Course about historical traumas this spring
How do we deal with traumas of the past? That question seems even more relevant after the recent Nazi demonstration in Gothenburg and is one of the focus areas for a course given this spring: Therapy for conflictual histories - working through a problematic past.
The main purpose of this course is to provide tools and training skills in dealing with traumas of the past like civil wars, ethnical oppression or genocide.
– It is primarily aimed at students in the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, with an interest in applied history and dealing with collective problems, says Carl Holmberg at The Department of Historical Studies.
A general purpose is to explore the possibilities for the historian to act as “a social therapist”.
– The concept of social therapist is, among other things, inspired by psychoanalytical theories, where the ”excavation” of displaced experiences is considered as an opportunity to process them and make us better prepared for the future. Thus even for students with behavioural or medical orientation, the course could be of value.
Different theoretical perspectives on working through the past are introduced, for example construction of identities, mourning and conflict management.
– The need for analytical approaches to meet the extremely difficult experiences we witness, for example in the today’s Middle East, should be paramount in the world of tomorrow.
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The course is given on an advanced level and open for everyone with a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Apply by October 16th 2017: Therapy for conflictual histories - working through a problematic past