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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Speaking Of Genocide: Double Binds And Political Discourse, Benjamin Meiches
Speaking Of Genocide: Double Binds And Political Discourse, Benjamin Meiches
Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal
Genocide scholars have always argued over the best definition of genocide. However, recent genocide studies have begun to emphasize both the ‘contestable’ nature of genocide and, paradoxically, call for clear or rigid definitions of the term. This article evaluates this tension by examining the act of defining genocide as a type of epistemological practice. Placing the act of definition in the context of a complex socio-linguistic system, the article shows how genocide discourse is subject to a variety of demands and pressures. These pressures, internal to genocide discourse, inadvertently promote restrictive and paradoxical formulations of the concept. To illustrate this …
“Don't Think But Look:” Using Wittgenstein's Notion Of Family Resemblances To Look At Genocide, James J. Snow
“Don't Think But Look:” Using Wittgenstein's Notion Of Family Resemblances To Look At Genocide, James J. Snow
Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal
This article contributes to the ongoing and growing scholarly conversation concerning how best to define the term “genocide” following Raphael Lemkin’s coining of the term in 1944. The article first shows that the Convention definition ratified in Paris in 1948 was intended solely for juridical purposes and does not reflect Lemkin’s deeper understanding of genocide. It then surveys a range of scholarship after Lemkin that argues for alternative definitions of term or even calls for jettisoning the term altogether. While it is acknowledged that a clear definition is imperative in a juridical context, it is argued that there are problems …