HIST 2058 - Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide in History

North Terrace Campus - Winter - 2018

This course will explore the nature of ethnic cleansing and genocide and seek to discover the common historical, political and sociological threads that unite these tragedies. Students will analyse and discuss a series of case studies including, among others: the near extermination of First Nations people by colonisers of the New World, the Armenian genocide, the man-made famine in Ukraine, the Holocaust, the displacement of peoples in the aftermath of the Second World War in Europe and Africa, and the case of ethnic cleansing and genocide during the wars of Yugoslav succession.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code HIST 2058
    Course Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide in History
    Coordinating Unit Historical and Classical Studies
    Term Winter
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study
    Incompatible HIST 2031 or HIST 3031
    Course Description This course will explore the nature of ethnic cleansing and genocide and seek to discover the common historical, political and sociological threads that unite these tragedies. Students will analyse and discuss a series of case studies including, among others: the near extermination of First Nations people by colonisers of the New World, the Armenian genocide, the man-made famine in Ukraine, the Holocaust, the displacement of peoples in the aftermath of the Second World War in Europe and Africa, and the case of ethnic cleansing and genocide during the wars of Yugoslav succession.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Robert Foster

    Associate Professor Robert Foster (co-course convenor)

    Ph: 83135616; Email: robert.foster@adelaide.edu.au

    Dr Gareth Pritchard (co-course convenor)

    Ph: 8313 4529; Email: gareth.pritchard@adelaide.edu.au


    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    1. An understanding of the causes, nature and consequences of ethnic cleansing and genocide in modern history.

    2. An ability to distinguish between different historical interpretations and different cultural perspectives.

    3. Enhanced skills in research, synthesis, organisation and presentation of information.

    4. Enhanced problem solving skills.

    5. Familiarisation with the research skills necessary for working with primary sources.

    6. An ability to work independently.

    7. An ability to work cooperatively.

    8. An ability to evaluate arguments.

    9. Enhanced oral communication skills.

    10. An awareness of the role of historians in determining the dominant perceptions of the past and the way these impact on the present.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,2,3,5
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2,3,4,5,8
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    7,9
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    4,6,7,9
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1,2,10
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    9,10
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There are no textbooks for this course.

    1. Relevant information about the assessment, the readings and the general running of the course will be available on Canvas.

    2. The Course Reader contains essential readings for tutorial discussion.
    Recommended Resources
    The Barr Smith Library has a rich collection of books on our subject. It is essential that you familiarise yourself with the resources guide for this course which is available online through the Barr Smith Library. The resources guide also provides critical information on accessing materials in hard copy and electronically through the Library.
    Online Learning
    This course has a website accessible through Canvas, which provides further instructions on the assessment tasks, reading lists, essay questions and other relevant materials.

    In addition the website will contain lecture notes, handouts and worksheets.

    Regular announcements and updates will be posted on Canvas.

    You will be expected to check your emails regularly for updates and other information relating to the course.
    The University provides you with electronic access to the full text of articles in a very large range of history journals through the Barr Smith Library.

    The resources guide for this course is available at: http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/hist2058.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The course comprises eight face-to-face contact hours per week, over four weeks.

    (3x two hour lectures per week and 1x two hour tutorial per week.)

    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    There are eight contact hours per week.  Independent study in preparation for tutorials and written assignments together with the contact hours amount to approximately 156 hours of study across the course of the winter school.

    Learning Activities Summary
    Lectures in this course refer specifically to the topics and readings to be discussed in tutorials.  Lectures are designed to stimulate debate and reflection.  They do this by evoking the wider context in which to place the subjects under review, by pointing you to historians' debates on key issues and by referring directly to items in your course reader.

    Small Group Discovery Experience
    Students will be divided into research teams to prepare a presentation on a contemporary case of Ethnic Cleansing and/or Genocide. These presentations will be given in the final week of the course.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    One Short Essay 30%
    One Research Essay 50%
    One Group Presentation 20%
    Assessment Detail
    Details of assessment will be provided in MyUni.
    Submission
    All assignments are submitted via Turnitin.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
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