ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the qualitative differences between the motives, political agendas, and even nationalisms of the perpetrator and victim groups, so that the distinction is no longer blurred. Vahakn Dadrian argues convincingly that Armenian political attitudes and acts were themselves predictable responses to the oppression Armenians experienced within the Ottoman system. Rectifying the legacy of the genocide for the Armenian-Turkish relationship requires much more than a simple shift in attitudes about Armenians; it requires a much more difficult process of cultural and psychological transformation away from imperialism—indeed, a rethinking of Turkish identity itself, even in its progressive forms. While the concept of dehumanization is a valuable tool for understanding genocide, a problem arises when it is misconceived as the exclusive psychological component making genocide possible. There is good reason for attention to dehumanization, as it typically is a major factor in genocide.
