Self-writing and the power of the self among women who are victims of political violence in Colombia

Abstract

This paper provides an account of the results of a study whose aim was to understand the process of subjective transformation resulting from autobiographical writing among women who live in Medellín city (Colombia) and have been victims of political violence. Participants: A group of nine women. Methodology: A qualitative approach with a methodology based on symbolic interactionism. Data collection was carried out via individual and group interviews as well as participant observation. Results: (1) these women have been subjected to various forms of violence; (2) self-writing produces subjective transformations in them; (3) these women build a new history of themselves where they integrate the pain from the violent experiences and (4) they come to foster transformations in other women and men who have undergone similar experiences. We conclude that the subjective transformation produced by self-writing is an empowering process for women who have been victims of political violence and that, in addition, requires a network which embraces them, such network is usually the writing group.