Citation

Oosterom M, Namuggala VF, Szyp C. Disasters 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12484

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A growing literature on wartime social change has shown how changes in social institutions can have post-war effects, but there is limited knowledge on how such changes shape the lives of rural young people. The Acholi region in northern Uganda experienced two decades of armed conflict and forced displacement. Based on qualitative field research, this article analyses the role of family dynamics for the educational and livelihood trajectories of Acholi youth in rural areas, during and after the war. The article demonstrates how young people's opportunities during the war were directly affected by insecurity, and indirectly through the disruption of family life. At present, young people are still 'struggling': they work hard to respond to family obligations, which ultimately undermines their chances to progress. The social embeddedness of young people in family relations mediates the ability of young men and women to make use of opportunities in a context of underdevelopment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en