Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Genocide and Mass Atrocities
School	School of Social Policy
Department	Soc Policy, Sociology & Crimin
Module Code	08 31464
Module Lead	Daniel Mitchell
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Exclusions
Description	The module explores the diverse range of harms associated with genocide and mass atrocities, placing them in an historical, social and political context, and subjecting them to analytical frameworks which serve to illuminate their causes and societal impact. This process of examination allows students to reflect on how societies and governments can best respond to the issues of individual and collective responsibility, social and transitional conceptions of justice, and the punishment and prevention of genocide. Students taking the module are encouraged to think about how people ‘heal’ in the aftermath of genocide while societies continue to retain a central awareness of the social costs of mass killing, these societies and the international community can learn from the past and progress without neglecting the associated harms of genocide. To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of genocide and mass atrocities the module will develop in four interconnected phases: 1) the history of genocide and the establishment of the Genocide Convention; 2) illustrative case studies (colonial forms of genocide and indigenous societies; the Armenian genocide, the Jewish Holocaust, the Cambodian killing fields, Rwanda, and Darfur); 3) theoretical approaches; 4) responding to genocide, legal and social mechanisms of justice and prevention (ad hoc and permanent tribunals; truth and reconciliation commissions). This approach to teaching and learning provides students with an in-depth understanding of how genocidal movements take root at the social level, gaining legitimacy through political actors, galvanised by supremacist ideologies, leading to ‘ordinary people’ participating in acts of mass abuse, torture and killing. On completing the module students will be able to apply an awareness of genocide and mass atrocities to contemporary examples of societal conflict and war (as evidenced in Iraq and Syria, for example) and evaluate the degree to which these events constitute acts of genocide. Through this process of evaluation students can also critically assess the potential limitations of the Genocide Convention as a triggering mechanism for international responses to mass killing and consider alternative approaches suitable to preventing further loss of life and the avoidance of irrevocable social fragmentation.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module, students should be able to: Discuss the historical, social and political contexts in which genocide occurs Identify and apply relevant theoretical frameworks and critically reflect on the ways in which they enhance understanding of genocidal processes Explain the problematic nature of genocide as a concept and legal category when it comes to recognising and responding to mass killing Assess the connection between genocide, mass atrocities and war/war crimes Demonstrate knowledge of the different legal, military, political and social mechanisms devised to engage with, and respond to, genocide
Assessment	31464-01 : Summative essay : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 4000 word coursework
Other
Reading List