Not offered 2007-2008
ANTH 270T Trauma, Memory, and Reconciliation (W)*
This tutorial examines the processes by which societies seek peace and reconciliation after conflict. The particular focus of the course will be on how people in different cultures cope
with trauma and the role of storytelling and ritual in the grieving process. Beginning with a
consideration of the anthropological literature on conflict and conflict resolution in small-
scale societies, we will move onto an investigation of a number of contemporary crises and
conflicts and their aftermaths. Among the topics we will read about and discuss are cultural
factors that enhance or minimize trauma; how traumatic events are remembered and/or suppressed; the cultural foundations of mourning; the role of legal proceedings in the resolution
of conflict, especially the advent of truth and reconciliation tribunals in South Africa and
other countries and the applicability of these institutions in cultures without redemptive
religious traditions; spatial aspects of grieving and reconciliation, including the use of memorials and the transformations of battlefields into sites of commemoration; how men and
women cope with trauma and the role of storytelling and ritual for each; the social psychology of post-traumatic stress disorder and the cultural factors that enhance or diminish this
syndrome; and the perpetuation of trauma on subsequent generations.
Format: tutorial.
No prerequisites, although prior exposure to anthropology, sociology, political science, or
philosophy welcomed. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 10). Priority given to sophomores.
D. EDWARDS