The present study examines current social representations associated with the origins of the Great War, a major event that has profoundly affected Europe. A survey conducted in 20 European countries (N = 1906 students in social sciences) shows a high consensus: The outbreak of the war is attributed to the warring nations’ leaders while the responsibility of the populations is minimized. Building on the concept of social representation of history (Liu & Hilton, 2005), we suggest that the social representations of the Great War fulfill social psychological functions in contemporary Europe. We suggest that WWI may function as a charter for European integration. Their content also suggests a desire to distinguish a positively valued ingroup ("the people") from powerful elites, construed as an outgroup.

Bouchat, P., Licata, L., Rosoux, V., Allesch, C., Ammerer, H., Babinska, M., et al. (2019). Greedy Elites and Poor Lambs: How Young Europeans Remember the Great War. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, 7(1), 52-75 [10.5964/jspp.v7i1.781].

Greedy Elites and Poor Lambs: How Young Europeans Remember the Great War

Durante, F;Mari, S;Volpato, C;
2019

Abstract

The present study examines current social representations associated with the origins of the Great War, a major event that has profoundly affected Europe. A survey conducted in 20 European countries (N = 1906 students in social sciences) shows a high consensus: The outbreak of the war is attributed to the warring nations’ leaders while the responsibility of the populations is minimized. Building on the concept of social representation of history (Liu & Hilton, 2005), we suggest that the social representations of the Great War fulfill social psychological functions in contemporary Europe. We suggest that WWI may function as a charter for European integration. Their content also suggests a desire to distinguish a positively valued ingroup ("the people") from powerful elites, construed as an outgroup.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
charter, Europe, history, social identity, social representations, WWI
English
2019
7
1
52
75
open
Bouchat, P., Licata, L., Rosoux, V., Allesch, C., Ammerer, H., Babinska, M., et al. (2019). Greedy Elites and Poor Lambs: How Young Europeans Remember the Great War. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, 7(1), 52-75 [10.5964/jspp.v7i1.781].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/210677
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