Macquarie University

MHPG850: Remembering Trauma in the 20th Century: Genocides, Conflicts, Colonialism and Epidemics

This unit considers how collective traumas were remembered in the 20th century. It examines how individuals, communities, nations and societies have remembered events like the Holocaust, colonialism, genocide, wartime slaughter and epidemics. This involves investigating how various artifacts of trauma (such as memorials, reconciliation commissions, testimonies and political protests) attempt to make sense of the past for particular political and psychological affect. In so doing, the unit explores how collective dynamics of remembrance and/or forgetting sustain and disavow identities, shape and challenge political movements and impact everyday lives.