Abstract
Citizenship can be understood as a form of civic participation and a means of developing social relations with members of the broader community and, therefore, can act as an important means to help reintegrate ex-combatants back into mainstream society. This paper discusses an exploratory research project conducted with a sample of 23 Colombian ex-combatants from non-state armed groups who are current participants of the national programme of reintegration in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. By collecting their views and opinions about what it is like to become reintegrated, we explored the range of social factors that facilitate as well as obstruct practices of citizenship in everyday life and, subsequently, the ways in which this affects their overall experience of reintegration into Colombian society. Drawing on social psychological literature on citizenship and on the theory of social representations, we explored how citizenship is understood and enacted by this group as part of their reintegration process. A thematic analysis of three focus groups highlights an enabling as well as a limiting social context that affects former combatants’ ability to participate as citizens. This paper also contributes to the social psychology of citizenship by studying the experience of reintegration in conflict-affected societies.
Highlights
Citizenship can be understood as a form of civic participation and a means of developing social relations with members of the broader community and, can act as an important means to help reintegrate ex-combatants back into mainstream society
We present the overall themes that emerged from the thematic analysis carried out in four main parts: 1) support mechanisms within the social context, 2) obstacles within the social context, 3) representations of citizenship and 4) representations of reintegration
In relation to social networks, participants highlighted the value of being surrounded by family, friends, teachers, neighbours, professionals and some of their peers from the Colombian Agency for Reintegration (ACR) as well as entrepreneurs and employers who were generally seen as providers of new opportunities and encouragement for their reintegration process
Summary
Citizenship can be understood as a form of civic participation and a means of developing social relations with members of the broader community and, can act as an important means to help reintegrate ex-combatants back into mainstream society. This paper discusses an exploratory research project conducted with a sample of 23 Colombian ex-combatants from non-state armed groups who are current participants of the national programme of reintegration in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. By collecting their views and opinions about what it is like to become reintegrated, we explored the range of social factors that facilitate as well as obstruct practices of citizenship in everyday life and, subsequently, the ways in which this affects their overall experience of reintegration into Colombian society. This paper contributes to the social psychology of citizenship by studying the experience of reintegration in conflict-affected societies. The paper contributes to the emerging field of the social and political psychology of citizenship by highlighting the role of the social context in enabling, and hindering, processes of social inclusion and reintegration, and with this, the construction of new identities
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