Los estudios sobre perpetradores. Más problemas que promesas

Abstract

Perpetrator research is booming in and beyond genocide studies. Journals, network(s), and conferences deal with and sell the topic as a new, urgently needed development. In fact, the systematic study of those who perpetrate violence in the context of collective violence has a long tradition. Furthermore, there are three conceptual problems with the approach. First, the problem of definition: Perpetrators can only be identified because of their actions. Second, the problem of limitations: Areas of knowledge would have to be excluded because they do not immediately concern perpetrators, yet they are of fundamental importance to understanding the scrutinized processes of collective violence. Taken together, one confronts a third problem, which is one of explanation: Focusing on agents called perpetrators does not suffice to understand the process of collective violence.