Professor Carmichael

In August, we interviewed Professor Carmichael, a History Professor at the UEA, about dehumanisation thought history. She specialises in the study of the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean conflicts. She is an editor of the Journal of Genocide Research, on the International Advisory Board of Europe-Asia Studies. In her research, she is chiefly interested in the concepts of national identity, borders and violence. She is the author and editor of several books including Language and Nationalism in Europe (co-edited with the late Stephen Barbour), The Routledge History of Genocide (co-edited with Richard Maguire), Ethnic Cleansing in the Balkans: Nationalism and the Destruction of Tradition, and Genocide before the Holocaust. 

She talked about contemporary examples of conflict, and argued that such issues have always been and always will be a defining part of society’s structure. For her, it is important to understand the prevalence of dehumanisation in society and aim to minimise it with the implementation of robust laws. We would like to thank her for giving up her time to share both her extensive knowledge and interesting viewpoints. Viewing dehumanisation through a historical lens allows us to consider the social and political implications of it, and place the Holocaust in its wider context.