Raising Awareness of the Holocaust among Thai Students through Literature

Abstract

The Holocaust in World War II stands as one of the most heinous events in human history, and as time passes, the memory of this tragedy gradually fades. Learning about this event is therefore crucial to remind us of the dangers of ethnic prejudice. This research aims to examine the level of knowledge of 38 undergraduate students regarding Holocaust literature before and after taking the HEN452 Introduction to Prose course. In addition, it compares students’ learning about the Holocaust through literature before and after the course to evaluate the effectiveness of using literature as a tool for raising awareness. The study collected data through open-ended questionnaires and analyzed the responses using content analysis. The results revealed that, prior to the course, students had only superficial knowledge about the Holocaust and related literature, largely acquired from popular media such as films and online sources. After the course, most students demonstrated an increased understanding of the Holocaust, including knowledge related to World War II, insights into Hitler and the Nazi Party, as well as changes in their attitudes toward the event, which enabled them to better comprehend its origins and impacts. Furthermore, students began to ask questions and critically evaluate the cruelty of Hitler and the Nazi Party while showing greater empathy for the victims. The study indicates that literature is an effective tool for raising awareness about the Holocaust, especially when integrated with other sources of information in the teaching process. The research recommends applying the findings to integrating teaching and learning into the curriculum, promoting commemorative activities to enhance social awareness, and using literature as a tool to raise awareness in conjunction with diverse sources of information.