Making sense of mass violence: Who becomes a 'bystander'?
Part of the "Making sense of mass violence" seminar series with Professor Abram de Swaan
- Date
- 13 December 2022
- Time
- 18:00 -21:00
- Location
- Amsterdam University College (AUC)
- Room
- Common Room
Is a bystander someone who refuses to partake in the violence, but is not active in preventing the violence from occurring? Is a bystander someone who refuses to partake in the violence, but is not active in protecting the victims? What actions count as 'making a difference' and when is someone just classified as a bystander? Is there a choice or are you "damned if you do and damned if you don't"? Some people do not join the violence...what leads certain people to dissent, to desert, to become a witness while still being part of the perpetrator's organisation? What is the role of ideology, circumstances, personal believes and values, personal history and experience?
What role do bystanders play in the dynamic of conflict escalation and resolution? Does being a bystander automatically make you culpable of having done little to prevent the ongoing crimes? Are we all bystanders in the crimes our governments or militaries perpetrate abroad (drone strikes, bombings of urban areas, etc.) because we know about it, but do not actively try to prevent such crimes?
| Speaker: | Prof. Dr. Abram de Swaan is an essayist, sociologist and professor emeritus at the University of Amsterdam. In 1996, he became a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. His most important recent book is The Killing Compartments: The Mentality of Mass Murder (Yale University Press, 2015). His full bio can be found at http://deswaan.com/ |
| Location: | Common Room Amsterdam University College Science Park 113 Amsterdam 1098XG |
| Convenors: | Dr. Erica Pasini & Dr. Maxim Kupovykh |
Join online
You can also join all editions of the "Making sense of Mass Violence Seminars" online by using the link to the webinar below.
