What subject headings are assigned to works on genocide and its aftermath?
The main Library of Congress subject heading is “Genocide.” This is the subject heading that LC uses for the concepts of “ethnic cleansing, ethnic purification, or ethnocide.” This heading can be subdivided geographically.
Specific genocides can also be established individually. For example:
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
- Pogroms
These can also be subdivided geographically.
The main heading “Genocide” can also be subdivided by various aspects, for example:
- Genocide – Religious aspects
- Genocide – Sociological aspects (Here are entered works on sociological theories applied to genocide.)
There are also headings for genocide as depicted in our culture. For example:
- Genocide in art
- Genocide in literature
- Genocide in mass media
These subject headings cannot be subdivided geographically.
Finally, “Children and genocide” is used for works dealing with the topic children in these situations.
There are also other subject headings that deal with related topics. For example:
- Crimes against humanity
- Trials (Crimes against humanity)
- War crimes
- War crime trials
- War criminals
- Children of war criminals
- War criminals’ spouses
All of these subject headings can be subdivided geographically.
There are also some subject headings that deal with the legal aftermath of genocide. “Truth commissions,” is the preferred term over Reconciliation commissions. This heading is used for “works on temporary government bodies, generally established after a totalitarian or authoritarian regime has been succeeded by a democratic one, for the purpose of investigating human rights violations that were committed during a defined period in the past.” “Humanitarian intervention” is the preferred term over genocide intervention. This heading is used for “works on the use of force, or the threat to use force, by a state, group of states, or international organization primarily for the purpose of protecting the citizens of the target state from widespread deprivations of human rights.” Both of the these headings can be subdivided geographically.
Finally, there are historical subdivisions under each country name that may coincide with periods of war and/or genocide. For example:
- Bosnia and Hercegovina – History – 1992-
- Guatemala – History – 1985-
- Rwanda – History – Civil War, 1994.
- Somalia – History – 1991-
- Sudan – History – Darfur Conflict, 2003-
ANSS 