Historical Remembering and Attitudes Towards the “Other”: A Cross-generational Inquiry
Date
2010-05-19T19:04:50Z
Authors
Susnjic, Silvia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The main aim of this study is to explore the relationships between historical memories and group attitudes to determine whether the positive or negative ways of remembering actors involved in these events will have an influence on whether one positively or negatively views the actors’ group affiliation. Out of the 210 survey participants, 48.6 percent (N=102) came from the non-war affected areas and 51.4 percent (N=108) from conflict affected areas. Finally, this study concludes that the more support one gives to the negative historical figures, the more negative their attitudes will be toward the groups involved in such incidents. Hence, the way we collectively remember a group will dictate the way we will behave towards them. Moreover, viewing a group as negative reinforces the individuals’ negative attitudes towards them insofar as peaceful coexistence and/or reconciliation in such situation becomes of limited or no importance.
Description
Keywords
Attitudes, Ethnonational conflict, Historical memory, Croatia, Former-Yugoslavia, Conflict studies, Identity