Course Details in 2023/24 Session

Module Title	LC How do we know what (we think) we know about the Holocaust?
School	Phil, Theology and Religion
Department	Theology and Religion
Module Code	09 37635
Module Lead	Isabel Wollaston
Level	Certificate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Exclusions
Description	A sound grasp of the history (‘what happened’) is a necessary foundation for studying the Holocaust, but it is also important to bear in mind the impact of context (e.g., geographical, political, religious). During the module we will explore topics such as the ‘politics’ of defining ‘the Holocaust’, policies of inclusion and exclusion in the Third Reich, Nazi eugenics and the ‘racial state’; the ‘Holocaust by bullets’ and the role of the Einsatzgruppen in the occupied Soviet Union; the role of the Judenräte (Jewish councils) in German-occupied Poland; how ‘the Holocaust’ was understood differently from the perspective of victims and perpetrators, both at the time and with the benefit of hindsight; the ‘grey zone’ and whether it is possible to be both a victim and a perpetrator. This module seeks to develop your ability to read texts (both written and visual) critically yet sensitively. In evaluating sources it is important to ask who produced them and why. We will analyse a range of primary sources, including written texts (in different genres, produced by a range of participants, for a variety of purposes), photographs, art, film, material/physical remains of sites; the challenges in ‘reading’ and/or interpreting them, and ongoing controversies over how they are used and ‘misused’. This is a challenging subject to study and the module includes some graphic written and visual material. During the module we will explore the challenges such material poses, and whether it should be used in educational and commemorative contexts.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Demonstrate awareness of, and critical engagement with, debates and controversies in Holocaust studies Evaluate a range of sources, demonstrating awareness of the context in which they were produced and the interpretative challenges they pose. Work with an appropriate degree of learner independence to explain and analyse the material under scrutiny
Assessment	37635-01 : Take-Home Exam (24 hours) : Exam (School Arranged) - Computer-based (50%) 37635-02 : 2000 word Essay : Coursework (50%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 24-hour take-home exam paper (50%) 2000-word essay (50%) Reassessment: Retake failed component, if failure results in failure of the module as a whole
Other
Reading List