Embedded Files
Mistreatment of human beings, violence, and hate are persistent issues in our world. Holocaust and Genocide Studies is a half year academic elective. Rooted in research, deep consideration of primary and secondary sources, and historical thinking skills, this course challenges students to draw historical connections to understand contemporary complex issues. An analysis and evaluation of the ways in which our local and national communities have responded to prejudice and discrimination helps students evaluate the connections between past and present. The course culminates in an informed action experience designed to, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seek ways in which citizens can work to “bend the arc of the universe” towards justice.
The course begins by examining a framework of how prejudice against an ‘othered’ group culminates in genocide. Students apply this framework to studying the Armenian Genocide, which provides the historical context for an in depth analysis of the Holocaust. This includes a study of the history of antiSemitism, Jewish life before the Holocaust, Hitler's rise to power, Jews in Germany and Europe as well as targeted groups including persons with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people. In addition, World War II, Poland and the death camps, the Final Solution, resistance and rescue, the U.S.' response, liberation, and the Nuremberg Trials are studied. Students have the opportunity to explore modern examples of genocide by learning about the Rwandan Genocide as well as other genocides in the modern world. This course is best suited for students that are interested in considering the deep complexities of these issues, recognize the seriousness of the topics, and understand that material utilized in this course may be graphic and disturbing in nature. This course is designed to satisfy Kean University’s dual credit expectations.
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