Universität Wien

070041 GR Guided Reading (2018S)

The Politics of regret: Apology and Forgiveness as Tools of international politics

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 7 - Geschichte
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 13.03. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 20.03. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 10.04. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 17.04. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 24.04. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 08.05. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 15.05. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 29.05. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 05.06. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 12.06. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 19.06. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1
  • Tuesday 26.06. 14:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum 1, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, 1090 Wien, Spitalgasse 2-4, Hof 1

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

State apologies have become ubiquitous: forgiveness is seeked for historical deeds as different as slavery, the involvement of the church in exploiting conquered peoples, the extermination of Australian Aborigines through settlers conquest or for involvement in the Holocaust in World War II.
This phenomenoncan be witnessesed since about two decades. It belonges to the concept of Transitional Justice, which came into politics in 1995; the theory argues that in periods of transition, states need some pillars of orientation to regain stability. These pillars are built around criminal proceedings, lustration of former civil servants, as well as memory politics to confront the past.
This seminar aims at analyzing selected case studies (through speeches, rituals or museums or films) on historical injustice, by applying the theoretical approach of apology onto the theory of Transitional Justice, by addressing several methodological questions (how to integrate the concept of forgiveness and criminal proceedings, and the question of reparations and recompensation of individuals) and memory politics (esp. the concept of state apologies and reconciliation in war-traumatized societies, or for historical injustice like slavery and the conquest of land). Every participant will select and later present on a case study.

Assessment and permitted materials

One Presentation and some short papers on the texts

Very important the active participation in discussion

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Geübt werden das Arbeiten mit wissenschaftlichen Texten und der quellenkritische Umgang mit Quellen unterschiedlichen Typs.

Examination topics

Reading list

Teitel, Ruti G.: Transitional Justice. Oxford 2000.
Martha Minow Between vengeance and forgiveness: Facing history after genocide and mass violence, Boston 2000.
Jeffrey Olick, the Politics of regret. On collective memory and historical responsibility. New York 2007.

Association in the course directory

BA: Zeitgeschichte
BEd: Globalgeschichte
Diplom UF: Politkgeschichte
MA Internationale Entwicklung:

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:30