Abstract

LIZARRALDE, J. Mauricio. Maestros en zona de conflicto. Rev.latinoam.cienc.soc.niñez juv [online]. 2003, vol.1, n.2, pp.79-114. ISSN 1692-715X.

Starting with the stories told by teachers themselves, the author discusses their socialization and self-awareness processes in the context of war, as well as the ways in which they express this self-awareness and identity. Teacher's self-awareness and sense of identity is affected by the fact that teachers daily activities take place in a context marked by the fear which is generated by war and by the different activities related to war, such as open combat, massacres, threats and accusations, impunity and a sense of helplessness. This sense of identity is constituted by the teacher's personal hispirulatory, his/her awareness of his/her public role, the social value accorded to the profession and his/her own politic choices. All these factors produce different ways of expression of teachers' self-awareness and influence the attitude by which he/she seeks to survive. Some of these attitudes are: "normality", which results in the acceptance of horror and violence as something natural; "indifference", which acts as a mechanism of psychological withdrawal; "isolation", which in many ways is similar to the latter, but characterized by its protective role; "mimetic actions", which take place and are proposed as a necessary answer to the extreme options demanded by each of the armed groups in conflict; "to arms", in which, by their ideology or identification with one of the armed groups in conflict, teachers take an active part in war, "change of place of work", as a way to search for an escape to save their own lives in response to direct threat and pressure, and eventually, "risk it all", as an answer to a personal life, political, or religious commitment, which leads teachers to remain in the area and to act according to their principles, no matter what the risk.

Keywords : Armed Conflict; Teachers and War; Identity; Dehumanization; Adaptation and Surviving.

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