Cases Studied in Genocide Studies and Prevention and Journal of Genocide Research and Implications for the Field of Genocide Studies

Abstract

The adoption of the Genocide Convention in 1948 was accompanied by the emergence of genocide as a field of study, first in the form of Holocaust Studies, followed by Genocide Studies, then Comparative Genocide Studies and, most recently, Critical Genocide Studies. Over the last 20-30 years, the field of genocide studies has greatly expanded. According to Alexander Hinton, “As the outlines of the field emerge more clearly, the time is right to engage in critical reflections about the state of the field.” This article seeks to enhance the field of genocide studies by answering Hinton’s call for reflective analysis. It does so by analyzing every original research article published in the Journal of Genocide Research (1999-2018) and Genocide Studies and Prevention (2006-2018), based on case of genocide studied; the canon location of the case; method of genocide; and the type of government of the perpetrator. The results of this research show that the field remains dominated by particular understandings genocide and which types of governments are most associated with the crime.