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

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Proficiency in English.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course the student will be able to:

• Critically discuss and evaluate psychological theory of some of the main behavioural and social-cognitive tendencies in relation to genocidal violence.
• Describe and critically analyse the relationship between theoretical explanations of individual psychology that focus on personality dispositions, situational causes and the interaction between the two.
• Discuss some of the implications that identity theory has for understanding the psychology of violence.
• Understand and explain the psychological, cultural and social dynamics in relations between perpetrators, victims, bystanders.
• Apply the theoretical arguments on empirical examples of genocide and other forms of mass violence.

Content

The purpose of the course is to provide students with knowledge of the psychological factors that affect individual behaviour during outbreaks of genocide and other forms of mass violence. Different theoretical perspectives will be discussed, with an emphasis on their understanding of the psychology of perpetrators, victims, helpers/rescuers and bystanders. Social, psychological and cultural dimensions will be considered, and in particular the potentially destructive relationship between individual behaviour and how it is affected by groups and leaders.

Instruction

The teaching include lectures, seminars and oral presentations.

Assessment

Assessment will be based upon written and oral assignments. Students that have missed a small number of mandatory assignments may complete them by the end of the term at the latest. If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.