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Does Truth Lead to Reconciliation? Testing the Causal Assumptions of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Process

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  • James L. Gibson

Abstract

Throughout the world, truth commissions have been created under the assumption that getting people to understand the past will somehow contribute to reconciliation between those who were enemies under the ancien regime. In South Africa, the truth and reconciliation process is explicitly based on the hypothesis that knowledge of the past will lead to acceptance, tolerance, and reconciliation in the future. My purpose here is to test that hypothesis, based on data collected in a 2001 survey of over 3,700 South Africans. My most important finding is that those who accept the “truth” about the country's apartheid past are more likely to hold reconciled racial attitudes. Racial reconciliation also depends to a considerable degree on interracial contact, evidence that adds weight to the “contact hypothesis” investigated by western social scientists. Ultimately, these findings are hopeful for South Africa's democratic transition, since racial attitudes seem not to be intransigent.

Suggested Citation

  • James L. Gibson, 2004. "Does Truth Lead to Reconciliation? Testing the Causal Assumptions of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Process," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(2), pages 201-217, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:48:y:2004:i:2:p:201-217
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0092-5853.2004.00065.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Jennifer Cyr, 2019. "An integrative approach to measurement: focus groups as a survey pretest," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 897-913, March.
    2. Karen Brounéus, 2010. "The Trauma of Truth Telling: Effects of Witnessing in the Rwandan Gacaca Courts on Psychological Health," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 54(3), pages 408-437, June.
    3. Krampe, Florian & Hegazi, Farah & VanDeveer, Stacy D., 2021. "Sustaining peace through better resource governance: Three potential mechanisms for environmental peacebuilding," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    4. Jennifer Cyr, 2016. "The Pitfalls and Promise of Focus Groups as a Data Collection Method," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 45(2), pages 231-259, May.
    5. Michael Reed H. & Camilo Umaña H., 2020. "La búsqueda de la verdad: laberintos, ilusiones y expectativas," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 1172, march.
    6. Sarah Zukerman Daly, 2016. "Determinants of former combatants’ attitudes toward transitional justice," HiCN Working Papers 235, Households in Conflict Network.
    7. James Meernik & Diego Esparza & Gustavo Duncan & Clarita Toro & Juan Camilo Gaviria, 2023. "Trust of demobilized combatants: Overcoming fear or becoming familiar?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 104(3), pages 315-328, May.
    8. Scacco, Alexandra & Warren, Shana S., 2018. "Can Social Contact Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 112(3), pages 654-677.
    9. Pham, Phuong Ngoc & Vinck, Patrick & Weinstein, Harvey M., 2010. "Human rights, transitional justice, public health and social reconstruction," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 98-105, January.
    10. Sarah Zukerman Daly, 2018. "Determinants of ex-combatants’ attitudes toward transitional justice in Colombia," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 35(6), pages 656-673, November.
    11. Jun Gu & Annika Mueller & Ingrid Nielsen & Jason Shachat & Russell Smyth, 2015. "An experimental study of contact effects and their persistence on Malawian shopkeepers’ willingness to spend future time with their Chinese counterparts," Monash Economics Working Papers 04-15, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    12. Jonathan Hall, 2018. "Integration of Refugees and Support for the Ethos of Conflict," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(9), pages 2040-2067, October.
    13. Pearce Edwards, 2021. "Why No Justice for Past Repression? Militaries and Human Rights Organizations in Post-Authoritarian States," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 65(4), pages 759-787, April.

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