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和和平中受苦的人。近年来，通过真相与和解委员会等冲突后进程，寻求将个人冲突创伤经历纳入国家治疗。然而，在寻求对历史的共识时，和平进程往往会使替代叙述沉默（Bracken, 1998）。因此，虽然有些人因冲突而受到创伤，但其他人却没有。这个项目提出，这种被排除在和平之外的情况本身就有可能造成创伤。冲突后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现有创伤。通过比较南非和塞拉利昂的情况，本项目试图阐明冲突后社会中仍然存在的挑战。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反应，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关注和平进程，批评trc未能在背景下解决创伤的特殊性（Bracken和Petty, 1998; Summerfield, 1998; Shaw, 2007; Colvin, 2008; Horne, 2013）。然而，很少有研究长期跟踪对创伤的影响，并且未能解决政治影响。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来研究创伤。Edkins（2003; 2006）和Fierke（2006; 2015）对创伤和记忆进行了批判性分析；还有两本文集将创伤与各种国际关系主题联系起来（Bell, 2006； Resende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，他在南非评估了沉默创伤记忆的长期影响（2006）。然而，在与物质人类学合作时，梅斯克尔受到缺乏个人创伤经验证据的限制。本博士将通过直接借鉴南非和塞拉利昂的案例，分析冲突后环境中的个人创伤，来弥补这一文献空白。这个博士学位将阐明将个人融入国际关系研究的机会。本项目将在民族志方法论的指导下，通过理论分析和实地案例研究来解决研究问题。关于冲突、创伤和记忆的理论讨论将以南非和塞拉利昂的案例研究为基础。在这两个地点进行的实地工作将包括观察和适当情况下的参与者访谈。致力于冲突后康复和创伤的组织为关注该主题的自定义群体提供了访问渠道。比较南非和塞拉利昂将有助于深入了解冲突后社会，这两个国家经历了类似的冲突后机制，但社会、经济和政治立场截然不同。冲突及其后果对个人和社区造成重大创伤性影响。虽然已经建立了冲突后进程，如TRCs，以解决冲突，但学术界很少关注这些进程如何影响个人创伤。利用民族志方法，这个博士项目将调查和平进程中某些叙述的沉默如何可能构建“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.