Description
Book SynopsisExamines the reintegration of former child soldiers in Sierra Leone. Based on 18 months of participant-observer ethnographic fieldwork and ten years of follow-up research, this book argues that there is a fundamental disconnect between the Western idea of the child soldier and the individual lived experiences of the child soldiers of Sierra Leone.
Trade Review"Essential reading for everyone who cares about the reintegration of young people who have associated with armed forces or groups. With the eye of a skilled anthropologist, Susan Shepler illuminates the enormity of the gap between Western understandings of childhood, recruitment, and reintegration and the lived experiences, beliefs, and values of young people as they navigate the complexities of post-conflict Sierra Leone." -- Mike Wessells,Columbia University
"Drawing on detailed ethnographic research, this compelling account of the complex forces shaping young peoples reintegration following the war in Sierra Leone is an essential read for anyone interested in the social impacts of globalization, the changing nature of childhood or the challenges of intervening in societies after conflict." -- Jo Boyden,University of Oxford
"The book is a wonderful, practical, policy oriented introduction to just how problematic it is to make childhood a universal, even during war and aftermath." * Journal for Peace and Justice Studies *
Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables List of Acronyms Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Youth in Sierra Leone 2. Child Protection Deployed 3. Learning "Child Soldier" across Contexts 4. Informal Reintegrators, Communities, and NGOs 5. Distinctions in the Population of "Child Soldiers": RUF and CDF, Boys and Girls Conclusion Notes ReferencesIndex About the Author
