Abstract
Utilizing Grounded Theory to understand prosocial behavior, this study focuses on Hutu who refused to engage in violence during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, but instead risked their own lives, and/or their family’s lives to rescue Tutsi who they did not know prior. This study draws from 88 in-depth interviews with rescuers to better understand how they narrate, in their own words, why they risked their lives. Specifically, this thesis analyzes the motivators that impacted their decision to rescue a stranger such as religion, kindness, and humanity, having a “good heart,” education, and social networks and upbringing. These findings are vital to understanding why people engage in high-risk behavior to save others to build on the broader literature on prosocial behavior and violence intervention.