Killing neighbors [electronic resource] : webs of violence in Rwanda / Lee Ann Fujii.

726824173
9780801458613 (electronic bk.)
0801447054
9780801447051

Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 2009.

English

1 online resource (ix, 212 p.) : ill., map

DT450.435 .F85 2009eb

In the horrific events of the mid-1990s in Rwanda, tens of thousands of Hutu killed their Tutsi friends, neighbors, even family members. That ghastly violence has overshadowed a fact almost as noteworthy: that hundreds of thousands of Hutu killed no one. In a transformative revisiting of the motives behind and specific contexts surrounding the Rwandan genocide, the author focuses on individual actions rather than sweeping categories. She argues that ethnic hatred and fear do not satisfactorily explain the mobilization of Rwandans one against another. Her extensive interviews in Rwandan prisons and two rural communities form the basis for her claim that mass participation in the genocide was not the result of ethnic antagonisms. Rather, the social context of action was critical. Strong group dynamics and established local ties shaped patterns of recruitment for and participation in the genocide. This web of social interactions bound people to power holders and killing groups. People joined and continued to participate in the genocide over time, because killing in large groups conferred identity on those who acted destructively. The perpetrators of the genocide produced new groups centered on destroying prior bonds by killing kith and kin.

Published version of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--George Washington University, 2006.
Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Access limited to authorized users.

Online Resources > Ebooks
All Resources