It is often theoretically argued that participation in national commemorations increases feelings of national belonging. Previous studies have also empirically demonstrated that participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging are positively related. We are uncertain, however, about the direction of this relationship. Does participating in national commemorations increase feelings of national belonging (increase hypothesis) or do people who attend such ceremonies feel a greater sense of national belonging compared to people who not attend (selection hypothesis)? Using an innovative research design, this study sheds more light on the direction of the relationship between participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging. We collected data from respondents before (n = 469), during (n = 50) and after (n = 226) the national ceremony on Remembrance Day in 2015 in the Netherlands. In this study, we found support for the selection hypothesis, but not for the increase hypothesis.
It is generally assumed that national commemorations have the power to increase national attachment. This is because such ceremonies highlight shared history, communicate core values, and have the potential to decrease conflicts in societies, while celebrating and mourning together enhances attachment to the group. Remarkably, only a limited number of studies have empirically studied the relation between participation in national commemorations and feelings of national attachment. Studies that have addressed this question focused mainly on the intentions of the organizing elite, employed qualitative research designs, or suffered from methodological problems such as causality. In this study, we examined * Sabrina de Regt is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and member of the interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS). Her research interests include democratic values, national commemorations, cohesion, and cross-national research. She has previously worked as a post-doctoral researcher on the project 'Freedom and Liberation Day in the Netherlands' in collaboration with the National Committee for 4 and 5 May, and as a fieldwork coordinator for the large-scale Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement (SHARE). Having earned master's degrees in sociology (2006, Tilburg University) and quantitative analysis in social ccience (magna cum laude,
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