Rachael Burns

My criminological and sociological research focuses on genocide, particularly the Holocaust. I am particularly interested in Hannah Arendt and her concept(s) of evil, Norbert Elias and the 'civilising process' and the problem of denial. My ESRC funded PhD, entitled "The Hidden Holocaust: Bystanders,Thoughtlessness and Sympathy" examined the architecture of Nazi concentration camps in Germany, and the impact of this on civilian empathy and sympathy.

More widely, I am interested in issues of state crime, war crimes, human rights violations, death, memory and memorialisation, anti-Semitism and racism, and the history of crime and punishment.

I lead and teach on several criminology modules. I am also participating in the Death and Culture Walk, an endeavour by the Sociology Department at the University of York. This audio-guided walk around the city of York, explores sociological and cultural issues around death and memorialisation.

PhD Criminology, University of Kent, 2017. Thesis titled: Hiding the Holocaust: The Impact of Nazi Concentration Camp Architecture on Civilian Empathy and Sympathy

MA Social Research Methods, University of Kent, 2012

MA Criminology, University of Kent, 2010

BA Law and Criminology, Keele Univeristy, 2008