In countries that have experienced wars, humanitarian crises, and other traumas, societies are forced to change in order to cope with the situation. In these circumstances, the norms that define social behaviour usually also begin to change. Cultures of war, victimization, apathy, and disempowerment arise as communities re-establish social norms based on their new realities. The process of re-establishing social norms is a quiet one as usually there are no group meetings or announcements. This is often based on the repeated cultural messages people receive - messages of violence, disempowerment, and despair.
New messages change norms and norms change in reaction to stress and trauma.
Because of pressure, outlets to express anger and frustration are needed to relieve the tension. This results in cultural norms changing in order to accommodate these outlets. In Luanda, Angola, the capital city of a country that has been in and out of war for over 30 years, a good example of this dynamic is car accidents. When an accident happens, there is the physical car wreck, but often there are also fights between people witnessing the accident, neighbours, or people just passing by. For people not actually involved in the incident, the emotion of seeing the accident can be enough to bring up their own traumas and stresses.