ABSTRACT
As the field of trauma studies has matured, it has developed a coherent set of concepts and assumptions, and we have come to appreciate the complexity of traumatic experience. In the process, several conceptual problems have become evident. Primary among these are the problem of memory, the distinction between individual trauma and collective trauma, and the translation and application of trauma concepts across cultures. Viewing trauma through the lens of African literatures and African experience does not necessarily resolve these problems, but it does offer some correctives to our notions of trauma—in some cases, by moderating their grander claims. This chapter argues for viewing trauma as an important subset of the larger category of peacebuilding.
