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Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration
Thesis (PhD (International Relations))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613721493241856 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Wielenga, Cori |
| author_browse | Wielenga, Cori |
| author_facet | Wielenga, Cori |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD (International Relations))--University of Pretoria, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/100440 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:38.899Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/100440 Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration Wielenga, Cori tyneashley.williams@gmail.com Williams, Tyne Ashley Childhood Child Reintegration Agency Grounded theory Northern Uganda UCTD Thesis (PhD (International Relations))--University of Pretoria, 2024. Due to the emphasis on notions of innocence, dependency, and vulnerability, coupled with normative expectations surrounding children and their 'agency,' former child soldiers/returnees are often treated more as aid recipients than active participants in their own reintegration. This study explores the complexities of child agency in post-conflict environments, examining returnees' nuanced realities and participatory experiences beyond traditional wartime narratives, thus redefining 'child' and childhood in the aftermath of prolonged conflict. By challenging conventional understandings that drive reintegration programs for 'child' returnees, it emphasises alternative pathways for participation and reconciliation rooted in local contexts. The research investigates how local norms, values, and practices shape agency, posing the question: 'How do alternative conceptions of child agency and participation unsettle pre-existing structures and approaches towards the post-conflict reintegration of children?' Centred on the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda, this research employs a qualitative, informed grounded theory approach integrating a critical literature review, alongside semi-structured focus groups and interviews conducted in Gulu. Participants include former child soldiers, communities, child mothers, children born in captivity, and organizations dedicated to children’s rights and post-conflict reconciliation. Through open, axial, and focused coding of data, the study illuminates how local contexts shape children's roles, self-determination, and reciprocal relationships post-conflict, proposing a contextual and inclusive model for their reintegration and reconceptualising child agency in this context. This research thereby contributes a normative understanding of child agency in post-conflict settings, advocating for the incorporation of local insights to foster meaningful participation and holistic reintegration for former child soldiers long-term. RISC-RISE Consortium Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Political Sciences PhD (International Relations) Unrestricted Faculty of Humanities SDG-16: Peace,justice and strong institutions SDG-17: Partnerships for the goals 2025-02-03T16:34:01Z 2025-02-03T16:34:01Z 2025-05 2024-10 Thesis * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100440 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.28323821 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Childhood Child Reintegration Agency Grounded theory Northern Uganda UCTD Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration |
| title | Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration |
| title_full | Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration |
| title_fullStr | Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration |
| title_short | Local conceptions of child agency in post-conflict reintegration |
| title_sort | local conceptions of child agency in post conflict reintegration |
| topic | Childhood Child Reintegration Agency Grounded theory Northern Uganda UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100440 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.28323821 |