The new minor in “Holocaust and Human Rights Studies” will train students to critically examine political and cultural events using the inter-related frameworks of human rights, ethical and moral philosophy and international law.
Students will explore state-sponsored crimes against humanity, the impact of extreme nationalism, the use of the media in spreading racism, anti-Semitism and prejudice and the demise of democracy.
This multidisciplinary approach using film, the arts and social sciences will also consider the power of resistance and rescue networks, the cultivation of empathy and courage and the politics of memory. The study of the Holocaust and of later genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda and other nations offers important insight into behaviors such as obedience to authority, conformity, altruism, and civil courage.
Students considering careers in international business, medicine, law, social and government service, including education, journalism, theater and the arts will appreciate how these fields are intertwined with human rights and ethical issues.
For more information:
Lori Weintrob, Prof. of History and Director, Wagner College Holocaust Center, 208 Parker Hall.
Requirements for the minor in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies include one Foundation Course in History, Art History or Economics (such as EC312: Economics of Genocide or AH491: Art and Aesthetics of the Third Reich) and Four Electives in these or other disciplines such as Government, Sociology, Journalism or Management (such as GOV317: Civil Liberties and Human Rights or PS240: The Psychology of Prejudice).
Any Intermediate or above Foreign Language class is also eligible. For internships, students are encouraged to apply to international human rights organizations, such as the IRC (International Rescue Committee), Doctors without Borders or the American Red Cross. In addition, the Wagner College Holocaust Center offers a paid internship on campus for one or more semesters