A large number of genocides have taken place in our history. The purpose of this essay is to examine how genocide is treated in five high school history textbooks. I have studied a large number of issues. I have examined which genocides are discussed in the textbooks and which genocides the textbooks don’t discuss. I have also examined if there are differences between the textbooks about that matter. I have studied in which context the genocides are discussed. I have also examined how the genocides are described and if there are any differences between the authors about that matter.

The method of the essay is a quantitative and qualitative text analysis. I have used the following history theories in my analysis: a critical emancipation perspective of history, the materialist conception of history and the idealist conception of history. In the essay a have used Frank Chalks and Kurt Jonassohns definition of genocide.

The study has shown that a large number of genocides are discussed in the textbooks, but also that a large number are not discussed. There are differences between the textbooks about that matter. The study has confirmed the critical emancipation perspective of history.

The study has shown that the descriptions of the genocides have its similarities and it's differences.