A study of post-war Acholi people: How to cope with stress in an environment of ongoing conflict?
Authors
White, Ashley Solange ; Andersen, Helle
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-07-28
Pages
89
Abstract
Efter at kampene i det nordlige Uganda er stilnet af, retter dette speciale fokus mod de langvarige følger i hverdagslivet blandt Acholi i Gulu frem for de umiddelbare krigstraumer. Gennem feltarbejde i Gulu identificerer vi de mest fremtrædende stressfaktorer i Acholi-samfundet og undersøger, hvordan folk forsøger at håndtere dem (mestring) i en situation, der ofte kaldes post-konflikt. Samtidig spørger vi, om betegnelsen post-konflikt er dækkende, eller om Acholi snarere lever i en fortsat konflikt. Vi udvikler ikke løsninger, men bruger teori til at strukturere indsigter på tre niveauer: makro (staten), meso (fællesskabet) og mikro (husstanden). Analysen består af fire dele: 1) stressfaktorer, der udspringer af statslige praksisser, 2) stressfaktorer på fællesskabsniveau, 3) stressfaktorer i husholdninger og 4) en samlet gennemgang, der viser, hvordan mønstre i stress og mestring peger på en vedvarende konflikt. Vi ser på forskellige former for mestring, herunder aktiv problemløsning, undgåelse og opgivenhed, og bygger på fortællinger og perspektiver fra Acholi, indsamlet gennem sociale interaktioner.
As fighting in Northern Uganda has subsided, this thesis looks beyond immediate war trauma to the longer-term pressures shaping everyday life among the Acholi in Gulu. Based on fieldwork in Gulu, we identify the main stressors in Acholi society and examine how people cope with them in what is often called a post-conflict setting. We also question whether the label post-conflict is accurate, or whether the Acholi are living in an ongoing conflict. We do not propose solutions; instead we use theory to organize insights at three levels: macro (the state), meso (the community), and micro (the household). The analysis is presented in four parts: 1) stressors arising from state practices, 2) stressors at the community level, 3) stressors within households, and 4) a synthesis showing how patterns of stress and coping suggest a continuing conflict. We consider different forms of coping, including active problem-solving, avoidance, and giving up, and we foreground Acholi people’s stories and perspectives gathered through social interaction.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Documents
Other projects by the authors
White, Ashley Solange:
- A study of post-war Acholi people: How to cope with stress in an environment of ongoing conflict? (2017)
Andersen, Helle: