ERIC Number: EJ1311899
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Feb
Pages: 26
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-2745
EISSN: N/A
Memorialization, Reconciliation, and Reflection: Teaching the Aftermaths of Genocide in Postwar Europe and Rwanda
Hilton, Laura J.
History Teacher, v54 n2 p271-295 Feb 2021
The aim of this article is to examine the frameworks that educators use, especially how they conclude teaching and learning about genocide, and to suggest readings and other sources for use. The narrative arc that educators establish by choosing where to begin and where to end is a powerful indicator of their course goals and teaching rationales. When selected deliberately and thoughtfully, these shape student perception of the events under discussion, often in subtle yet influential ways. While, certainly, each genocide has multiple common starting points, the choice of where to end discussions or courses is seldom discussed. How do educators and students define the "end" of a genocide? What are the implications of ending a course on the Holocaust with the liberation of camps such as Dachau or Buchenwald? How much do educators cover what happens after the genocide is over, when the widespread violence and persecution has ceased? What were the key elements involved in contemporaries processing and negotiating the aftermath. By posing thoughtful questions, educators can encourage students to push beyond the oversimplified assertions of "never again" and/or that we would take action to stop it from occurring.
Descriptors: War, Death, History Instruction, Memory, Conflict Resolution, Ethnic Groups, Jews, European History, Teaching Methods, Violence, Teacher Attitudes, Learning Processes, Discussion (Teaching Technique), Foreign Countries, Historic Sites, Units of Study, Personal Narratives, Undergraduate Students, College Faculty
Society for History Education. California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840-1601. Tel: 562-985-2573; Fax: 562-985-5431; Web site: http://www.societyforhistoryeducation.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Europe; Rwanda
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A