Darfur
Readings:
• TB ch. 5.5
Due:
• 1-2 page analytical paper
Thursday, November 28: NO CLASS (THANKSGIVING)
Tuesday, December 3: Gendered Aspects of Genocide
Topics:
• Sexual violence
• Victimization
Readings:
• Debnath, Angela. 2009. “The Bangladesh Genocide: The Plight of Women.” In Plight
and Fate of Women During and Following Genocide. Samuel Totten, ed. New
Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. 47-66.
• TB ch. 5.3
Thursday, December 5: Denial
Topics:
• Armenia
• Holocaust
Readings:
• Lipstadt, Linda. “Denying the Holocaust.” Available online from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/genocide/deniers_01.shtml
• TB ch. 15.1
PLSC 120 Syllabus 11
Tuesday, December 10: Non-Intervention
Topics:
• Cases of Non-Intervention
o Rwanda
o Darfur
Readings:
• TB ch. 8.3
Thursday, December 12: Intervention/Prevention
Topics:
• Cases of Intervention
o NATO in Kosovo
o UN in East Timor
• Strategies of Prevention
Readings:
• TB ch. 8.2
• TB ch. 9.2
Due:
• 4-5 page summary/analysis paper
Thursday, December 17: FINAL EXAM (9:00-10:30 am)