Intergroup biases are spread across generations in the aftermath of a genocide

What is it about?

In Rwanda, citizens are exposed to a unique case of intergroup reconciliation and have to try to manage their intergroup biases caused by decades of ethnic conflicts and the Genocide against Tutsis. Between April 1994 and July 1994, more than one million of Tutsis and some moderate Hutus were mutilated and killed in a genocidal process. This dramatic event in the history of Rwanda seems unforgivable. However, Rwandan citizens have to learn to live together: perpetrators of the genocide were not invaders from another country; those who were killed died at the hands of their neighbors. Rwandan citizens thus cannot avoid the people they were in conflict with in the past, and have to be able to manage their emotions and behaviors toward their former aggressors or victims. Can we expect individuals who have suffered such intense trauma, or who are descendants of the victims, to be able to resonate with the suffering of others and develop empathy toward them, especially if those others were their former aggressors? In this unique field research conducted in Rwanda, Prof. Emilie Caspar and her team traveled across Rwanda to recruit former genocide perpetrators, survivors and their children thanks to the help of local associations. After convincing them to wear en electroencephalogram to record their brain activity, the researchers measured their empathy towards former genocide perpetrators, survivors or their offspring, to measure intergroup biases. The researchers observed a reduced neural response to the pain of the 'outgroup', even 27 years after the genocide. This result suggests that it is difficult to get rid of intergroup biases in the aftermath of such tragedy. But what was even more critical is that children from both former genocide perpetrators and survivors displayed the same intergroup bias as their parents, even though they did not experience the conflict themselves. This result might explain why some conflicts sometimes last over generations, as the children appear to have the same biases as their parents.

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Photo by Portuguese Gravity on Unsplash

Photo by Portuguese Gravity on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Across the world, the History of Mankind has been plagued by conflicts, wars and genocides. In the aftermath of conflict, being able to understand and feel what the other group feel is critical for reaching reconciliation. But conflicts also enhance intergroup conflicts, as they accentuate resentment against the other group. Studying how intergroup biases evolve in war-torn societies is critical for understanding better the perpetuation of conflict.

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