Date of Award
2005
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Anthropology
Supervisor
Randa Farah
Abstract
This thesis contributes to debates surrounding gendered experiences of violence, the post-crisis period, and the reconstitution of the family unit. More specifically it examines in men’s and women’s gender roles within the family in post genocide Rwanda, and the ways in which experiences of violence shape those transformations. I propose that ‘cracks’ open up in social institutions, such as the family, during times of crisis, and that those spaces are used to renegotiate gender roles and relations well after the crisis has passed. As such, there is new debate in the post genocide period as to appropriate gender roles for men and women, resulting in an expansion of women’s roles and a growing male identity crisis. There is a lingering mistrust in the post-genocide community which is manifested in current practices and perceptions of family life. Ultimately this thesis raises questions about the future of Rwanda in light oft his mistrust, on-going regional conflicts, and the tensions between individual and collective memories, and the need to move forward.
Recommended Citation
Eramian, Laura, "CRISIS AND OPPORTUNITY PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILY LIFE IN POST-GENOCIDE RWANDA" (2005). Digitized Theses. 4999.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4999