South Africa and Sierra Leone: the trauma of conflict and peace

南非和塞拉利昂：冲突与和平的创伤

• 批准号: 1916665
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: King's College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2017 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-1916665
• 关键词: South; Africa; Sierra; Leone; trauma

This PhD project is dedicated to those individuals who suffer in conflict, and in peace. In recent years, individual traumatic experiences of conflict have sought to be incorporated into national healing through post-conflict processes such as Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs). However, in seeking a consensus on history, peace-processes frequently silence alternate narratives (Bracken, 1998). Thus, whilst some traumatized by conflict are heard, others are not. This project proposes that this exclusion from peace has the potential to be traumatic itself.To what extent do post-conflict peace-processes compound the trauma of conflict, and produce 'cumulative trauma' in post-conflict societies?This preliminary research question introduces the concept of 'cumulative trauma' which here refers to the addition of trauma resultant from peace-processes, to existing trauma from conflict. In comparing the cases of South Africa and Sierra Leone, this project seeks to illuminate the challenges which remain in post-conflict societies.Trauma, traditionally conceived as a medical phenomenon, has increasingly become recognised to play a role in social and political processes (Edkins, 2003; Fierke, 2015). As a response to events in the social realm, several have argued that trauma is inherently political (Summerfield, 1998; Burstow, 2003; Colvin, 2008). This psychological literature has frequently focused on peace-processes, critiquing TRCs for failing to address the specificities of trauma in context (Bracken and Petty, 1998; Summerfield, 1998; Shaw, 2007; Colvin, 2008; Horne, 2013). However, few studies have followed the impact on trauma in the long-term, and fail to address the political implications.Despite its role in conflict, only a select number of scholars have addressed trauma from the perspective of international relations. Edkins (2003; 2006) and Fierke (2006; 2015) have produced critical analysis of trauma and memory; and two collections have related trauma to a variety of international relations topics (Bell, 2006; Resende and Budryte, 2014). Although these scholars recognize the role of trauma in peace-processes, few question the implications of these processes for individuals. Meskell is an exception, assessing the long-term impact of silencing traumatic memory in South Africa (2006). However, working with material anthropology, Meskell is limited by her lack of empirical evidence of individual trauma.This PhD will respond to this gap in the literature by analysing individual trauma in post-conflict environments drawing directly on the cases of South Africa and Sierra Leone. This PhD will illuminate the opportunities for integrating the individual into international relations research.This project will address the research question using theoretical analysis and case study fieldwork, guided by an ethnographic methodology. Theoretical discussion of conflict, trauma and memory will be supported by case studies of South Africa and Sierra Leone. The fieldwork carried out in both locations will consist of observation and participant interviews where appropriate. Organisations committed to post-conflict healing and trauma provide access to self-defined groups focused on the topic. Comparing South Africa and Sierra Leone will provide insight into post-conflict societies which experienced similar post-conflict mechanisms, but vastly different social, economic and political positions.Conflict and its aftermath have significant traumatic impacts on individuals and communities. Whilst post-conflict processes such as TRCs have been established to address conflict, little academic attention has been paid to how these processes affect individual trauma. Utilising an ethnographic methodology, this PhD project will investigate how the silencing of certain narratives within peace processes can potentially construct 'cumulative trauma', and how this may impact the stability of post-conflict communities.

这个博士项目致力于那些在冲突中受苦的人，以及和平。近年来，通过真相与和解委员会等冲突后进程，个人的冲突创伤经历已被纳入国家愈合过程。然而，在寻求对历史的共识时，和平进程经常使其他叙述沉默（Bracken，1998年）。因此，虽然有人听到了一些因冲突而受到创伤的人的声音，但其他人却听不到。这个项目提出，这种排除在和平有可能是创伤本身。在多大程度上做冲突后的和平进程复合冲突的创伤，并产生“累积创伤”在冲突后的社会？这个初步的研究问题引入了“累积创伤”的概念，这里指的是和平进程造成的创伤加上冲突造成的创伤。通过比较南非和塞拉利昂的案例，该项目旨在阐明冲突后社会仍然存在的挑战。创伤，传统上被认为是一种医学现象，越来越多地被认为在社会和政治进程中发挥作用（Edkins，2003; Fierke，2015）。作为对社会领域事件的回应，一些人认为创伤本质上是政治性的（萨默菲尔德，1998; Burstow，2003; Colvin，2008）。这种心理学文献经常关注和平进程，批评TRC未能在背景中解决创伤的特殊性（Bracken和Petty，1998;萨默菲尔德，1998; Shaw，2007; Colvin，2008; Horne，2013）。然而，很少有研究长期关注创伤的影响，并且未能解决其政治影响，尽管它在冲突中的作用，只有少数学者从国际关系的角度来处理创伤。Edkins（2003年; 2006）和Fierke（2006; 2015）对创伤和记忆进行了批判性分析;两个集合将创伤与各种国际关系主题联系起来（Bell，2006;雷森德和Budryte，2014）。虽然这些学者认识到创伤在和平进程中的作用，但很少有人质疑这些进程对个人的影响。Meskell是一个例外，他评估了南非压制创伤记忆的长期影响（2006年）。然而，与物质人类学工作，梅斯凯尔是有限的，她缺乏个人创伤的经验证据。这个博士将通过分析直接在南非和塞拉利昂的情况下，在冲突后环境中的个人创伤在文献中的这一差距作出回应。该博士学位将阐明将个人融入国际关系研究的机会。该项目将通过民族志方法论指导，使用理论分析和案例研究实地考察来解决研究问题。对冲突、创伤和记忆的理论讨论将得到南非和塞拉利昂案例研究的支持。在这两个地点进行的实地工作将包括观察和酌情与参与者面谈。致力于冲突后愈合和创伤的组织提供了与自我界定的专注于这一主题的团体接触的机会。通过比较南非和塞拉利昂，我们可以深入了解冲突后社会，它们经历了类似的冲突后机制，但社会、经济和政治立场却大不相同。虽然已经建立了诸如TRCs的冲突后进程来解决冲突，但很少有学术界关注这些进程如何影响个人创伤。利用人种学方法，这个博士项目将调查如何沉默的和平进程中的某些叙述可能会构建“累积创伤”，以及这可能会如何影响冲突后社区的稳定。