General provisions

The Hugo Valentin Centre, Uppsala University, is responsible for the course. The course was approved by the board of Hugo Valentin Centre 2010-10-12.

Entry requirements

General entrance requirements for Master courses or Master programmes or B.A. in the Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences. Special requirement is a good result on international tests such as TOEFL (internet based 92 points, computer based 237 points, and written test 580 points), IELTS (6.5 points, not less than 6.0)

Learning outcomes

The purpose of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the psychology of genocide and mass violence, as well as its aftermath. Different theoretical perspectives will be discussed, with an emphasis on their understanding of the psychology of perpetrators, victims, and bystanders. Social, psychological and cultural dimensions will be considered, in particular how the potentially destructive interplay between individuals, groups and leaders, affect individual behavoiur and experience. Special attention will be given to trauma and trauma-related effects of mass violence. Emotions, relations and cognition constitute the core of this dynamic.

Learning outcomes

The students will:

- Deepen their knowledge of how contemporary psychological theories relate to psychology of genocidal violence

- Develop a psychological understanding for a range of emotions often connected to genocidal violence, such as humiliation, hatred, revenge, powerlessness, hope

- Deepen their understanding of psychological, cultural and social dynamics in relations between perpetrators, victims, bystanders and rescuers.

- Gain better understanding of the specifics of gendered violence

- Learn about theories of affect regulation, attachment theories and mentalisation in relation to severe trauma

- Understand the transmission of intergenerational trauma as well as vicarious (or secondary) traumatisation

- Gain insights in group psychology, and further skills to discuss the psychological dimensions of concepts such as justice, reconciliation, forgiveness and truth

- Gain ability to discuss these theoretical phenomena with empirical examples from everyday peace-time life to cases of genocide and mass violence such as Holocaust, Rwanda and Bosnia

Competences

The student will:

- Acquire an understanding of the psychological dimension of genocide and mass violence

- Obtain competences in several contemporary psychological theories relevant to understanding the psychological phenomena of mass violence

- Be able to discuss the psychology of genocide and mass violence with several case examples, as well as relate these processes to psychic processes in everyday peace-time life

Content

The course will consist of number of lectures followed by seminars focusing on specific themes and questions. Seminar discussions will be based on mandatory literature and students' experiences, with a possibility of a follow-up in individual or small-group tutorials.

Instruction

Study of literature and case examples, active participation in seminars (and tutorials), as well as oral and written assignments.

Assessment

Examination will include active participation in all seminars and written examination. Grades will be given in accordance with the Swedish grading system: Väl Godkänd (VG), Godkänd (G), Underkänd (U).