KRIM2956 – International Criminal Justice and Mass Violence
Course description
Course content
The course will use the grading scale A-F.
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This course addresses international calls to ‘do justice’ in the aftermath of mass violence and international crimes, and their manifestations in international criminal tribunals, courts and reconciliation processes. The course is based on discussions of course literature, different analytical perspectives and empirical case studies.
We address the rationales behind and outcomes of international criminalization processes and related re-presentations of victims and perpetrators of mass violence. While the course emphasizes the special contribution the criminological and socio-legal perspectives can give to the study of mass violence and international criminal justice., it alsocrosses disciplinary boundaries and emphasizes a variety of approaches to these issues.
With literature suggestions as a point of departure, each lecture will present and discuss the current status of research related to the given theme. Six themes form the primary content and focus of this course:
- A historical perspective on international criminal justice
- Contemporary politics and perspectives on international criminal justice
- Transitional justice approaches: amnesties, truth commissions, reparations
- Representations of perpetrators and international punishment
- Representations of victims and victims’ justice
- Representations of the ‘international community’
Learning outcome
Knowledge:
At the end of the course, students are expected to:
- know central discussions and positions of how to deal with mass violence and international crimes
- know how international criminal justice has developed
- know different theoretical perspectives on justice after mass violence
Skills:
At the end of the course, students are expected to:
- be able to account for central theoretical themes and empirical examples addressed during the course
- be able to identify how law and politics intersect in the construction and understandings of mass violence and international crimes
- be able to discuss how law and politics affect international responses to mass violence and international crimes
Competences:
At the end of the course, students have
- enhanced their respect and understanding for social scientific critical thinking and inquiry
- learned what it entails to interpret, analyze and discuss scholarly texts
- developed their capability to critically reflect on the meaning and intersection of law and politics in relation to mass violence and in relation to the ways in which the international community address such violence.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Overlapping courses
10 credits overlap with KRIM4956 – International Criminal Justice and Mass Violence
Teaching
Lectures, but some student activity is included/expected.
Examination
Students are graded on the basis of a final 3-day take-home exam that you deliver electronically in Inspera.
Size: Maximum 2500 words. Front page, contents page (optional) and bibliography are not included. If footnotes are used in the text (at the bottom of each page), they are included in the word limit. Papers that exceed the 2500 word limit will be disallowed.
Any exam at the University of Oslo is being checked for both correct word count and incidents of cheating.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you can submit your response in English or Norwegian.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Marking criteria
This guide is used by examiners for grading this course.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.