220052 Ecocides and Genocides: A Planetary Perspective (S) (WiSe 2024/2025)

This course intends to explore the relationship between history, environment and various eco- and genocides. It will discuss comparative approaches to genocide studies and the problem of the universalization of the notion of holocaust, its usage to integrate Native American history and nuclear holocaust into genocide studies, and the ethical dilemmas posed by the idea of "animal holocaust." While the focus of the course is theoretical, the cases of different forms of mass-killings will be examined in order to discuss a problem of survival value of historical knowledge.

Topics of the seminar will include: genocide and ecocide studies in the framework of Anthropocene and planetary humanities; genocides/ecocides, colonialism and global capitalism; genocides as human suicide/self-extinction; strategies of dehumanization (humans and insects); paradigms of genocides; comparisons between (human and animal) holocausts and slavery (human and animal); ecocide as environmental ”holocaust”; genocide of humans and non-humans (the Indigenous perspective); nuclear holocaust (Hiroshima).

This is an advanced-level course which is a research seminar designed to help students work on papers for classes, theses and individual projects. It introduces texts that have inspired theoretically oriented scholars, and seeks to show students how their own research can incorporate techniques and categories from various disciplines. The course suggests that theory is fundamental to humanistic studies. It will focus on cross-disciplinary themes and explore them through seminars. It encourages an understanding of theory, promotes interdisciplinary approaches to research, teaches critical thinking, introduces various strategies of interpretation, and devotes special attention to the development of students' original approaches.

The course will begin with a preliminary briefing on Thursday, July 11 2024, from 2:30 to 4:00 p. m. A block session will follow from Monday, October 7, to Friday, October 11. Weekly sessions will be held every Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., from Oktober 16 until December 12. The course will primarily be conducted in English. If you have any questions, please contact Regazzoni (<lisa.regazzoni@uni-bielefeld.de>).