Sociology 4350: Study Guide--Exam Two

I. Multiple choice. Van den Berghe--Introduction: nation, state, nation-state, nationalistic ideology vs reemergence of ethnic sentiment.
VdB--The Ixil Triangle: the Ixil, Guatemalan death squads, ladinos, Indigenas (indios), Guerilla Army of the Poor(EGP), Theology of Liberation, civil patrol.. Hilberg: The Nazi Holocaust: bureaucratic challenges:administrative and psychological problems and their soutions, a mechanism of repressions (5 in all) and a system of rationalizations (justifications for the destruction as a whole vs. individual rationalizations). Power: chapters 1-5, 7: the Armenian genocide, Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Secretary of State Robert Lansing and the "laws of humanity," Raphael Lemkin, the power of naming and the search for the term (genocide), Lemkin and Roosevelt, how and when did the U.S. know about the holocaust, Lemkin's definition of genocide, Lemkin's criticism of the Nuremberg trials, moving the United Nations from resolution to law, the UN genocide convention and its enforcement provisions, U.S. resistance to ratifying the genocide convention, William Proxmire, U.S. ratification with reservations. Chapter 11. International War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague: the first conviction for genocide and other accomplishments, UN Tribunal for Rwanda,International Criminal Court Chapter 12: Kosovo. Milosevic, ethnic cleansing vs genocide Conclusion: reasons U.S. has failed to intervene in most genocides, Powers' recommendations about U.S. response to genocide. Students should be familiar with one more chapter chosen from 6, 8, 9, 11.

Videos: "Unfinished Business," "Out of the Silence: Fighting for Human Rights," "Father Roy: Inside the School for Assassins," "American Expderience: the Nuremberg Trials," "America and the Holocaust," "Ghosts of Rwanda."

II. Essay Questions.

For all to answer: 1. There's a debate that goes back to the early days of the United States as a new republic about the role that should be played by “interests” vs. “ideals” in our relations with other countries. Show how that dynamic plays out in: 1. our government's response to the Nazi holocaust; 2. our relationship with Latin American countries through the School of the Americas (now WHINESEC); 3. the long debate over whether we should ratify the United Nations Convention on the Genocide; and 4. our response to genocides in other countries.

2. . Howard Becker argues that it takes the activity and initiative of what he calls “moral entrepreneurs” to raise the alarm about new types of crime or to seek justice for previous government sanctioned wrong-doing. Examples include “Unfiinished Business,” “ Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins,” chapters 1-5&7 of A Problem from Hell, and “Out of the Silence: Fighting for Human Rights”. What makes the task faced by moral entrepreneurs in these cases so difficult? What are some of the strategies and tactics that have been successful or shown promise of success?

3. What are the challenges of creating and enforcing law at the international level? Use “The Nuremberg Trials, as well as the early chapters in the Power book, to support your arguments.

4. Why is there so much potential for evil-doing when governments take a wrong course? How do you sort out the responsibility of a government and its leaders, vs. the people who carry out the policies? Use concrete examples from our readings or videos to support your argument(s) and be sure to take account of Hilberg's arguments about Nazi Germany.

5. Much of this section on government crime and deviance is pretty grim, but there are definitely some heroes along the way. Who were these heroes, what were their backgrounds, and what gave them the strength to play that kind of a role? Be sure to include "Ghosts of Rwanda," as well as the Powers book in your account.

6. Kosovo was the first time in history that the U.S. and its allies intervened to head off a potential genocide. What made them believe that a genocide was likely and why did they decide on high-altitude bombing as the main NATO strategy? How did the Serbian army respond to the the NATO bombing, and why did Milosevic eventually surrender?Finally, what was the basis for the later criticism of the NATO intervention by Human Rights Watch and others?