HST2045L   Genocide: African Experiences

Third Term Course –Winter Term

Convener: Associate Professor M Adhikari

Course entry requirements: At least two courses at 1000-level Historical, cultural studies or social science offered by the Faculty of Humanities, or by permission of the Head of Department.

In addition to examining the concept of genocide in detail and reflecting on contending theoretical approaches to the subject, major themes in the course will include the roles of racism, colonialism, and nationalism in fomenting mass violence. The main case studies covered include the extermination of the indigenous peoples of the Canary Islands in the 14th and 15th centuries by Spanish invaders, the destruction of Cape San societies in the 18th and 19th centuries, the annihilation of Herero and Nama peoples in the early 20th century, the Rwandan genocide, and the recent mass killings in Darfur. The course will also introduce a comparative perspective by examining some of the global dimensions of the phenomenon.