Podcast appearances and mentions of Scott Straus

New Books in Gender Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2017 66:02

Thanks to Scott Straus, Leanne Fujii and others, we know quite a bit about how men behaved during the genocide in Rwanda. But we know surprisingly little about women’s actions during that crisis. Sara Brown begins to remedy this in her excellent new study Gender and Genocide in Rwanda: Women as Rescuers and Perpetrators (Routledge, 2017). Sara spent months interviewing Rwandan women. The result is a thoughtful analysis of the role gender played in facilitating or discouraging rescue and violence. As Brown says in the interview, she starts by asking the most basic question: how many, where, how? From there she moves on to examine the way women’s choices were rooted in a historical context in which a few women possessed power but many ordinary women found their choices and actions constrained. Brown highlights the way in which women were empowered by the context of genocide. Some used this opportunity to (attempt to) save lives. Others used it to loot, to demand violence, or even to kill or to rape. Brown ends her story by highlighting the way the same norms that had empowered, protected and betrayed women during the fighting shaped their lives after the genocide was over. It’s a sobering reminder of the power of gendered assumptions in the face of a breakdown of other social norms. This podcast is part of an occasional series on the genocide in Rwanda. The series began with an interview with Michael Barnett. Future interviews will feature Erin Jessee, Tim Longman, Herman Salton and others. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. He’s the author of four modules in the Reacting to the Past series, including The Needs of Others: Human Rights, International Organizations and Intervention in Rwanda, 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

director history future professor gender intervention reacting rwanda genocide rescuers routledge rwandan perpetrators international organizations honors program newman university michael barnett sara brown kelly mcfall others human rights scott straus as brown sara e brown herman salton rwanda women

Sara E. Brown, “Gender and the Genocide in Rwanda: Women as Rescuers and Perpetrators” (Routledge, 2017)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2017 66:02

Thanks to Scott Straus, Leanne Fujii and others, we know quite a bit about how men behaved during the genocide in Rwanda. But we know surprisingly little about women’s actions during that crisis. Sara Brown begins to remedy this in her excellent new study Gender and Genocide in Rwanda: Women as Rescuers and Perpetrators (Routledge, 2017). Sara spent months interviewing Rwandan women. The result is a thoughtful analysis of the role gender played in facilitating or discouraging rescue and violence. As Brown says in the interview, she starts by asking the most basic question: how many, where, how? From there she moves on to examine the way women’s choices were rooted in a historical context in which a few women possessed power but many ordinary women found their choices and actions constrained. Brown highlights the way in which women were empowered by the context of genocide. Some used this opportunity to (attempt to) save lives. Others used it to loot, to demand violence, or even to kill or to rape. Brown ends her story by highlighting the way the same norms that had empowered, protected and betrayed women during the fighting shaped their lives after the genocide was over. It’s a sobering reminder of the power of gendered assumptions in the face of a breakdown of other social norms. This podcast is part of an occasional series on the genocide in Rwanda. The series began with an interview with Michael Barnett. Future interviews will feature Erin Jessee, Tim Longman, Herman Salton and others. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. He’s the author of four modules in the Reacting to the Past series, including The Needs of Others: Human Rights, International Organizations and Intervention in Rwanda, 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

director history future professor gender intervention reacting rwanda genocide rescuers routledge rwandan perpetrators international organizations honors program newman university michael barnett sara brown kelly mcfall others human rights scott straus as brown sara e brown herman salton rwanda women

Sara E. Brown, “Gender and the Genocide in Rwanda: Women as Rescuers and Perpetrators” (Routledge, 2017)

New Books in Eastern European Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2017 66:02

Thanks to Scott Straus, Leanne Fujii and others, we know quite a bit about how men behaved during the genocide in Rwanda. But we know surprisingly little about women’s actions during that crisis. Sara Brown begins to remedy this in her excellent new study Gender and Genocide in Rwanda: Women as Rescuers and Perpetrators (Routledge, 2017). Sara spent months interviewing Rwandan women. The result is a thoughtful analysis of the role gender played in facilitating or discouraging rescue and violence. As Brown says in the interview, she starts by asking the most basic question: how many, where, how? From there she moves on to examine the way women’s choices were rooted in a historical context in which a few women possessed power but many ordinary women found their choices and actions constrained. Brown highlights the way in which women were empowered by the context of genocide. Some used this opportunity to (attempt to) save lives. Others used it to loot, to demand violence, or even to kill or to rape. Brown ends her story by highlighting the way the same norms that had empowered, protected and betrayed women during the fighting shaped their lives after the genocide was over. It’s a sobering reminder of the power of gendered assumptions in the face of a breakdown of other social norms. This podcast is part of an occasional series on the genocide in Rwanda. The series began with an interview with Michael Barnett. Future interviews will feature Erin Jessee, Tim Longman, Herman Salton and others. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. He’s the author of four modules in the Reacting to the Past series, including The Needs of Others: Human Rights, International Organizations and Intervention in Rwanda, 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

director history future professor gender intervention reacting rwanda genocide rescuers routledge rwandan perpetrators international organizations honors program newman university michael barnett sara brown kelly mcfall others human rights scott straus as brown sara e brown herman salton rwanda women

Sara E. Brown, “Gender and the Genocide in Rwanda: Women as Rescuers and Perpetrators” (Routledge, 2017)

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2017 66:02

Thanks to Scott Straus, Leanne Fujii and others, we know quite a bit about how men behaved during the genocide in Rwanda. But we know surprisingly little about women’s actions during that crisis. Sara Brown begins to remedy this in her excellent new study Gender and Genocide in Rwanda: Women as Rescuers and Perpetrators (Routledge, 2017). Sara spent months interviewing Rwandan women. The result is a thoughtful analysis of the role gender played in facilitating or discouraging rescue and violence. As Brown says in the interview, she starts by asking the most basic question: how many, where, how? From there she moves on to examine the way women’s choices were rooted in a historical context in which a few women possessed power but many ordinary women found their choices and actions constrained. Brown highlights the way in which women were empowered by the context of genocide. Some used this opportunity to (attempt to) save lives. Others used it to loot, to demand violence, or even to kill or to rape. Brown ends her story by highlighting the way the same norms that had empowered, protected and betrayed women during the fighting shaped their lives after the genocide was over. It’s a sobering reminder of the power of gendered assumptions in the face of a breakdown of other social norms. This podcast is part of an occasional series on the genocide in Rwanda. The series began with an interview with Michael Barnett. Future interviews will feature Erin Jessee, Tim Longman, Herman Salton and others. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. He’s the author of four modules in the Reacting to the Past series, including The Needs of Others: Human Rights, International Organizations and Intervention in Rwanda, 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

director history future professor gender intervention reacting rwanda genocide rescuers routledge rwandan perpetrators international organizations honors program newman university michael barnett sara brown kelly mcfall others human rights scott straus as brown sara e brown herman salton rwanda women

Max Bergholz, “Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community” (Cornell UP, 2016)

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2017 75:11

People study atrocities and mass violence for a variety of reasons. When asked, many offer thoughtful intellectual or political explanations for their choice. But in truth, the field is a practical response to a cry of the heart. How, people ask, how can people do this to one another? How can men and women do such terrible things? How can they do them to people they know? Max Bergholz asks these questions systematically in his terrific new book Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community (Cornell University Press, 2016). The book is a careful, detailed description of the violence that exploded in a rural community in Croatia in 1941. Bergholz researched the book for a decade, poring through records from local archives and libraries all across the region. This allows Bergholz, Associate Professor of History at Concordia University in Montreal, to answer questions about the history of ethnicity in the region, about the intersection of local agency and national leadership, and about the political impact of the memory of this violence. But all of this is subsidiary to the burning question at the heart of the book: why did people who had known each other for years suddenly fall upon each other with such violence? The book thus enters into a discussion with Scott Straus, Christopher Browning, James Waller and others. But Bergholz brings a distinctively historical perspective to the discussion. He doesn’t dismiss psychological analysis. Rather, he reminds us that context and situation matters enormously. The book is an enormously important contribution to the study of mass violence. Anyone interested in why neighbors kill neighbors will have to wrestle with his conclusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

history community identity violence force memory montreal associate professor croatia balkans nationalism generative concordia university cornell up christopher browning bergholz scott straus james waller max bergholz

Max Bergholz, “Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community” (Cornell UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2017 75:11

People study atrocities and mass violence for a variety of reasons. When asked, many offer thoughtful intellectual or political explanations for their choice. But in truth, the field is a practical response to a cry of the heart. How, people ask, how can people do this to one another? How can men and women do such terrible things? How can they do them to people they know? Max Bergholz asks these questions systematically in his terrific new book Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community (Cornell University Press, 2016). The book is a careful, detailed description of the violence that exploded in a rural community in Croatia in 1941. Bergholz researched the book for a decade, poring through records from local archives and libraries all across the region. This allows Bergholz, Associate Professor of History at Concordia University in Montreal, to answer questions about the history of ethnicity in the region, about the intersection of local agency and national leadership, and about the political impact of the memory of this violence. But all of this is subsidiary to the burning question at the heart of the book: why did people who had known each other for years suddenly fall upon each other with such violence? The book thus enters into a discussion with Scott Straus, Christopher Browning, James Waller and others. But Bergholz brings a distinctively historical perspective to the discussion. He doesn’t dismiss psychological analysis. Rather, he reminds us that context and situation matters enormously. The book is an enormously important contribution to the study of mass violence. Anyone interested in why neighbors kill neighbors will have to wrestle with his conclusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

history community identity violence force memory montreal associate professor croatia balkans nationalism generative concordia university cornell up christopher browning bergholz scott straus james waller max bergholz

Max Bergholz, “Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community” (Cornell UP, 2016)

New Books in European Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2017 75:36

People study atrocities and mass violence for a variety of reasons. When asked, many offer thoughtful intellectual or political explanations for their choice. But in truth, the field is a practical response to a cry of the heart. How, people ask, how can people do this to one another? How can men and women do such terrible things? How can they do them to people they know? Max Bergholz asks these questions systematically in his terrific new book Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community (Cornell University Press, 2016). The book is a careful, detailed description of the violence that exploded in a rural community in Croatia in 1941. Bergholz researched the book for a decade, poring through records from local archives and libraries all across the region. This allows Bergholz, Associate Professor of History at Concordia University in Montreal, to answer questions about the history of ethnicity in the region, about the intersection of local agency and national leadership, and about the political impact of the memory of this violence. But all of this is subsidiary to the burning question at the heart of the book: why did people who had known each other for years suddenly fall upon each other with such violence? The book thus enters into a discussion with Scott Straus, Christopher Browning, James Waller and others. But Bergholz brings a distinctively historical perspective to the discussion. He doesn’t dismiss psychological analysis. Rather, he reminds us that context and situation matters enormously. The book is an enormously important contribution to the study of mass violence. Anyone interested in why neighbors kill neighbors will have to wrestle with his conclusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

history community identity violence force memory montreal associate professor croatia balkans nationalism generative concordia university cornell up christopher browning bergholz scott straus james waller max bergholz

Max Bergholz, “Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community” (Cornell UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2017 75:11

People study atrocities and mass violence for a variety of reasons. When asked, many offer thoughtful intellectual or political explanations for their choice. But in truth, the field is a practical response to a cry of the heart. How, people ask, how can people do this to one another? How can men and women do such terrible things? How can they do them to people they know? Max Bergholz asks these questions systematically in his terrific new book Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community (Cornell University Press, 2016). The book is a careful, detailed description of the violence that exploded in a rural community in Croatia in 1941. Bergholz researched the book for a decade, poring through records from local archives and libraries all across the region. This allows Bergholz, Associate Professor of History at Concordia University in Montreal, to answer questions about the history of ethnicity in the region, about the intersection of local agency and national leadership, and about the political impact of the memory of this violence. But all of this is subsidiary to the burning question at the heart of the book: why did people who had known each other for years suddenly fall upon each other with such violence? The book thus enters into a discussion with Scott Straus, Christopher Browning, James Waller and others. But Bergholz brings a distinctively historical perspective to the discussion. He doesn’t dismiss psychological analysis. Rather, he reminds us that context and situation matters enormously. The book is an enormously important contribution to the study of mass violence. Anyone interested in why neighbors kill neighbors will have to wrestle with his conclusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

history community identity violence force memory montreal associate professor croatia balkans nationalism generative concordia university cornell up christopher browning bergholz scott straus james waller max bergholz

Max Bergholz, “Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community” (Cornell UP, 2016)

New Books in Human Rights

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2017 75:11

People study atrocities and mass violence for a variety of reasons. When asked, many offer thoughtful intellectual or political explanations for their choice. But in truth, the field is a practical response to a cry of the heart. How, people ask, how can people do this to one another? How can men and women do such terrible things? How can they do them to people they know? Max Bergholz asks these questions systematically in his terrific new book Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community (Cornell University Press, 2016). The book is a careful, detailed description of the violence that exploded in a rural community in Croatia in 1941. Bergholz researched the book for a decade, poring through records from local archives and libraries all across the region. This allows Bergholz, Associate Professor of History at Concordia University in Montreal, to answer questions about the history of ethnicity in the region, about the intersection of local agency and national leadership, and about the political impact of the memory of this violence. But all of this is subsidiary to the burning question at the heart of the book: why did people who had known each other for years suddenly fall upon each other with such violence? The book thus enters into a discussion with Scott Straus, Christopher Browning, James Waller and others. But Bergholz brings a distinctively historical perspective to the discussion. He doesn’t dismiss psychological analysis. Rather, he reminds us that context and situation matters enormously. The book is an enormously important contribution to the study of mass violence. Anyone interested in why neighbors kill neighbors will have to wrestle with his conclusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

history community identity violence force memory montreal associate professor croatia balkans nationalism generative concordia university cornell up christopher browning bergholz scott straus james waller max bergholz

Carrie Booth Walling, “All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention” (U. of Pennsylvania Press, 2013)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2016 73:33

Why does the UN intervene in some cases of mass violence and not others? Why and how have public attitudes toward humanitarian intervention changed over the past decades? And how do the stories we tell each other about cases of violence and civil war impact our decisions about when intervention is appropriate? Carrie Booth Walling's recent book, All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013) sets out to answer these questions. She looks at a series of international crises in the 1990s in the 1990s and early 2000s, beginning with Iraq in 1991-2 and concluding with the recent conflict in Syria. In each case, she examines how member-states in the UN characterize the conflict and how that characterization shapes their preferred responses. The conclusion is simple: narratives matter. They determine how people describe the conflict. They determine the kind of responses countries are willing to consider. And they determine, at least in part, whether the UN chooses to intervene in conflicts, and if so, how and to what end. Walling's research is careful and her conclusions measured and well-supported. She joins an increasing emphasis in genocide studies on the importance of narratives of all kind. Readers will come away with an increased understanding of why the international community sometimes seems to care about mass violence and sometimes does not. This podcast is the last in our summer/fall series on research about genocide prevention. If you find this interview interesting, I encourage you to listen to previous interviews in the series as well. The series includes interviews with Scott Straus, Bridget Conley-Zilkic and James Waller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq united nations syria readers measures pennsylvania press walling humanitarian intervention scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Carrie Booth Walling, “All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention” (U. of Pennsylvania Press, 2013)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2016 73:33

Why does the UN intervene in some cases of mass violence and not others? Why and how have public attitudes toward humanitarian intervention changed over the past decades? And how do the stories we tell each other about cases of violence and civil war impact our decisions about when intervention is appropriate? Carrie Booth Walling’s recent book, All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013) sets out to answer these questions. She looks at a series of international crises in the 1990s in the 1990s and early 2000s, beginning with Iraq in 1991-2 and concluding with the recent conflict in Syria. In each case, she examines how member-states in the UN characterize the conflict and how that characterization shapes their preferred responses. The conclusion is simple: narratives matter. They determine how people describe the conflict. They determine the kind of responses countries are willing to consider. And they determine, at least in part, whether the UN chooses to intervene in conflicts, and if so, how and to what end. Walling’s research is careful and her conclusions measured and well-supported. She joins an increasing emphasis in genocide studies on the importance of narratives of all kind. Readers will come away with an increased understanding of why the international community sometimes seems to care about mass violence and sometimes does not. This podcast is the last in our summer/fall series on research about genocide prevention. If you find this interview interesting, I encourage you to listen to previous interviews in the series as well. The series includes interviews with Scott Straus, Bridget Conley-Zilkic and James Waller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq united nations syria readers measures pennsylvania press walling humanitarian intervention scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Carrie Booth Walling, “All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention” (U. of Pennsylvania Press, 2013)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2016 73:33

Why does the UN intervene in some cases of mass violence and not others? Why and how have public attitudes toward humanitarian intervention changed over the past decades? And how do the stories we tell each other about cases of violence and civil war impact our decisions about when intervention is appropriate? Carrie Booth Walling’s recent book, All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013) sets out to answer these questions. She looks at a series of international crises in the 1990s in the 1990s and early 2000s, beginning with Iraq in 1991-2 and concluding with the recent conflict in Syria. In each case, she examines how member-states in the UN characterize the conflict and how that characterization shapes their preferred responses. The conclusion is simple: narratives matter. They determine how people describe the conflict. They determine the kind of responses countries are willing to consider. And they determine, at least in part, whether the UN chooses to intervene in conflicts, and if so, how and to what end. Walling’s research is careful and her conclusions measured and well-supported. She joins an increasing emphasis in genocide studies on the importance of narratives of all kind. Readers will come away with an increased understanding of why the international community sometimes seems to care about mass violence and sometimes does not. This podcast is the last in our summer/fall series on research about genocide prevention. If you find this interview interesting, I encourage you to listen to previous interviews in the series as well. The series includes interviews with Scott Straus, Bridget Conley-Zilkic and James Waller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq united nations syria readers measures pennsylvania press walling humanitarian intervention scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Carrie Booth Walling, “All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention” (U. of Pennsylvania Press, 2013)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2016 73:33

Why does the UN intervene in some cases of mass violence and not others? Why and how have public attitudes toward humanitarian intervention changed over the past decades? And how do the stories we tell each other about cases of violence and civil war impact our decisions about when intervention is appropriate? Carrie Booth Walling’s recent book, All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013) sets out to answer these questions. She looks at a series of international crises in the 1990s in the 1990s and early 2000s, beginning with Iraq in 1991-2 and concluding with the recent conflict in Syria. In each case, she examines how member-states in the UN characterize the conflict and how that characterization shapes their preferred responses. The conclusion is simple: narratives matter. They determine how people describe the conflict. They determine the kind of responses countries are willing to consider. And they determine, at least in part, whether the UN chooses to intervene in conflicts, and if so, how and to what end. Walling’s research is careful and her conclusions measured and well-supported. She joins an increasing emphasis in genocide studies on the importance of narratives of all kind. Readers will come away with an increased understanding of why the international community sometimes seems to care about mass violence and sometimes does not. This podcast is the last in our summer/fall series on research about genocide prevention. If you find this interview interesting, I encourage you to listen to previous interviews in the series as well. The series includes interviews with Scott Straus, Bridget Conley-Zilkic and James Waller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq united nations syria readers measures pennsylvania press walling humanitarian intervention scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Carrie Booth Walling, “All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention” (U. of Pennsylvania Press, 2013)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2016 73:33

Why does the UN intervene in some cases of mass violence and not others? Why and how have public attitudes toward humanitarian intervention changed over the past decades? And how do the stories we tell each other about cases of violence and civil war impact our decisions about when intervention is appropriate? Carrie Booth Walling’s recent book, All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013) sets out to answer these questions. She looks at a series of international crises in the 1990s in the 1990s and early 2000s, beginning with Iraq in 1991-2 and concluding with the recent conflict in Syria. In each case, she examines how member-states in the UN characterize the conflict and how that characterization shapes their preferred responses. The conclusion is simple: narratives matter. They determine how people describe the conflict. They determine the kind of responses countries are willing to consider. And they determine, at least in part, whether the UN chooses to intervene in conflicts, and if so, how and to what end. Walling’s research is careful and her conclusions measured and well-supported. She joins an increasing emphasis in genocide studies on the importance of narratives of all kind. Readers will come away with an increased understanding of why the international community sometimes seems to care about mass violence and sometimes does not. This podcast is the last in our summer/fall series on research about genocide prevention. If you find this interview interesting, I encourage you to listen to previous interviews in the series as well. The series includes interviews with Scott Straus, Bridget Conley-Zilkic and James Waller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq united nations syria readers measures pennsylvania press walling humanitarian intervention scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

James Waller, “Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide” (Oxford UP, 2016)

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2016 66:54

Today is the third of our occasional series on the question of how to respond to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I talked with Scott Straus and Bridget Conley-Zilkic. Later in September I’ll talk with Carrie Booth Walling. I’m teaching a class on the Historical Method this semester. As part of this we’ve talked quite a bit about the question of whether historians have ethical imperatives as part of their writing. As you might expect, the students have disagreed, sometimes emotionally, about this issue. Within the field of genocide studies, this question is considerably less contentious. No one expects to be completely neutral in the face of studying mass atrocities. Each of the books in this occasional series on our response to mass atrocities has examined the topic carefully, thoroughly and objectively. Yet, each has an ethical imperative manifested in a tangible urgency that underlays the careful scholarly analysis. James Waller’s new book Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide (Oxford University Press, 2016) shares this passion. Building on his earlier work, Waller is most interested in how we should respond to genocide and similar crimes. His answer is aimed at academics, but especially at non-specialists. The result is a superb survey of the existing literature on prevention understood broadly. Read in conjunction with Straus and Conley-Zilkic, it reminds us of the importance of acting before crises strike and of recognizing both the opportunities and the limitations of intervention. It’s a must read for anyone interested in the topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

building evil responsibility engaging prevent confronting genocide waller straus oxford up scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

James Waller, “Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide” (Oxford UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2016 66:54

Today is the third of our occasional series on the question of how to respond to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I talked with Scott Straus and Bridget Conley-Zilkic. Later in September I'll talk with Carrie Booth Walling. I'm teaching a class on the Historical Method this semester. As part of this we've talked quite a bit about the question of whether historians have ethical imperatives as part of their writing. As you might expect, the students have disagreed, sometimes emotionally, about this issue. Within the field of genocide studies, this question is considerably less contentious. No one expects to be completely neutral in the face of studying mass atrocities. Each of the books in this occasional series on our response to mass atrocities has examined the topic carefully, thoroughly and objectively. Yet, each has an ethical imperative manifested in a tangible urgency that underlays the careful scholarly analysis. James Waller's new book Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide (Oxford University Press, 2016) shares this passion. Building on his earlier work, Waller is most interested in how we should respond to genocide and similar crimes. His answer is aimed at academics, but especially at non-specialists. The result is a superb survey of the existing literature on prevention understood broadly. Read in conjunction with Straus and Conley-Zilkic, it reminds us of the importance of acting before crises strike and of recognizing both the opportunities and the limitations of intervention. It's a must read for anyone interested in the topic.

building evil responsibility engaging prevent confronting genocide waller straus oxford up scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

James Waller, “Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide” (Oxford UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2016 66:54

Today is the third of our occasional series on the question of how to respond to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I talked with Scott Straus and Bridget Conley-Zilkic. Later in September I’ll talk with Carrie Booth Walling. I’m teaching a class on the Historical Method this semester. As part of this we’ve talked quite a bit about the question of whether historians have ethical imperatives as part of their writing. As you might expect, the students have disagreed, sometimes emotionally, about this issue. Within the field of genocide studies, this question is considerably less contentious. No one expects to be completely neutral in the face of studying mass atrocities. Each of the books in this occasional series on our response to mass atrocities has examined the topic carefully, thoroughly and objectively. Yet, each has an ethical imperative manifested in a tangible urgency that underlays the careful scholarly analysis. James Waller’s new book Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide (Oxford University Press, 2016) shares this passion. Building on his earlier work, Waller is most interested in how we should respond to genocide and similar crimes. His answer is aimed at academics, but especially at non-specialists. The result is a superb survey of the existing literature on prevention understood broadly. Read in conjunction with Straus and Conley-Zilkic, it reminds us of the importance of acting before crises strike and of recognizing both the opportunities and the limitations of intervention. It’s a must read for anyone interested in the topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

building evil responsibility engaging prevent confronting genocide waller straus oxford up scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

James Waller, “Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide” (Oxford UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2016 66:54

Today is the third of our occasional series on the question of how to respond to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I talked with Scott Straus and Bridget Conley-Zilkic. Later in September I’ll talk with Carrie Booth Walling. I’m teaching a class on the Historical Method this semester. As part of this we’ve talked quite a bit about the question of whether historians have ethical imperatives as part of their writing. As you might expect, the students have disagreed, sometimes emotionally, about this issue. Within the field of genocide studies, this question is considerably less contentious. No one expects to be completely neutral in the face of studying mass atrocities. Each of the books in this occasional series on our response to mass atrocities has examined the topic carefully, thoroughly and objectively. Yet, each has an ethical imperative manifested in a tangible urgency that underlays the careful scholarly analysis. James Waller’s new book Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide (Oxford University Press, 2016) shares this passion. Building on his earlier work, Waller is most interested in how we should respond to genocide and similar crimes. His answer is aimed at academics, but especially at non-specialists. The result is a superb survey of the existing literature on prevention understood broadly. Read in conjunction with Straus and Conley-Zilkic, it reminds us of the importance of acting before crises strike and of recognizing both the opportunities and the limitations of intervention. It’s a must read for anyone interested in the topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

building evil responsibility engaging prevent confronting genocide waller straus oxford up scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

James Waller, “Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide” (Oxford UP, 2016)

New Books in Public Policy

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2016 66:54

Today is the third of our occasional series on the question of how to respond to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I talked with Scott Straus and Bridget Conley-Zilkic. Later in September I’ll talk with Carrie Booth Walling. I’m teaching a class on the Historical Method this semester. As part of this we’ve talked quite a bit about the question of whether historians have ethical imperatives as part of their writing. As you might expect, the students have disagreed, sometimes emotionally, about this issue. Within the field of genocide studies, this question is considerably less contentious. No one expects to be completely neutral in the face of studying mass atrocities. Each of the books in this occasional series on our response to mass atrocities has examined the topic carefully, thoroughly and objectively. Yet, each has an ethical imperative manifested in a tangible urgency that underlays the careful scholarly analysis. James Waller’s new book Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide (Oxford University Press, 2016) shares this passion. Building on his earlier work, Waller is most interested in how we should respond to genocide and similar crimes. His answer is aimed at academics, but especially at non-specialists. The result is a superb survey of the existing literature on prevention understood broadly. Read in conjunction with Straus and Conley-Zilkic, it reminds us of the importance of acting before crises strike and of recognizing both the opportunities and the limitations of intervention. It’s a must read for anyone interested in the topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

building evil responsibility engaging prevent confronting genocide waller straus oxford up scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

James Waller, “Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide” (Oxford UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2016 66:54

Today is the third of our occasional series on the question of how to respond to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I talked with Scott Straus and Bridget Conley-Zilkic. Later in September I’ll talk with Carrie Booth Walling. I’m teaching a class on the Historical Method this semester. As part of this we’ve talked quite a bit about the question of whether historians have ethical imperatives as part of their writing. As you might expect, the students have disagreed, sometimes emotionally, about this issue. Within the field of genocide studies, this question is considerably less contentious. No one expects to be completely neutral in the face of studying mass atrocities. Each of the books in this occasional series on our response to mass atrocities has examined the topic carefully, thoroughly and objectively. Yet, each has an ethical imperative manifested in a tangible urgency that underlays the careful scholarly analysis. James Waller’s new book Confronting Evil: Engaging Our Responsibility to Prevent Genocide (Oxford University Press, 2016) shares this passion. Building on his earlier work, Waller is most interested in how we should respond to genocide and similar crimes. His answer is aimed at academics, but especially at non-specialists. The result is a superb survey of the existing literature on prevention understood broadly. Read in conjunction with Straus and Conley-Zilkic, it reminds us of the importance of acting before crises strike and of recognizing both the opportunities and the limitations of intervention. It’s a must read for anyone interested in the topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

building evil responsibility engaging prevent confronting genocide waller straus oxford up scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Bridget Conley-Zilkic, ed. “How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq” (Cambridge UP, 2016)

Exchanges: A Cambridge UP Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2016 65:18

If you want to know how to bring future mass atrocities to an end, the best place to start is to examine how past mass atrocities have ended. This simple piece of logic is at the heart of Bridget Conley-Zilkic's new edited collection titled How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq (Cambridge University Press, 2016). As Conley points out in her introduction, leaders choose to engage in mass atrocities because the rewards for doing so seem greater than the cost. They end either because they have achieved their goal or because the balance of rewards and costs has changed. So, for people interested in preventing or stopping mass atrocities, the challenge lies in changing that balance. This book, then, examines a variety of different case studies to understand how the changing calculus of rewards and cots has occurred historically. The case studies are superb, the range of cases broad and the analysis perceptive. It is a sobering book to read, one that avoids easy answers or platitudes. But behind it lies a determination to make a difference. This is one of an occasional series of podcasts that address the question of preventing or responding to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I interviewed Scott Straus about his book Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. In the next couple months I'll also speak with Jim Waller and Carrie Booth Walling.

iraq studies indonesia guatemala fundamentals genocide burundi bosnia herzegovina cambridge up sudans mass atrocities scott straus carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Bridget Conley-Zilkic, ed. “How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq” (Cambridge UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2016 65:18

If you want to know how to bring future mass atrocities to an end, the best place to start is to examine how past mass atrocities have ended. This simple piece of logic is at the heart of Bridget Conley-Zilkic’s new edited collection titled How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq (Cambridge University Press, 2016). As Conley points out in her introduction, leaders choose to engage in mass atrocities because the rewards for doing so seem greater than the cost. They end either because they have achieved their goal or because the balance of rewards and costs has changed. So, for people interested in preventing or stopping mass atrocities, the challenge lies in changing that balance. This book, then, examines a variety of different case studies to understand how the changing calculus of rewards and cots has occurred historically. The case studies are superb, the range of cases broad and the analysis perceptive. It is a sobering book to read, one that avoids easy answers or platitudes. But behind it lies a determination to make a difference. This is one of an occasional series of podcasts that address the question of preventing or responding to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I interviewed Scott Straus about his book Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. In the next couple months I’ll also speak with Jim Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq studies indonesia guatemala fundamentals genocide burundi bosnia herzegovina cambridge up sudans mass atrocities scott straus carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Bridget Conley-Zilkic, ed. “How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq” (Cambridge UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2016 65:18

If you want to know how to bring future mass atrocities to an end, the best place to start is to examine how past mass atrocities have ended. This simple piece of logic is at the heart of Bridget Conley-Zilkic’s new edited collection titled How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq (Cambridge University Press, 2016). As Conley points out in her introduction, leaders choose to engage in mass atrocities because the rewards for doing so seem greater than the cost. They end either because they have achieved their goal or because the balance of rewards and costs has changed. So, for people interested in preventing or stopping mass atrocities, the challenge lies in changing that balance. This book, then, examines a variety of different case studies to understand how the changing calculus of rewards and cots has occurred historically. The case studies are superb, the range of cases broad and the analysis perceptive. It is a sobering book to read, one that avoids easy answers or platitudes. But behind it lies a determination to make a difference. This is one of an occasional series of podcasts that address the question of preventing or responding to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I interviewed Scott Straus about his book Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. In the next couple months I’ll also speak with Jim Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq studies indonesia guatemala fundamentals genocide burundi bosnia herzegovina cambridge up sudans mass atrocities scott straus carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Bridget Conley-Zilkic, ed. “How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq” (Cambridge UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2016 65:18

If you want to know how to bring future mass atrocities to an end, the best place to start is to examine how past mass atrocities have ended. This simple piece of logic is at the heart of Bridget Conley-Zilkic’s new edited collection titled How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq (Cambridge University Press, 2016). As Conley points out in her introduction, leaders choose to engage in mass atrocities because the rewards for doing so seem greater than the cost. They end either because they have achieved their goal or because the balance of rewards and costs has changed. So, for people interested in preventing or stopping mass atrocities, the challenge lies in changing that balance. This book, then, examines a variety of different case studies to understand how the changing calculus of rewards and cots has occurred historically. The case studies are superb, the range of cases broad and the analysis perceptive. It is a sobering book to read, one that avoids easy answers or platitudes. But behind it lies a determination to make a difference. This is one of an occasional series of podcasts that address the question of preventing or responding to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I interviewed Scott Straus about his book Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. In the next couple months I’ll also speak with Jim Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq studies indonesia guatemala fundamentals genocide burundi bosnia herzegovina cambridge up sudans mass atrocities scott straus carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Bridget Conley-Zilkic, ed. “How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq” (Cambridge UP, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2016 65:18

If you want to know how to bring future mass atrocities to an end, the best place to start is to examine how past mass atrocities have ended. This simple piece of logic is at the heart of Bridget Conley-Zilkic’s new edited collection titled How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq (Cambridge University Press, 2016). As Conley points out in her introduction, leaders choose to engage in mass atrocities because the rewards for doing so seem greater than the cost. They end either because they have achieved their goal or because the balance of rewards and costs has changed. So, for people interested in preventing or stopping mass atrocities, the challenge lies in changing that balance. This book, then, examines a variety of different case studies to understand how the changing calculus of rewards and cots has occurred historically. The case studies are superb, the range of cases broad and the analysis perceptive. It is a sobering book to read, one that avoids easy answers or platitudes. But behind it lies a determination to make a difference. This is one of an occasional series of podcasts that address the question of preventing or responding to mass atrocities. Earlier this summer I interviewed Scott Straus about his book Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. In the next couple months I’ll also speak with Jim Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iraq studies indonesia guatemala fundamentals genocide burundi bosnia herzegovina cambridge up sudans mass atrocities scott straus carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Scott Straus, “Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention” (US Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2016 73:55

This podcast is the first of a new occasional series of interviews addressing the question of responding to mass atrocities and genocide. Later in the summer I’ll interview Bridget Conley-Zilkic, James Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. First up, however, is today’s interview with Scott Straus. Whenever I teach classes on genocide or on the Holocaust, students most want to know the answer to a simple question: How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Straus’ new book, Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016), surveys the recent research to try and answer this question. In part, it’s a resource for practitioners, summarizing the consensus on best practices. But it’s much more than that. It’s a succinct but subtle conversation with the research–pointing out complexities, interrogating common assumptions and pointing to places where more research is needed. The result is a book that professionals, academics and interested citizens should read. It’s a book that has interesting resonances with the other books of this series as well. I hope you’ll listen to the entire series and read the books. I know that doing so has made me think hard about how I teach the subject in my classes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

mass prevention holocaust fundamentals genocide atrocities straus us holocaust memorial museum scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Scott Straus, “Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention” (US Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2016 73:55

This podcast is the first of a new occasional series of interviews addressing the question of responding to mass atrocities and genocide. Later in the summer I’ll interview Bridget Conley-Zilkic, James Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. First up, however, is today’s interview with Scott Straus. Whenever I teach classes on genocide or on the Holocaust, students most want to know the answer to a simple question: How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Straus’ new book, Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016), surveys the recent research to try and answer this question. In part, it’s a resource for practitioners, summarizing the consensus on best practices. But it’s much more than that. It’s a succinct but subtle conversation with the research–pointing out complexities, interrogating common assumptions and pointing to places where more research is needed. The result is a book that professionals, academics and interested citizens should read. It’s a book that has interesting resonances with the other books of this series as well. I hope you’ll listen to the entire series and read the books. I know that doing so has made me think hard about how I teach the subject in my classes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

mass prevention holocaust fundamentals genocide atrocities straus us holocaust memorial museum scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Scott Straus, “Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention” (US Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2016 73:55

This podcast is the first of a new occasional series of interviews addressing the question of responding to mass atrocities and genocide. Later in the summer I’ll interview Bridget Conley-Zilkic, James Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. First up, however, is today’s interview with Scott Straus. Whenever I teach classes on genocide or on the Holocaust, students most want to know the answer to a simple question: How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Straus’ new book, Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016), surveys the recent research to try and answer this question. In part, it’s a resource for practitioners, summarizing the consensus on best practices. But it’s much more than that. It’s a succinct but subtle conversation with the research–pointing out complexities, interrogating common assumptions and pointing to places where more research is needed. The result is a book that professionals, academics and interested citizens should read. It’s a book that has interesting resonances with the other books of this series as well. I hope you’ll listen to the entire series and read the books. I know that doing so has made me think hard about how I teach the subject in my classes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

mass prevention holocaust fundamentals genocide atrocities straus us holocaust memorial museum scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Scott Straus, “Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention” (US Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016)

Lossano and Friends! on Radio Misfits

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2016 73:55

This podcast is the first of a new occasional series of interviews addressing the question of responding to mass atrocities and genocide. Later in the summer I’ll interview Bridget Conley-Zilkic, James Waller and Carrie Booth Walling. First up, however, is today’s interview with Scott Straus. Whenever I teach classes on genocide or on the Holocaust, students most want to know the answer to a simple question: How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Straus’ new book, Fundamentals of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016), surveys the recent research to try and answer this question. In part, it’s a resource for practitioners, summarizing the consensus on best practices. But it’s much more than that. It’s a succinct but subtle conversation with the research–pointing out complexities, interrogating common assumptions and pointing to places where more research is needed. The result is a book that professionals, academics and interested citizens should read. It’s a book that has interesting resonances with the other books of this series as well. I hope you’ll listen to the entire series and read the books. I know that doing so has made me think hard about how I teach the subject in my classes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

mass prevention holocaust fundamentals genocide atrocities straus us holocaust memorial museum scott straus james waller carrie booth walling bridget conley zilkic

Lossano and Friends! – 02/07/16

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2016 63:40

Ep50 - Chicago TV & Radio personalities Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, and radio super-producer Scott Straus talk about being cubs fans, making healthy meals at home and what's the deal with hashtags… And much much MORE!!! The post Lossano and Friends! – 02/07/16 appeared first on Radio Misfits.

friends radio radio misfits bob sirott scott straus

Scott Straus, “Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa” (Cornell University Press, 2015)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2015 74:47

Who, in the field of genocide studies, hasn’t at least once used the phrase “The century of genocide?” Books carry the title, journalists quote it in interviews and undergrads adopt it. There’s nothing wrong with the phrase, as far as it goes. But, as Scott Straus points out, conceptualizing the century in that way masks a fundamental truth about the period–that there were many more crises that could have led to genocide but which stopped short than there were actual genocides. And this is a problem for the academic study of genocide. For if that discipline is at least in part attempting to understand what causes genocides and how to prevent them, ignoring the dog that didn’t bark is a serious challenge. This is the point Straus makes in his wonderful new book Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa (Cornell University Press, 2015). A political scientist, Straus looks to address two methodological issues in understanding genocide. The first is the problem of the dog that didn’t bark. The second is the fact that genocide studies often compares genocides that occurs in dramatically different contexts and cultures. The result is a wonderfully rich and thought-provoking study. It’s one that all genocide scholars will need to wrestle with. And, with Straus a former journalist, non-specialists will find it readable and interesting as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Scott Straus, “Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa” (Cornell University Press, 2015)

New Books in African Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2015 74:47

Who, in the field of genocide studies, hasn’t at least once used the phrase “The century of genocide?” Books carry the title, journalists quote it in interviews and undergrads adopt it. There’s nothing wrong with the phrase, as far as it goes. But, as Scott Straus points out, conceptualizing the century in that way masks a fundamental truth about the period–that there were many more crises that could have led to genocide but which stopped short than there were actual genocides. And this is a problem for the academic study of genocide. For if that discipline is at least in part attempting to understand what causes genocides and how to prevent them, ignoring the dog that didn’t bark is a serious challenge. This is the point Straus makes in his wonderful new book Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa (Cornell University Press, 2015). A political scientist, Straus looks to address two methodological issues in understanding genocide. The first is the problem of the dog that didn’t bark. The second is the fact that genocide studies often compares genocides that occurs in dramatically different contexts and cultures. The result is a wonderfully rich and thought-provoking study. It’s one that all genocide scholars will need to wrestle with. And, with Straus a former journalist, non-specialists will find it readable and interesting as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

leadership nations genocide straus unmaking cornell university press modern africa scott straus

Scott Straus, “Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa” (Cornell University Press, 2015)

New Books in Sociology

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2015 74:47

Who, in the field of genocide studies, hasn’t at least once used the phrase “The century of genocide?” Books carry the title, journalists quote it in interviews and undergrads adopt it. There’s nothing wrong with the phrase, as far as it goes. But, as Scott Straus points out, conceptualizing the century in that way masks a fundamental truth about the period–that there were many more crises that could have led to genocide but which stopped short than there were actual genocides. And this is a problem for the academic study of genocide. For if that discipline is at least in part attempting to understand what causes genocides and how to prevent them, ignoring the dog that didn’t bark is a serious challenge. This is the point Straus makes in his wonderful new book Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa (Cornell University Press, 2015). A political scientist, Straus looks to address two methodological issues in understanding genocide. The first is the problem of the dog that didn’t bark. The second is the fact that genocide studies often compares genocides that occurs in dramatically different contexts and cultures. The result is a wonderfully rich and thought-provoking study. It’s one that all genocide scholars will need to wrestle with. And, with Straus a former journalist, non-specialists will find it readable and interesting as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

leadership nations genocide straus unmaking cornell university press modern africa scott straus

Scott Straus, “Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa” (Cornell University Press, 2015)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2015 74:47

Who, in the field of genocide studies, hasn’t at least once used the phrase “The century of genocide?” Books carry the title, journalists quote it in interviews and undergrads adopt it. There’s nothing wrong with the phrase, as far as it goes. But, as Scott Straus points out, conceptualizing the century in that way masks a fundamental truth about the period–that there were many more crises that could have led to genocide but which stopped short than there were actual genocides. And this is a problem for the academic study of genocide. For if that discipline is at least in part attempting to understand what causes genocides and how to prevent them, ignoring the dog that didn’t bark is a serious challenge. This is the point Straus makes in his wonderful new book Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa (Cornell University Press, 2015). A political scientist, Straus looks to address two methodological issues in understanding genocide. The first is the problem of the dog that didn’t bark. The second is the fact that genocide studies often compares genocides that occurs in dramatically different contexts and cultures. The result is a wonderfully rich and thought-provoking study. It’s one that all genocide scholars will need to wrestle with. And, with Straus a former journalist, non-specialists will find it readable and interesting as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

leadership nations genocide straus unmaking cornell university press modern africa scott straus

Scott Straus, “Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa” (Cornell University Press, 2015)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2015 74:47

Who, in the field of genocide studies, hasn’t at least once used the phrase “The century of genocide?” Books carry the title, journalists quote it in interviews and undergrads adopt it. There’s nothing wrong with the phrase, as far as it goes. But, as Scott Straus points out, conceptualizing the century in that way masks a fundamental truth about the period–that there were many more crises that could have led to genocide but which stopped short than there were actual genocides. And this is a problem for the academic study of genocide. For if that discipline is at least in part attempting to understand what causes genocides and how to prevent them, ignoring the dog that didn’t bark is a serious challenge. This is the point Straus makes in his wonderful new book Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership and Genocide in Modern Africa (Cornell University Press, 2015). A political scientist, Straus looks to address two methodological issues in understanding genocide. The first is the problem of the dog that didn’t bark. The second is the fact that genocide studies often compares genocides that occurs in dramatically different contexts and cultures. The result is a wonderfully rich and thought-provoking study. It’s one that all genocide scholars will need to wrestle with. And, with Straus a former journalist, non-specialists will find it readable and interesting as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

leadership nations genocide straus unmaking cornell university press modern africa scott straus

What Do We Now Know About the Rwandan Genocide Twenty Years On?

New Books in African Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2014 69:36

In 1994 I was in graduate school, trying hard to juggle teaching, getting started on my dissertation and having something of a real life. The real life part suffered most of all. But every once in a while, the world around me would startle me out of my cave and remind me that life was proceeding without me. The genocide in Rwanda was one of these events. Along with the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, it made me question whether academics was a meaningful career choice and what I could and should do right then, in the midst of massive violence against innocents. And then, by the time I had actually started thinking hard about it, the genocide in Rwanda was over. As most people now know, something like 800,000 people were killed in about a hundred days. July was the 20th anniversary of the end of the genocide. To mark that occasion, we’re going to depart from the usual format of the show. Instead of interviewing an author about his or her book, we’re going to spend an hour or so thinking more broadly about events in Rwanda and how we now understand them. Three experts on the Rwandan genocide will help us do so: Lee Ann Fujii, Scott Straus and Lars Waldorf. During the discussion we’ll move from the motivations of the killers to the ways in which the genocide has been remembered (or not) to what movies and books they would recommend for people who want to learn more. The podcast is, however, to some degree inspired by a single book, Alison des Forges remarkable Leave None to Tell the Story, published in 1999. The book is a tour de force of careful research and analysis and set the direction for research on Rwanda. Nevertheless, it is fifteen years old. Since then, we’ve had hundreds of studies examining the genocide and its aftermath. So today w’re going to spend a few minutes assessing that new research, using the broad question of “What do we know about Rwanda 20 years after the genocide?” I hope you enjoy the discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

story rwanda bosnia rwandan twenty years forges rwandan genocide scott straus leave none lars waldorf

What Do We Now Know About the Rwandan Genocide Twenty Years On?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2014 69:36

In 1994 I was in graduate school, trying hard to juggle teaching, getting started on my dissertation and having something of a real life. The real life part suffered most of all. But every once in a while, the world around me would startle me out of my cave and remind me that life was proceeding without me. The genocide in Rwanda was one of these events. Along with the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, it made me question whether academics was a meaningful career choice and what I could and should do right then, in the midst of massive violence against innocents. And then, by the time I had actually started thinking hard about it, the genocide in Rwanda was over. As most people now know, something like 800,000 people were killed in about a hundred days. July was the 20th anniversary of the end of the genocide. To mark that occasion, we’re going to depart from the usual format of the show. Instead of interviewing an author about his or her book, we’re going to spend an hour or so thinking more broadly about events in Rwanda and how we now understand them. Three experts on the Rwandan genocide will help us do so: Lee Ann Fujii, Scott Straus and Lars Waldorf. During the discussion we’ll move from the motivations of the killers to the ways in which the genocide has been remembered (or not) to what movies and books they would recommend for people who want to learn more. The podcast is, however, to some degree inspired by a single book, Alison des Forges remarkable Leave None to Tell the Story, published in 1999. The book is a tour de force of careful research and analysis and set the direction for research on Rwanda. Nevertheless, it is fifteen years old. Since then, we’ve had hundreds of studies examining the genocide and its aftermath. So today w’re going to spend a few minutes assessing that new research, using the broad question of “What do we know about Rwanda 20 years after the genocide?” I hope you enjoy the discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

story rwanda bosnia rwandan twenty years forges rwandan genocide scott straus leave none lars waldorf

What Do We Now Know About the Rwandan Genocide Twenty Years On?

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2014 69:36

In 1994 I was in graduate school, trying hard to juggle teaching, getting started on my dissertation and having something of a real life. The real life part suffered most of all. But every once in a while, the world around me would startle me out of my cave and remind me that life was proceeding without me. The genocide in Rwanda was one of these events. Along with the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, it made me question whether academics was a meaningful career choice and what I could and should do right then, in the midst of massive violence against innocents. And then, by the time I had actually started thinking hard about it, the genocide in Rwanda was over. As most people now know, something like 800,000 people were killed in about a hundred days. July was the 20th anniversary of the end of the genocide. To mark that occasion, we’re going to depart from the usual format of the show. Instead of interviewing an author about his or her book, we’re going to spend an hour or so thinking more broadly about events in Rwanda and how we now understand them. Three experts on the Rwandan genocide will help us do so: Lee Ann Fujii, Scott Straus and Lars Waldorf. During the discussion we’ll move from the motivations of the killers to the ways in which the genocide has been remembered (or not) to what movies and books they would recommend for people who want to learn more. The podcast is, however, to some degree inspired by a single book, Alison des Forges remarkable Leave None to Tell the Story, published in 1999. The book is a tour de force of careful research and analysis and set the direction for research on Rwanda. Nevertheless, it is fifteen years old. Since then, we’ve had hundreds of studies examining the genocide and its aftermath. So today w’re going to spend a few minutes assessing that new research, using the broad question of “What do we know about Rwanda 20 years after the genocide?” I hope you enjoy the discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

story rwanda bosnia rwandan twenty years forges rwandan genocide scott straus leave none lars waldorf

What Do We Now Know About the Rwandan Genocide Twenty Years On?