Challenged Histories and Collective Self-Concepts: Politics in History, Memory, and Time

Abstract

Societies, like individuals, strive to have positive self-concepts. They endow stories of their origin and associate their course through history with ethical principles that attest to who they are and how they want to be seen. Such principles define the society for its members and for the world at large. But all societies must at some time confront evidence of actions undertaken in their name that violate their fundamental principles and conflict with their desired self-image. Following a glance at the basic elements of the politics of history and identity, the author suggests two sources of the tensions between “bad acts” and positive self-concepts. Both relate to shifts in developmental time. First, actions not considered wrong when they were undertaken in the past are inconsistent with current expectation. Second, transsocietal differences in normative frameworks lead to cross-boundary criticisms of behavior in which the critics' societies likely engaged at an earlier time. Accusations or criticisms generally meet with defensive, often hostile responses. Hypocrisy tends to rule in most cases, with little or no normative learning.

Political reconsideration of the Soviet past: attitudes and actions of the Lithuanian elites

“…The other three questions generated only 2-4 'no opinions' each. The obtained data show that conservative 5 candidates advocate the most restraining and condemnatory attitudes towards the Soviet past and definitively support the strict preventive political management of collective memories.…”

“…Do you agree that the archives of the Soviet secret services should be made be accessible without any restrictions? 5 Conservatives TS-LKD+ [this party group label includes candidates from Homeland Union/Lithuanian Christian Democrats TS-LKD, Lithuanian Center Party LCP, and the nationalist party "Young Lithuania" JL; in 2008 N= 75]. 6 Populists DP+, TPP and TT [this party group label includes candidates from the Labor Party and Labor Youths Party DP+, the National Revival Party TPP, and the party "Order and Justice" TTP; in 2008 N= 67].…”

History, International Relations, and Integrated Approaches: Thinking about Greater Interdisciplinarity

“…Or, in the view of a constructivist, they are constructing reality using history for political goals. It may also be that, even if the history is accurate, its lessons may be too complex to understand; subjected to different interpretations by different actors; or too painful to put in effect (see Heisler 2008).…”

Forgetting to Heal Remembering the abolition act of 1807

“…On this issue, Heisler (2008b) has pointed out that such identities will hook into a picture of the past that is invariably positive. As Heisler goes on to argue, even 'where stories are constructed around or reinforced by victimhood, the negative aspects of the theme are redeemed by testimony of survival and ''overcoming''' (Heisler, 2008b: 205).…”