Individual Identity in the context of Post-Armed Conflict: A Case Study of Narrative Identity in Northern Uganda
Uganda and Rwanda: Post Conflict Transformation
Abstract
The current research was done in order to get an understanding of the impact of the long running civil war in Northern Uganda on people's identity and its affect on people’s psychosocial well being. The study employed narrative identity research and a method known as Self Defining memories to evaluate the psychosocial well being of the general population of Gulu. Eleven people that were representative of various aspects of Gulu society participated in the study and shared three Self Defining memories from their life. The results show high levels of memories with Life Threatening Events-especially that which is about threat to self, low levels of meaning making and redemption in memories specifically related to the war and an absence of memories with Recreational themes. The research suggests that the war is still an enduring concern to many people in Gulu and that experiences they had during the war have not yet been resolved. This indicated the need for programs that address the psychosocial well being of the general population of Gulu (instead of just vulnerable populations such as children). Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed at the end of the report.