As forensic humanitarian and forensic human rights anthropology has continued to evolve, an ongoi... more As forensic humanitarian and forensic human rights anthropology has continued to evolve, an ongoing concern in the field is meaningful engagement with survivors and the imperative to do no harm. For forensic anthropologists attempting to engage in grassroots forensic intervention, unaffiliated with an international investigation, means for effectively accessing and engaging communities has not been widely discussed. Here, forensic anthropologists draw on multiple, cross-cultural contexts to discuss methods and techniques for introducing forensic partnerships to communities. To do this, the scientist must consider their positionality as well as that of the stakeholders, develop effective local relationships, and consider a community-grounded approach. This paper argues that drawing on broader cultural anthropological training, ultimately informs one's ability to gain entry into at-risk and vulnerable communities while minimizing harm. To illustrate this point, examples are drawn from Canada, Uganda, Cyprus, and Somaliland.
Social distancing and public safety measures enacted in response to COVID-19 created a surge in m... more Social distancing and public safety measures enacted in response to COVID-19 created a surge in methodological “advice” for researchers facing disruption to fieldwork. Resources and publications frequently encouraged changes vis-a-vis digitally enhanced methods or employment of digital ethnography. For ethnographers, the establishment and maintenance of ethnographic relationships in pandemic contexts restricted to virtual interactions has not been thoroughly explored, leaving those trained in recruitment, rapport-building, and field engagement with fewer resources to navigate this integral topic. Here, we provide insights into how ethnographic relationships may be developed when there is limited access to the field and traditional relationship building is not possible. We argue that as ethnographic methods change and adapt, so too must perspectives on ethnographic relationship development. By closely examining ethnographic relationships confined to digital spaces in the context of t...
Practical approaches and standardisation of forensic human rights
anthropology have been central... more Practical approaches and standardisation of forensic human rights
anthropology have been central areas of debate since the origin
of the field in 1980s Argentina. However, post-conflict
investigations challenge this current focus on standardisation due
to the diversity of sociocultural contexts and a demand for
culturally informed methodologies. Through a collaborative
research project in northern Uganda, a team of anthropologists
have addressed some of these issues in a context where spiritual
disturbances associated with human remains from the recent war
generate ongoing negative effects for Acholi survivors. Here, one
facet of this longitudinal project is presented – forensic site
surveys, their impact on collaboration with survivors, and their
application to sociocultural, rather than traditional forensic, needs
and international rights. The methodology presented here
introduces a way to incorporate emic prerogatives by treating
intangible effects of human remains as imperative to the medicolegal
context and the site map. In conclusion, this methodology
may offer a way to overcome western-centric human rights
approaches while allowing local communities to further define
what features are integral to the ‘forensic’ documentation process;
tangible or intangible.
In the aftermath of war, survivors' definitions of justice are often in tension with those of gov... more In the aftermath of war, survivors' definitions of justice are often in tension with those of governments and international actors. While postwar northern Uganda has been the site of high-profile prosecutions of Lord's Resistance Army rebels, our research in rural Acholiland highlights how survivors define justice largely in terms of material compensation for both the living and the dead. These priorities are linked to the omni-presence of improperly buried human remains as evidence of physical and structural violence. Mass graves, burials in former displacement camps, and unidentified remains become focal points around which survivors articulate ongoing socioeconomic suffering and demands for redress. A 'thanatological approach' that centres the role of the dead and critically explores the possibilities presented by forensic science in a transitional justice context reveals survivors' prioritisation of reparative and restorative justice despite the international and national focus on retributive justice through institutions like the ICC.
The renowned work of Clyde Snow and the development of the Equipo Argentino de Anthropología Fore... more The renowned work of Clyde Snow and the development of the Equipo Argentino de Anthropología Forense (EAAF) team has inspired the use of forensic anthropological and archaeological skills in human rights interventions around the world. Whether for medico-legal intervention and acquisition of evidence or humanitarian repatriation and identification of human remains, forensic expertise has garnered attention in the global arena. Arguably fulfilling evidentiary and psychosocial needs, there has been growing interest in this post-conflict redress. However, as part of the critique of these interventions, scholars and practitioners have pointed out-primarily in medico-legal investigations-a lack of sensitization of local communities regarding forensic work, increasing the potential for re-traumatization, unrealistic expectations, or an unintentional increase in political tensions. Research regarding forensic intervention and human remains have permeated social sciences, peace and conflict studies, and science and technology studies, revealing both intentional and unintentional impacts of forensic sciences after mass violence. In an effort to mitigate negative impacts of medico-legal or humanitarian interventions, the research described here sought to sensitize communities in Uganda about forensic methods. Findings from this study suggest that sensitization is necessary and desired, and that a multi-step approach can assist in managing expectations.
While traditionally underrepresented in transitional justice studies, anthropological study of cu... more While traditionally underrepresented in transitional justice studies, anthropological study of culture, ethnography, and processes, can contribute valuable insight into colonial bureaucracies and dynamics of power. This study uses an ethnographic approach and colonial bureaucratic violence theoretical foundation to analyze negative perceptions of transitional justice at the ground level. Participants included facilitators, government officials, non-profit organizations, and Indigenous community members; research occurred during implementation of transitional justice (2011-2014) for a period of twelve months. Specifically, I argue that the relationship between transitional justice and colonial bureaucratic violence encourages negative views of transitional justice. Instead, ethnographic data first reveals that bureaucratic processes within transitional justice challenge Indigenous identities. Secondly, transitional justice is largely viewed on a continuum of colonial bureaucratic violence by Indigenous survivors in British Columbia, Canada. Using a colonial bureaucratic violence framework, this paper provides insight and nuance into perceptions of transitional justice at the local level.
This article addresses how forensic anthropology can contribute to peace and reconstruction agend... more This article addresses how forensic anthropology can contribute to peace and reconstruction agendas in countries with legacies of structural and physical violence. The capabilities of forensic anthropological interventions have been debated in anthropological literature, often restrictively framed in terms of medico-legal or humanitarian endeavors. I argue that forensic anthropology should be reframed into an integrated approach that is informed by context-specific information, the presence of other interventions, and grave-related concerns. Specifically, this research relies on ethnographic data collected from two districts in northern Uganda in 2016 that are experiencing psychosocial, spiritual, economic, and other negative impacts related to improper burials from the Lord's Resistance Army conflict. This reveals an overlooked capability of the field to contribute to the pursuit of sustainable peace through local level engagements -- a rising concern in related literatures of transitional justice, peacebuilding, and anthropologies of violence.
The dissonance between local and global transitional justice imperatives has been the source of i... more The dissonance between local and global transitional justice imperatives has been the source of interdisciplinary debate with scholars highlighting the tensions between theory and practice.
Forensic humanitarian action and human rights interventions have been critiqued for their a prior... more Forensic humanitarian action and human rights interventions have been critiqued for their a priori assumptions about survivor goals and narrow definitions of cultural engagement. Cursory findings from applied research in Uganda are presented here to illustrate how cultural knowledge can directly inform forensic practice.
As forensic humanitarian and forensic human rights anthropology has continued to evolve, an ongoi... more As forensic humanitarian and forensic human rights anthropology has continued to evolve, an ongoing concern in the field is meaningful engagement with survivors and the imperative to do no harm. For forensic anthropologists attempting to engage in grassroots forensic intervention, unaffiliated with an international investigation, means for effectively accessing and engaging communities has not been widely discussed. Here, forensic anthropologists draw on multiple, cross-cultural contexts to discuss methods and techniques for introducing forensic partnerships to communities. To do this, the scientist must consider their positionality as well as that of the stakeholders, develop effective local relationships, and consider a community-grounded approach. This paper argues that drawing on broader cultural anthropological training, ultimately informs one's ability to gain entry into at-risk and vulnerable communities while minimizing harm. To illustrate this point, examples are drawn from Canada, Uganda, Cyprus, and Somaliland.
Social distancing and public safety measures enacted in response to COVID-19 created a surge in m... more Social distancing and public safety measures enacted in response to COVID-19 created a surge in methodological “advice” for researchers facing disruption to fieldwork. Resources and publications frequently encouraged changes vis-a-vis digitally enhanced methods or employment of digital ethnography. For ethnographers, the establishment and maintenance of ethnographic relationships in pandemic contexts restricted to virtual interactions has not been thoroughly explored, leaving those trained in recruitment, rapport-building, and field engagement with fewer resources to navigate this integral topic. Here, we provide insights into how ethnographic relationships may be developed when there is limited access to the field and traditional relationship building is not possible. We argue that as ethnographic methods change and adapt, so too must perspectives on ethnographic relationship development. By closely examining ethnographic relationships confined to digital spaces in the context of t...
Practical approaches and standardisation of forensic human rights
anthropology have been central... more Practical approaches and standardisation of forensic human rights
anthropology have been central areas of debate since the origin
of the field in 1980s Argentina. However, post-conflict
investigations challenge this current focus on standardisation due
to the diversity of sociocultural contexts and a demand for
culturally informed methodologies. Through a collaborative
research project in northern Uganda, a team of anthropologists
have addressed some of these issues in a context where spiritual
disturbances associated with human remains from the recent war
generate ongoing negative effects for Acholi survivors. Here, one
facet of this longitudinal project is presented – forensic site
surveys, their impact on collaboration with survivors, and their
application to sociocultural, rather than traditional forensic, needs
and international rights. The methodology presented here
introduces a way to incorporate emic prerogatives by treating
intangible effects of human remains as imperative to the medicolegal
context and the site map. In conclusion, this methodology
may offer a way to overcome western-centric human rights
approaches while allowing local communities to further define
what features are integral to the ‘forensic’ documentation process;
tangible or intangible.
In the aftermath of war, survivors' definitions of justice are often in tension with those of gov... more In the aftermath of war, survivors' definitions of justice are often in tension with those of governments and international actors. While postwar northern Uganda has been the site of high-profile prosecutions of Lord's Resistance Army rebels, our research in rural Acholiland highlights how survivors define justice largely in terms of material compensation for both the living and the dead. These priorities are linked to the omni-presence of improperly buried human remains as evidence of physical and structural violence. Mass graves, burials in former displacement camps, and unidentified remains become focal points around which survivors articulate ongoing socioeconomic suffering and demands for redress. A 'thanatological approach' that centres the role of the dead and critically explores the possibilities presented by forensic science in a transitional justice context reveals survivors' prioritisation of reparative and restorative justice despite the international and national focus on retributive justice through institutions like the ICC.
The renowned work of Clyde Snow and the development of the Equipo Argentino de Anthropología Fore... more The renowned work of Clyde Snow and the development of the Equipo Argentino de Anthropología Forense (EAAF) team has inspired the use of forensic anthropological and archaeological skills in human rights interventions around the world. Whether for medico-legal intervention and acquisition of evidence or humanitarian repatriation and identification of human remains, forensic expertise has garnered attention in the global arena. Arguably fulfilling evidentiary and psychosocial needs, there has been growing interest in this post-conflict redress. However, as part of the critique of these interventions, scholars and practitioners have pointed out-primarily in medico-legal investigations-a lack of sensitization of local communities regarding forensic work, increasing the potential for re-traumatization, unrealistic expectations, or an unintentional increase in political tensions. Research regarding forensic intervention and human remains have permeated social sciences, peace and conflict studies, and science and technology studies, revealing both intentional and unintentional impacts of forensic sciences after mass violence. In an effort to mitigate negative impacts of medico-legal or humanitarian interventions, the research described here sought to sensitize communities in Uganda about forensic methods. Findings from this study suggest that sensitization is necessary and desired, and that a multi-step approach can assist in managing expectations.
While traditionally underrepresented in transitional justice studies, anthropological study of cu... more While traditionally underrepresented in transitional justice studies, anthropological study of culture, ethnography, and processes, can contribute valuable insight into colonial bureaucracies and dynamics of power. This study uses an ethnographic approach and colonial bureaucratic violence theoretical foundation to analyze negative perceptions of transitional justice at the ground level. Participants included facilitators, government officials, non-profit organizations, and Indigenous community members; research occurred during implementation of transitional justice (2011-2014) for a period of twelve months. Specifically, I argue that the relationship between transitional justice and colonial bureaucratic violence encourages negative views of transitional justice. Instead, ethnographic data first reveals that bureaucratic processes within transitional justice challenge Indigenous identities. Secondly, transitional justice is largely viewed on a continuum of colonial bureaucratic violence by Indigenous survivors in British Columbia, Canada. Using a colonial bureaucratic violence framework, this paper provides insight and nuance into perceptions of transitional justice at the local level.
This article addresses how forensic anthropology can contribute to peace and reconstruction agend... more This article addresses how forensic anthropology can contribute to peace and reconstruction agendas in countries with legacies of structural and physical violence. The capabilities of forensic anthropological interventions have been debated in anthropological literature, often restrictively framed in terms of medico-legal or humanitarian endeavors. I argue that forensic anthropology should be reframed into an integrated approach that is informed by context-specific information, the presence of other interventions, and grave-related concerns. Specifically, this research relies on ethnographic data collected from two districts in northern Uganda in 2016 that are experiencing psychosocial, spiritual, economic, and other negative impacts related to improper burials from the Lord's Resistance Army conflict. This reveals an overlooked capability of the field to contribute to the pursuit of sustainable peace through local level engagements -- a rising concern in related literatures of transitional justice, peacebuilding, and anthropologies of violence.
The dissonance between local and global transitional justice imperatives has been the source of i... more The dissonance between local and global transitional justice imperatives has been the source of interdisciplinary debate with scholars highlighting the tensions between theory and practice.
Forensic humanitarian action and human rights interventions have been critiqued for their a prior... more Forensic humanitarian action and human rights interventions have been critiqued for their a priori assumptions about survivor goals and narrow definitions of cultural engagement. Cursory findings from applied research in Uganda are presented here to illustrate how cultural knowledge can directly inform forensic practice.
As Uganda moves toward adopting a national Transitional Justice (TJ) policy, we explore challenge... more As Uganda moves toward adopting a national Transitional Justice (TJ) policy, we explore challenges and opportunities for collaborations between government officials, civil servants, nongovernmental organizations, and forensic and social scientists. Interviews with stakeholders in multiple sectors revealed micro and macro forces that impact implementation and participation in TJ initiatives.
To assist Ugandan reconciliation and conflict stabilization programs after 30 years of war, a for... more To assist Ugandan reconciliation and conflict stabilization programs after 30 years of war, a forensic science training seminar aimed at Ugandan forensic practitioners, government officials, and NGOs was conducted. The aim of the seminar was to educate participants on best practices of large-scale forensic investigations used in post-conflict contexts with the intent of opening further dialogue for future communication, training, and assistance.
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Papers by Jaymelee Kim
anthropology have been central areas of debate since the origin
of the field in 1980s Argentina. However, post-conflict
investigations challenge this current focus on standardisation due
to the diversity of sociocultural contexts and a demand for
culturally informed methodologies. Through a collaborative
research project in northern Uganda, a team of anthropologists
have addressed some of these issues in a context where spiritual
disturbances associated with human remains from the recent war
generate ongoing negative effects for Acholi survivors. Here, one
facet of this longitudinal project is presented – forensic site
surveys, their impact on collaboration with survivors, and their
application to sociocultural, rather than traditional forensic, needs
and international rights. The methodology presented here
introduces a way to incorporate emic prerogatives by treating
intangible effects of human remains as imperative to the medicolegal
context and the site map. In conclusion, this methodology
may offer a way to overcome western-centric human rights
approaches while allowing local communities to further define
what features are integral to the ‘forensic’ documentation process;
tangible or intangible.
Conference Presentations by Jaymelee Kim
anthropology have been central areas of debate since the origin
of the field in 1980s Argentina. However, post-conflict
investigations challenge this current focus on standardisation due
to the diversity of sociocultural contexts and a demand for
culturally informed methodologies. Through a collaborative
research project in northern Uganda, a team of anthropologists
have addressed some of these issues in a context where spiritual
disturbances associated with human remains from the recent war
generate ongoing negative effects for Acholi survivors. Here, one
facet of this longitudinal project is presented – forensic site
surveys, their impact on collaboration with survivors, and their
application to sociocultural, rather than traditional forensic, needs
and international rights. The methodology presented here
introduces a way to incorporate emic prerogatives by treating
intangible effects of human remains as imperative to the medicolegal
context and the site map. In conclusion, this methodology
may offer a way to overcome western-centric human rights
approaches while allowing local communities to further define
what features are integral to the ‘forensic’ documentation process;
tangible or intangible.