Meanings of victimhood among families of forced missing on Colombian armed conflict

Abstract

Based on a historical- cultural perspective of social psychology, this study aimed to describe the meanings about the condition of the victims, built by family members of the Colombian armed conflict forced disappeared. The research was carried out based on a qualitative study Multiple case methodology. Participants were relatives of forced missing of the Colombian armed conflict and were chosen according to the intentional theory criterion. 18 in-depth interviews were conducted, 3 focus groups and a means of complementing sentences were applied. Production techniques of information were drawn on the basis of governing categories covering different areas of significance. Data analysis was performed from an abductive logic, fostering dialogue between the empirical and the theoretical framework for identifying indicators, areas and configurations of meaning. To this end, the information gathered was integrated into a hermeneutic unit in the Atlas -ti 6.2 for qualitative data analysis program. It was concluded that the relatives of the missing constituted contradictory meanings about their condition of victims. Being a victim is a social category around which the identity can be crystallized, but at the same time is one of rejection because it produces, creates a stigma and horror. © Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Sociales.