Humanities Homework Help

Theories that attempt to explain why formerly peaceable neighbors kill one another in genocidal violence focus on top-down factors, such as the state, as well as bottom-up factors, such as group ties and social interaction.

(a)  Read through the theories of the Rwandan genocide put forth by Mamdani (2001), Straus (2006), andFujii (2009).

? (b)Using the personal interviews with perpetrators in the Hatzfield (2006) reading to support your argument:

i.  Describe one author’s argument about the role of identity in the decision to participate in geno-cide.  Discuss one piece of evidence from the Hatzfield interviews for or against that argument.

ii.  Describe one author’s argument about the role of state institutions in the decision to partici-pate in genocide.  Discuss one piece of evidence from the Hatzfield interviews for or against thatargument.

iii.  Describe one author’s argument about the role of social pressure and groups in the decision to participate in genocide.  Discuss one piece of evidence from the Hatzfield interviews for or againstthat argument.

(c)  In answering this question, make sure to describe at least two authors’ arguments, and to use at least three different pieces of evidence.