Nicole Fox

Focuses Hutu who did not participate in the genocidal violence in 1994 Rwanda and instead risked their lives to rescue Tutsi. Draws from 45 in-depth interviews, we examine how these deviant heroes invoke religion to narrate their actions. Finds that interviewees often neutralize their acts of rescue by attributing responsibility to God. 

Demonstrates that religion is tied to rescue efforts in at least three ways: 1) through the creation of cognitive safety nets that enabled high-risk actions; 2) through religious practices that isolated individuals from the social networks of those committing the violence; and 3) through religious social networks where individuals encountered opportunities and accessed resources to rescue.

Investigates the ways memorials can shape the experiences of survivors decades after mass violence has ended. Examines how memorializations can both heal and hurt, especially when they fail to represent all genders, ethnicities, and classes of those afflicted. Reveals after drawing on extensive experiences with Rwandans their relationships to these spaces and uncovers those voices silenced by the dominant narrative—arguing that the erasure of such stories is an act of violence itself.

Develops a framework for differentiating distinct “modes of recontextualization” rooted in the relocation and/or modification of commemorative objects.