Ethnic Cleansing, Genocide, and the
Long Term Effects of Ethnic Violence
What is Ethnic Cleansing?
What is Genocide?
Definitions
• Ethnic Cleansing: the practice of removing or killing people who belong to an ethnic group that is different from the ruling group in a country or region (Merriam Webster, n.d.). Term was first coined during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia (Pegorier, 2013).
• Genocide: the deliberate killing of people who belong to a particular racial, political, or cultural group (Merriam Webster, n.d.).
• For the purposes of this presentation and in general, ethnic cleansing and genocide carry the same meaning.
Definitions Continued
• The term ethnic cleansing has been called irresponsible by some.
• To cleanse something means to make it clean or pure.
• Ethnic Cleansing hides the reference of the removal, violence against, and often murder of people based on ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion.
HistoryThere have been many acts of genocide
throughout history:
• The Spanish Inquisition.
• The mass killing and forced relocation of American Natives by European Settlers.
• Nazi genocide of the Jews.
• Rwandan genocide of Tutsi by Hutu majority
• Bosnian-Serb genocide of Bosnian Muslim and Croatian civilians.
• Countless other mass killings of ethnic, political, or religious groups across the world.
Reasons for Ethnic Conflict
Removal of politically unreliable groups.
Philosophy of ethnic or racial superiority.
Removal of certain religious groups.
Since 1960, ¾ of ethnic conflicts have a religious component
(Stefan, 2010).
Atrocities of Genocide
• Genocide involves murder, serious physical and mental harm, imposing measures against a group that prevent birth, and forcibly transferring children of a group to another group.
• Historical acts of genocide or “ethnic cleansing” have involved rape, poisoning, burning, crucifying, forced sterilization, and removal of children from parents.
Effects of Genocide on Victim and Perpetrator
Psychological Effects on Victims of Genocide
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the most common effect that genocide has on victims
• Also common are a chronic sense of anxiety, depression, guilt, cognitive disturbances, and personality problems.
• Some researchers have noted a positive phenomena amongst survivors, including “resilience, meaning-making, coping, and post-traumatic growth, which includes altruism” (Bilewicz and Vollhardt, 2013).
• Some variation in symptoms was shown to happen to people with different country of origin, physical health, sex, and age.
Psychological Effects of Perpetrators of Genocide
• Descendents of genocide perpetrators have exonerated their ancestors misdeeds by blaming the time period and victim group as unstable (Bilewicz and Vollhardt, 2013).
• Not all perpetrator groups have exonerated their ancestors.
• Children and Grandchildren of Nazi Perpetrators have engaged in dialogue with the descendents of Holocaust victim descendents.
• Emotions such as collective guilt, shame, remorse, or regret were found in several studies in response to reminders of crimes committed by descendents of perpetrators (Bilewicz and Vollhardt, 2013).
Community Recovery From the Effects
Genocide
Community, or Collective Recovery
• Genocide is a group process, making community recovery an essential component to healing.
• Collective Recovery is different from clinical treatment with groups of people.
• Collective Recovery “promotes resilience and reengagement with community” (Pearlmen, 2013).
• While effective at reaching large numbers of people, Collective Recovery models might now be sufficient for all who are affected by genocide. For these people, individualized interventions and therapy are appropriate.
References
Anne Pearlman, L. (2013). Restoring Self in Community: Collective Approaches to Psychological Traum
after Genocide. Journal Of Social Issues, 69(1), 111-124. doi:10.1111/josi.12006
Barel, E., Van IJzendoorn, M. H., Sagi-Schwartz, A., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2010). Surviving the Holocaust: A meta-analysis of the long-term sequelae of a genocide.
Psychological Bulletin, 136(5), 677-698. doi:10.1037/a0020339
Cordell, Karl; Wolff, Stefan (2010). Routledge Handbook of Ethnic Conflict. Retrieved from http:// www.eblib.com
Hayden, R. (2007). 'Ethnic cleansing' and 'genocide'. European Journal Of Public Health, 17(6), 546-547. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckm080
No place like home; Ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. (2012, November 3). The Economist, 405(8809), 14(US). Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/ps/i.do?id=GA %7CA307037903&v=2.1&u=wwu_wilson&it=r&p=CPI&sw=w&asid=fa207527393309c1ab9
4e18bf206f4ac
Pegorier, Clotilde (2013). Ethnic Cleansing : A Legal Qualification. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com
Peltonen, Hannes (2013). International Responsibility and Grave Humanitarian Crises : Collective Provision for Human Security. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com
Vollhardt, J., & Bilewicz, M. (2013). After the Genocide: Psychological Perspectives on Victim,
Bystander, and Perpetrator Groups. Journal Of Social Issues, 69(1), 1-15. doi:10.1111/josi.12000
