Etnik Kimlik Yaklaşımları ve Şiddet: İnşacı yaklaşım üzerinden Ruanda ve Burundi Vakalarının Tarihsel Bir Karşılaştırması

Year 2022, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 1 - 24, 29.01.2022

Cihan Ay Süleyman Ekici

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı; primordiyal, araçsalcı ve inşacı etnik kimlik yaklaşımlarının etnik kimliklerin doğası, tanımı, işlevi ve kimlik-şiddet ilişkisi hakkındaki temel iddialarını Ruanda ve Burundi vakaları üzerinden eleştirel bir şekilde incelemektedir. Ruanda ve Burundi, etnik kimlikler ve bu kimliklerin demografik dağılımı, dil, din, kültürel yapı ve tarihsel deneyimler açısından benzer özellikler taşımalarına rağmen farklı tarihlerde etnik kimlikler ile ilişkilendirilen şiddet vakalarına bakıldığında Ruanda’da Burundi ile karşılaştırıldığında daha yoğun bir çatışma yaşandığı gözlemlenmektedir. Ayrıca Ruanda’da bu şiddet vakalarına sıradan insanların daha yoğun bir katılım gösterdiği görülmektedir. Çalışma, Ruanda’daki bu farklılığı tarihsel süreç içerisinde etnik kimliklerin inşa edilme biçimleri ve devletin merkezileşme ve otoriterleşme yönünde yaşadığı dönüşüm ile açıklamaktadır. Sömürge öncesi, sömürge dönemi ve sömürge sonrası şeklinde üçlü bir tarihsel dönemselleştirmeye gidildiğinde her üç dönemde de Ruanda’da Burundi’ye kıyasla daha katı, ayrımcı ve dışlayıcı bir etnik kimlik inşasının olduğu, bu inşa sürecinin siyasi yapının merkezileşmesinden daha çok etkilendiği ve sonuçta şiddet vakalarının daha yoğun bir şekilde geliştiği gözlemlenmektedir. İki ülkenin sömürge öncesi ve sömürge döneminde etnik gruplar arasındaki ilişkilerin ve siyasi yapıları arasındaki farklılıkların sömürge sonrası dönemdeki şiddet vakalarının yoğunluğunda önemli etkisi olmuştur. Genel olarak bakıldığında yapılacak karşılaştırmada inşacı yaklaşımın kimliklerin tarihsel olarak nasıl inşa edildikleri ve kitleler tarafından nasıl aktif bir şekilde benimsendikleri yönündeki argümanları bize şiddet vakalarını daha iyi analiz edebilme imkânı tanımaktadır.

Keywords

Etnik kimlik yaklaşımları, kimlik inşası, şiddet, Ruanda, Burundi

Supporting Institution

T.C. İnönü Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinasyon Birimi

Project Number

SYL-2018-1460

Thanks

T.C. İnönü Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinasyon Birimi'ne desteklerinden ötürü teşekkürlerimizi sunarız

Ethnic Identity Approaches and Violence: A Historical Comparison of the Rwanda and Burundi Cases through the Constructivist Approach

Abstract

This study critically examines the main claims of primordial, instrumentalist and constructivist approaches regarding the nature, definition, functions of ethnic identities and identity-violence relationship through the cases of Rwanda and Burundi. Although Rwanda and Burundi have similar characteristics in terms of ethnic identities and demographic distribution of these identities, language, religion, cultural structure and historical experiences, when the violence cases associated with ethnic identities at different dates are examined, it is observed that there is a more intense conflict in Rwanda compared to Burundi. In addition, it is seen that ordinary people participate more intensely in these violence cases in Rwanda. The study explains this difference in Rwanda with the way ethnic identities are historically constructed and the transformation of the state towards a more centralized and authoritarian structure. When a triple historical periodization is made as pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods, in all three periods, there is a stricter, more discriminatory and more exclusionary ethnic identity construction in Rwanda compared to Burundi; this construction process is more affected by the centralization of the political structure, and as a result more the incidences of violence occurred. The relations between ethnic groups and the differences between the political structures of the two countries during the pre-colonial and colonial period had a significant impact on the intensity of violence in the post-colonial period. In general, the arguments of the constructivist approach on how identities are historically constructed and how they are actively adopted by the masses allow us to analyze cases of violence better.

Keywords

Ethnic identity approaches, identity construction, violence, Rwanda, Burundi

Project Number

SYL-2018-1460

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