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Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613942697689088 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Kagoyire Gasinzigwa, Marie Grace |
| author2 | Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla |
| author_browse | Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla Kagoyire Gasinzigwa, Marie Grace |
| author_facet | Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla Kagoyire Gasinzigwa, Marie Grace |
| author_sort | Kagoyire Gasinzigwa, Marie Grace |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131793 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:09.875Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131793 Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans Kagoyire Gasinzigwa, Marie Grace Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. Genocide -- Sociological aspects -- Rwanda Collective memory -- Rwanda Rwanda -- History -- 1994 -- Personal narratives Intergenerational relations UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates how the descendants of both survivors and perpetrators make sense of the memories of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, that are intergenerationally communicated to them. The research was conducted in Rwanda's Eastern Province and involved 56 participants equally divided between descendants of survivors, and perpetrators. Data was collected through individual interviews and focus group discussions and analysed using both inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The study is grounded in four key concepts: the memory field, encompassing various memory types and their interconnections; social navigation, representing the strategies youths employ to navigate the ever-moving fluidity of memories; narrative identity, focusing on self-stories constructed from communicated memories; and sensemaking, highlighting how people find meaning and search for plausible interpretations within socially constructed realities. The findings indicate that individual genocide memories constructed by the second-generation Rwandans are mainly based on memories communicated to them, firstly through public channels such as genocide commemorative events, the media, and history taught in formal classroom lessons in schools. Second, the participants’ constructed memories were based on genocide experiences communicated in the private and communal spheres of family life and encounters with neighbours. Third, the findings suggest repression and silences of some genocide memories as communication ways when they are inquired within family settings, especially within perpetrator families. The findings also reveal the significant effect of these intergenerationally transmitted genocide memories on the participants’ lives, influencing their way of thinking, interacting with others and sense of identity. Traumatic memories communicated caused feelings of hopelessness, trauma crises, and suicidal ideation among some participants. The majority of descendants of survivors feel as victims of the genocide history following the genocide’s consequences on parent (s’) life. Descendants of the perpetrators feel as if they are blamed for their parents’ crimes leading to feelings of shame, guilt and anger. The study highlights the complex and painful ways in which the genocide legacy continues to affect the descendants’ lives and identities today. While navigating memories, participants act as both navigators and sense makers of parental traumatic past. To some extent, they struggle to make sense of fluid, unstable, timeless, familial, social, and collective memories. Almost all study participants perceive certain memories as unimaginable, unforgettable, beyond representation, and label them as evil acts. To navigate with potential risks associated with these pervasive memories, they employ various tactics, such as ignoring and avoiding any memory representations, attempting to forget, feigning acceptance, and seeking communion with people close to them. This study emphasises that meaning making is a complex concept requiring an approach rooted in the social constructionist view of reality, and which must consider shared experiences in creating meaning and understanding of unlived past. For a peaceful future, it is imperative to involve these youth in programs managing emotions resulting from memories, listening to their interrogation about the past to ensure their voices are heard, and their questions addressed. Failing to do so may perpetuate their status as tainted individuals and render the hope of "never again" a distant dream. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die ervarings van jongmense, nageslag van oorlewendes en oortreders gebore na die 1994 volksmoord teen die Tutsis in Rwanda ("tweede generasie"). Hierdie groep is min bestudeer. Die studie probeer om die deurdringende traumatiese herinneringe van hierdie individue te ontrafel, asook die negatiewe impak van die konfrontasie met sulke herinneringe op hul psigososiale welstand en hoe hulle hierdie herinneringe in hul alledaagse lewens bestuur. 'n Kwalitatiewe (narratiewe) navorsing is in die Oostelike provinsie van Rwanda uitgevoer. ‘n Monster van 28 afstammelinge van volksmoordoorlewendes en 28 afstammelinge van volksmoordoortreders het aan die studie deelgeneem. Onderhoude is gevoer met 20 van die 56 individue, terwyl 36 aan groepsonderhoude deelgeneem het. Die teoretiese raamwerk van die studie sluit vier kernkonsepte in 1) die begrip van 'n "memory field" wat verskeie soorte herinneringe insluit; 2) sosiale navigasie as 'n metafoor vir die strategiese hantering van die vloei van herinneringe; 3) narratiewe identiteit wat fokus op selfverhale wat deur deelnemers gekonstrueer word uit hul herinneringe; 4) die begrip van sinmaking, wat betrekking het op hoe mense betekenis aan herinneringe toeken. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat deelnemers gekonfronteer word met kollektiewe herinneringe wat hulle vanuit openbare omgewings, soos herdenkingsgeleenthede, media en skole, ontvang. Hierdie herinneringe word ook beïnvloed deur private ervarings, soos die van bure en familie. Die jongmense het hierdie herinneringe as fragmentaries ervaar. Die selfmoord van ouers en oortreders was veral pynlik vir hulle. Die studie toon ook aan dat beide gekommunikeerde en stilgehoue herinneringe indrukke op die deelnemers se psigologiese, sosiale en identiteitslewe agterlaat. Dit het https://scholar.sun.ac.za vi gevoelens van vrees, stigma, depressie en psigosomatiese simptome veroorsaak, wat dit moeilik maak vir hulle om met ander te verbind en vergiffenis te skenk. Tydens die navigering van hierdie herinneringe, het deelnemers hulself gesien as stuurders van 'n ongeleefde verlede. Hulle het moeite gehad om betekenis aan vloeibare, onstabiele, tydlose, familie-, sosiale- en kollektiewe herinneringe te gee. Hulle het verskeie strategieë gebruik om die risiko’s wat hiermee gepaard gaan, te hanter. Hierdie strategieë sluit vermyding, vergeet, aanvaarding van die verlede deur konfrontasie, en die soeke na gemeenskap deur interaksie met ander in. In hul strewe om hierdie herinneringe te navigeer en betekenis daaraan te heg, deelnemers ervaar sekere herinneringe as ondenkbaar, onvergeetlik en buite enige verteenwoordiging. Dit beklemtoon die feit dat betekenisgewing 'n komplekse konsep is wat 'n benadering vereis wat gefundeer is op 'n sosiale konstruksionistiese siening van die werklikheid. Dit is noodsaaklik om gesamentlike ervarings van gebeure en situasies te oorweeg in die skepping van betekenis en begrip. Hierdie strategieë het die jongmense gehelp om aanvaarbaarheid in hul herinneringe te vind en het hulle gehelp om die uitdagings wat hiermee gepaard gaan, te bemeester. Hierdie studie beklemtoon die belang van die jonger generasie se ervaring en sinmaking oor die traumatiese verlede van Rwanda. Dit is 'n dringende oproep om hul stemme in diegene wat met hierdie herinneringe werk, op te neem, sodat 'n vreedsame toekoms vir almal moontlik kan wees en die hoop op “nooit weer” bewaarhedeid kan word. Doctoral 2025-03-25T09:15:04Z 2025-03-25T09:15:04Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131793 Stellenbosch University xxiii, 370 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Genocide -- Sociological aspects -- Rwanda Collective memory -- Rwanda Rwanda -- History -- 1994 -- Personal narratives Intergenerational relations UCTD Kagoyire Gasinzigwa, Marie Grace Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans |
| title | Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans |
| title_full | Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans |
| title_fullStr | Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans |
| title_short | Construction of genocide memories: narratives of second-generation Rwandans |
| title_sort | construction of genocide memories narratives of second generation rwandans |
| topic | Genocide -- Sociological aspects -- Rwanda Collective memory -- Rwanda Rwanda -- History -- 1994 -- Personal narratives Intergenerational relations UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131793 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kagoyiregasinzigwamariegrace constructionofgenocidememoriesnarrativesofsecondgenerationrwandans |