Genocide Studies and Corporate Actors: The French National Railways (SNCF) Conflict

S-CAR Journal Article
Sarah Federman
Sarah Federman
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Genocide Studies and Corporate Actors: The French National Railways (SNCF) Conflict
Authors: Sarah Federman
Published Date: November 01, 2016
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
ISSN: 1911-0359
Abstract

Genocide studies considers the dynamics attracting a variety of perpetrators as well as the needs mass atrocity creates. The inclusion of market actors, however, remains marginalized. This article considers factors perpetuating this marginalization and its costs, arguing for greater inclusion of market actors in genocide-related discussions. Relegating the importance of these actors makes the field, not their role, tangential. To examine this intersection of business and genocide, this article introduces a contemporary conflict involving the United States and France over the French National Railways (SNCF) and its role in the transport of deportees towards death camps during World War II. The lengthy, vitriolic conflict suggests the need for better discursive spaces to explore the complex role of market actors. Developing the intersection of genocide studies and corporate social responsibility in scholarship and increasing the participation of businesses in post-conflict work can help do this work.

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