Genocide: Approaches, Case Studies, And Responses

Violence in genocidal proportions continues to plague many parts of the world, despite increasing global sensitivity to human rights issues and international intervention in societies experiencing severe forms of intergroup conflict. Any optimism regarding improving the "human condition" in the new century, despite significant political, economic, and social advancements, appears prematurely naive and optimistic, particularly Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific. What do these destructive trends reflect? With reference to the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, Rwanda and other horrific examples, a selection of international scholars explore several conceptual and theoretical issues relating to "genocide" from perspectives including those of Germany, Israel, Italy, Zimbabwe and the United States. The co-editors also have diverse backgrounds, including experience in southern Africa and India. Major topics include issues of definition, varying types of genocide, theoretical and methodological approaches, policy implications, detailed case studies of genocidal situations, and evaluation of particular attempts to prevent this kind of destruction generally. Particular attention is accorded degrees and types of genocide, as well as any society's potential for this kind of deadly behavior. In addition, survivors' responses are explored, and the ways in which different cultures from Europe's Jews to the Tibetan diaspora relate to their losses, use them in reformulating their cultural identity, and commemorate their dead. The book is multi-disciplinary, world-wide, varied, and as practical as possible. Authors focus on a particular aspect of genocide, explore it in detail with regard to its relevance and development over time, and evaluate its implications for human rights policies both internationally and within particular contexts, with the aim of developing new and practical insights and possible policy implications for reducing this human destruction. This work includes new chapters and several revised papers from a special issue of the International Journal of Contemporary Sociology. * Graham Kinloch, Editor, has been on the sociology faculty at the Florida State University since 1971. He has published several books and articles on minority and race relations, sociological theory, and intergroup violence and genocide. Dr. Kinloch was born in Zimbabwe. His co-editor Raj P. Mohan is Professor of Sociology at Auburn University and is editor of The International Journal of Contemporary Sociology. Author of numerous books and research articles on sociological themes including the intelligentsia and organizations, he co-edited Ideology and the Social Sciences with Graham Kinloch, published by Greenwood Press in 2000.