Diversity and Design: The "Twisted Road" and the Regional Turn in Holocaust History

Abstract

Recent developments in Holocaust historiography highlight pervasive diversity characteristic of Nazi anti-Jewish policies. This article suggests that two conflicting interpretations of diversity have informed discussions. In one view, diversity is seen as expectable result of vast scope and scale of war. In this conception (diversity as outcome), empirical diversity by itself has little diagnostic value and little direct bearing on inference of intentionality or design. A contrasting view considers diversity itself to be a driver of policy (diversity as process). Variability thus becomes an indicator of lack of prior design. The diversity-as-process narra- tive has been fundamental in classic functionalism and in many important analyses that emphasize major causal role of conditions at periphery in development of Holocaust. A parallel debate about diversity in social action has taken place in psychology, but reached conclusions very different from those of historical analyses. Closer empirical analysis and a cross-disciplinary approach together suggest that process conceptions of diversity reflect an unrealistic view of human action—one that leads to an excessively restrictive view of design in Holocaust. The Regional Turn in Holocaust Studies In past two decades several significant shifts have occurred in Holocaust historio- graphy. Studies have moved from broad panoramic views of major events to micro- analyses focusing on diversity of developments. Classic Holocaust research adopted a top-down approach to description of events, offering a bird's-eye view, in broad brushstrokes, of forest, and an outline of major histor- ical processes and decisions at the center. Such a macro approach—designed to bring out main themes and to frame larger issues—naturally comes first, chro- nologically and conceptually, in any new field of inquiry. Just as naturally, this perspec- tive typically is followed and complemented by a micro perspective, which focuses on a more detailed and differentiated examination of specific contexts in various regions in which Holocaust unfolded. The result of this regional turn is a far richer, fuller, and more nuanced picture, at a greater level of specificity. The approach offers a differentiated view of events at a sharper resolution. The more granulated history combines textured observations and intricate accounts with greater detail and depth; it seeks to capture diversity and complexity of local conditions