Longman Discusses Genocide at ASU
Timothy Longman, Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, spoke on the topic of genocide at a recent symposium organized by the Arizona State University (ASU) Institute for Humanities Research.
The Comparative Genocide Symposium took place Oct. 23-24 and was attended by scholars from across the country. Longman participated in the panel “Thinking About Genocides in Comparative Perspective,” along with fellow panelists Alex Alvarez of Northern Arizona University and James Riding In of ASU.
“I have participated in a number of conferences looking at genocide comparatively, but almost all of them focus on 20th century cases. This conference was stimulating because it included the decimation of Native American peoples in the comparative discussion,” Longman said. “In my own presentation, I reflected on some of the advantages and pitfalls in comparing different cases. I suggested that comparison with other cases can be useful for insights in understanding a particular genocide, but focusing too much on comparison can distort understanding. Many people with an interest in the Holocaust have come to study Rwanda, but sometimes the focus on the Holocaust has caused people to miss the differences in the Rwandan case. Similarly, many people have tried to make analogies between Rwanda and Darfur, but they sometimes fail to appreciate the important differences in the two contexts.”
The ASU Institute for Humanities Research generates and supports transformative, transdisciplinary, collaborative, and socially engaged humanities scholarship that contributes to the analysis and resolution of the world’s many challenges. IHR scholars explore such issues and concepts as sustainability, human origins, immigration, and natural disasters and utilize historical, philosophical, and creative perspectives to achieve a deeper understanding of their causes, effects, and cultural meanings.
Longman is Director of the African Studies Center, an affiliated regional studies center of the Pardee School. His current research focuses on state -society relations in Africa, looking particularly at human rights, transitional justice, democratization, civil society, the politics of race and ethnicity, religion and politics, and women and politics. Learn more about him here.