US-South Africa Dissertation Enhancement: Assessing the Impact of Transitional Justice on Democratic Legitimacy--A Case Study of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission

美南非论文强化：评估过渡时期司法对民主合法性的影响--以南非真相与和解委员会为例

• 批准号: 0004436
• 负责人: Jennifer Widner
• 金额: $ 1万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-08-15 至 2002-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0004436&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: US; South; Africa; Dissertation; Enhancement

0004436WidnerThis dissertation enhancement grant supports a US graduate student, Mr. David Backer, working under the guidance of Professor Jennifer Widner, of the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan, to conduct a case study to assess how and under what conditions the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has influenced support for South Africa's transition to a democracy.Truth and reconciliation commissions are commonly being used by countries undergoing a democratic transition. Do these commissions have any direct and substantial effects, either positive or negative, on individuals' loyalty to the institutions and practices of a new democracy? Currently many scholars and practitioners are in disagreement about the effectiveness of these commissions. Backer will conduct a case study of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to determine whether or not the opportunities for participation and engagement in its processes generated support for the newly emerging democratic institutions in South Africa. The TRC stressed neutrality (exemplified by the equal status accorded to abuses by the apartheid regime and the opposition), openness, and transparency, and its proceedings were made public through media offerings and official reports. Thus a large segment of South African adults either participated in or knew about the TRC process. Through ethnographic research, a community study, focus groups, testimony evaluation, and surveys, Backer will evaluate two models of political support, one that focuses on public perceptions of the legitimacy of the TRC process, and the second which embeds the first model within the broader context of a commitment to South Africa's emerging democracy. Each of these has models four explanatory variables: 1) mitigating factors, such as awareness, participation, and projected images about political relations and procedures; 2) the level of policy satisfaction; 3) alternative explanations; and 4) control variables, such as age and gender. Subjects will have been participants in the TRC process, followed media reports of the proceedings, and/or read the official documents released by the TRC. The results should provide important knowledge on how successful these commissions are likely to be in performing their assigned functions. Dr. Hugo van der Merwe and others at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (affiliated with the University of Witwatersrand) will provide guidance on this project to Mr. Backer. The results are expected to provide valuable information for the study of democratization and transitional justice. Researchers and government officials will also gain important knowledge about the impact that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has had on South Africa's democratic transition. The project will also support an international research experience very early in the career of an outstanding graduate student. This grant is being jointly funded by the Division of International Programs and the Division of Social and Economic Sciences.

0004436Widner这项论文强化资助支持美国研究生David Backer先生在密歇根大学政治学教授Jennifer Widner的指导下进行案例研究，以评估真相与和解委员会（TRC）如何以及在什么条件下影响了对南非向民主过渡的支持。正在经历民主过渡的国家通常使用真相与和解委员会。这些委员会是否对个人对新民主制度和实践的忠诚有任何直接和实质性的影响，无论是积极的还是消极的？目前，许多学者和从业者对这些委员会的有效性存在分歧。Backer将对南非真相与和解委员会（TRC）进行案例研究，以确定参与和参与其进程的机会是否为南非新兴的民主机构带来了支持。TRC强调中立（体现在对种族隔离政权和反对派的暴行给予平等的地位）、公开和透明，并通过媒体和官方报告向公众公布其程序。因此，很大一部分南非成年人参与或了解TRC过程。通过人种学研究、社区研究、焦点小组、证词评估和调查，Backer将评估两种政治支持模式，一种侧重于公众对TRC进程合法性的看法，另一种将第一种模式嵌入对南非新兴民主承诺的更广泛背景中。每个模型都有四个解释变量：1)缓解因素，如对政治关系和程序的认识、参与和投影图像；2)政策满意度；3)替代解释；4)控制变量，如年龄和性别。受试者必须参与储税局的审核过程，关注媒体对审核过程的报道，以及/或阅读储税局发布的正式文件。调查结果应提供重要的知识，说明这些委员会在履行其指定职能方面可能有多成功。暴力与和解研究中心（附属于威特沃特斯兰德大学）的Hugo van der Merwe博士和其他人员将就这个项目向Backer先生提供指导。研究结果有望为民主化和过渡时期司法的研究提供有价值的资料。研究人员和政府官员也将获得关于真相与和解委员会对南非民主转型影响的重要知识。该项目还将支持优秀研究生在职业生涯的早期获得国际研究经验。该基金由国际项目部和社会经济科学部共同资助。