Genocide studies and the Conquest of the Desert. Trajectories, questions and debates

Abstract

Genocide Studies have grown notably in the last quarter of a century on an international level. The concept, usually linked to Nazism, has crossed the borders to propose itself over other historical processes allowing to studying their potentials and limits. Moreover, its use at judicial and colloquial levels leads to investigate both, legal and socio-political meanings. In this paper we think about the indigenous genocide and the Conquest of the desert, in particular, focusing on certain questions the studies on genocide have asked. First, we return to the analysis of the Conquest in light of the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and its implications, and second we take into account the social and human sciences conceptualization of genocide. Finally the historical and historiographical debates, provocations and social effects produced by the application of the term genocide to the Conquest are considered.