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

这个博士项目是献给那些在冲突中与和平中受苦受难的人。近年来，通过真相与和解委员会等冲突后进程，寻求将个人的冲突创伤经历纳入国家疗伤工作。然而，在寻求就历史达成共识的过程中，和平进程经常压制替代叙述(Bracken，1998)。因此，虽然一些人因冲突而遭受创伤，但另一些人却没有。这个项目提出，这种被排除在和平之外本身就有可能造成创伤。冲突后的和平进程在多大程度上加剧了冲突的创伤，并在冲突后社会中产生了“累积创伤”？这个初步研究问题引入了“累积创伤”的概念，这里指的是在现有的冲突创伤基础上加上和平进程造成的创伤。通过比较南非和塞拉利昂的案例，这个项目试图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，越来越多地被认识到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(Summerfield，1998；Burstow，2003；Colvin，2008)。这些心理学文献经常侧重于和平进程，批评区域研究中心未能解决背景下创伤的特殊性(Bracken and Petty，1998；Summerfield，1998；Shaw，2007；Colvin，2008；Horne，2013)。然而，很少有研究长期跟踪创伤对创伤的影响，也没有解决其政治含义。尽管创伤在冲突中发挥了作用，但只有少数学者从国际关系的角度对创伤进行了研究。Edkins(2003；2006)和Fierke(2006；2015)发表了对创伤和记忆的批判性分析；两本文集将创伤与各种国际关系主题联系起来(Bell，2006；Resende and Budryte，2014)。尽管这些学者承认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。梅斯克尔是个例外，他评估了压制南非创伤记忆的长期影响(2006年)。然而，在物质人类学的工作中，梅斯克尔受到缺乏个人创伤经验证据的限制。这位博士将通过直接利用南非和塞拉利昂的案例来分析冲突后环境中的个人创伤，以回应文献中的这一空白。这一博士学位将阐明将个人融入国际关系研究的机会。本项目将在人种学方法论的指导下，使用理论分析和案例研究田野工作来解决研究问题。关于冲突、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酌情包括观察和与参与者面谈。致力于冲突后康复和创伤的组织提供了接触关注这一主题的自定义团体的途径。将南非和塞拉利昂进行比较将有助于深入了解冲突后社会，这些社会经历了类似的冲突后机制，但社会、经济和政治地位截然不同。冲突及其后果对个人和社区具有重大创伤影响。虽然已经建立了冲突后进程，如冲突控制中心，以解决冲突，但学术界对这些进程如何影响个体创伤的关注很少。利用人种学方法，这个博士项目将调查和平进程中某些叙述的沉默如何潜在地构成“累积创伤”，以及这可能如何影响冲突后社区的稳定。

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.