Youth at the crossroads

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Based on eleven months of fieldwork (2009-2011), this book analyzes the experiences of youth in urban Gulu, Northern Uganda, following the war between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan Government (1986-2006). It focuses on a generation that grew up during the 20-year conflict, exploring their perceptions of socio-cultural changes in Acholi society. Key questions include how they envision their future society and respond to elder expectations. Utilizing rich ethnographic material, the book examines the contested imaginations of post-war society among various social actors—youth, elders, men, women, and local, national, and international entities. Some advocate for a return to traditional practices, calling for ‘retraditionalization,’ while others push for ‘modernization,’ seeking to establish new social structures influenced by local interpretations of Western culture. The narrative presents numerous examples of how young people strategically navigate these debates, engaging with discourses on culture, tradition, and modernity as they negotiate generational, gender, family, and peer relationships.