Choice Review
The purpose of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was to document the violation of human rights during the Apartheid era in order to promote national reconciliation and establish a "culture of human rights." Wilson's tough-minded analysis confirms views held by other analysts that, while such a culture is emerging and affects the public discussion about truth and reconciliation, it remains to be seen whether it reflects substantive changes in actual social behavior and public discourse about "violent conflict, justice and punishment" issues. Wilson (social anthropology, Univ. of Sussex) bases his conclusions on extensive interviews with victims and an examination of the social context in which they functioned. Focusing on attitudes toward reconciliation, retribution, and vengeance, the author sees human rights in South Africa essentially as legal instruments that serve the purposes of pragmatic political compromise rather than the concept of justice. While this conclusion is realistic, it does raise the general question of whether observers attributed to the TRC characteristics that were never intended. In any case, Wilson's analysis raises basic questions about the long-term efficacy of truth commissions and is useful for comparative purposes. Recommended for undergraduates, graduates, and researchers/faculty. M. E. Doro emerita, Connecticut College
Choice Review
The purpose of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was to document the violation of human rights during the Apartheid era in order to promote national reconciliation and establish a "culture of human rights." Wilson's tough-minded analysis confirms views held by other analysts that, while such a culture is emerging and affects the public discussion about truth and reconciliation, it remains to be seen whether it reflects substantive changes in actual social behavior and public discourse about "violent conflict, justice and punishment" issues. Wilson (social anthropology, Univ. of Sussex) bases his conclusions on extensive interviews with victims and an examination of the social context in which they functioned. Focusing on attitudes toward reconciliation, retribution, and vengeance, the author sees human rights in South Africa essentially as legal instruments that serve the purposes of pragmatic political compromise rather than the concept of justice. While this conclusion is realistic, it does raise the general question of whether observers attributed to the TRC characteristics that were never intended. In any case, Wilson's analysis raises basic questions about the long-term efficacy of truth commissions and is useful for comparative purposes. Recommended for undergraduates, graduates, and researchers/faculty. M. E. Doro emerita, Connecticut College
![Cover image for The politics of truth and reconciliation in South Africa [electronic resource] : legitimizing the post-apartheid state / Richard A. Wilson.](/client/assets/5.1326/ctx//client/images/no_image.png "Cover image for The politics of truth and reconciliation in South Africa [electronic resource] : legitimizing the post-apartheid state / Richard A. Wilson.")