What is Genocide?

Martin Shaw is a historical sociologist of global politics, war and genocide and the author War and Genocide and Genocide and International Relations. He is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at Sussex University and Research Professor at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals.

• Preface to the Second Edition1 Introduction: The Importance of DefinitionPART I: THE GENOCIDE IDEA2 Raphael Lemkin and the Idea of Genocide3 The Concept after Lemkin4 The Holocaust Standard5 The 'Cleansing' Euphemism6 The Many 'Cides' of GenocidePART II: AGENCY AND STRUCTURE IN GENOCIDE7 From Intentionality to a Structural Concept8 The Structure of Genocide: Conflict and War9 Actors and Process in Genocidal Conflict10 Structural Contexts: Explaining Modern Genocide11 Conclusion: New DefinitionsIndex

"In this second edition of his wonderful book, Shaw shows that definitions matter in explaining genocide. Incorporating recent work he gives a highly-intelligent view of genocide, broadly defined as in Raphael Lemkin's original coining of the term. If you want to read a general work on genocide and ethnic cleansing, this should be your first choice."Michael Mann, University of California"The first edition of What is Genocide? rightly became an instant classic. The second edition adds depth on Raphael Lemkin, the notion of genocidal massacre and the structural dimensions of genocide. It is essential reading for teaching and thinking about this troubling subject."Dirk Moses, European University Institute