Exploring ourselves within intergroup conflict: The role of intragroup dialogue in promoting acceptance of collective narratives and willingness toward reconciliation.

Abstract

The current article presents a new intervention model for intragroup dialogue. Twenty-four Jewish-Israeli undergraduate students underwent a yearlong process to learn about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, encountered Palestinian narratives, and reflected on the impact of the Palestinian other on their own identity as Jewish-Israelis. In this research we propose that such a process ameliorates identity threats posed by an intergroup conflict on collective identities, encouraging participants to adopt a more complex view of themselves, which validates both narratives of self and “other.” Research was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the intervention. Results showed that participants developed an increased capacity for acceptance of both Israeli and Palestinian collective narratives, and demonstrated a greater willingness toward reconciliation, manifested in more readiness to acknowledge responsibility and apologize for past transgressions. Discussion is dedicated to the added value of this model, specifically in relation to intergroup contact approaches to dialogue.

Eyes Wide Shut: Political Ideology as a Tool of Discursive Avoidance Among Israeli‐Jewish Students in the Context of Escalating Conflict

“…Unlike the group process within the course which took place a year before in a different political context (see: Ben David & Idan, 2019; Ben David et al, 2017) in which the group discourse transformed from categorical and defensive to more complex and inclusive, the analysis of this year revealed that the group dynamic resembled an escalating circle. As it appeared, while the intensity of the discussion in terms of content (for example, surfacing of traumatic experiences and controversial issues) increased throughout the process, the rhetoric of the group discourse remained the same.…”

“…This understudied form of dialogue can be mainly found in the field of peace education (e.g., Salomon, 2004) and in recent initiatives (Rosenak, Leshem Zinger, & Isaacks, 2014). It has great potential in exploring the psychological implications of intergroup conflict on ingroup members' subjectivity (Ben David et al, 2017), particularly in how internal political discourse evolves within social groups (Ben David & Idan, 2019).…”

“…Another example for the two opposing needs in the group—to be comforted versus being confronted—was evident in the group's response to a questionnaire they were asked to complete as part of the research design and the course's requirements. An analysis of questionnaire responses can be found in the Ben David et al (2017). During the second meeting, some of the group members expressed suspicion and fear of being manipulated towards a left‐wing political agenda, as some items directly addressed the conflict and the occupation, such as: “I believe that the violent actions towards the Palestinians are a result of the Israeli occupation.” In the Israeli context, the use of the word “occupation” is associated with leftist political ideology.…”

Working towards Peace through Education: The Case of Israeli Jews and Palestinians

“…The program which continued for eight consecutive years was successful in turning the campus into a place which advances equal opportunities and dialogue between the national groups. Similarly, David et al (2017), using both qualitative and quantitative methods, studied twenty-four Jewish-Israeli undergraduate students who underwent a yearlong process to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, encountered Palestinian narratives, and reflected on the impact of the Palestinian other on their own identity as Jewish-Israelis. Results show that participants developed an increased capacity for acceptance of both Israeli and Palestinian collective narratives, and demonstrated a greater willingness toward reconciliation, manifested in more readiness to acknowledge alterity.…”

Los Excombatientes Y La Memoria: Tensiones Y Retos De La Memoria Colectiva Construida Por Las Farc en El Posconflicto Colombiano

“…Ahora bien, si optamos por insistir en que la deconstrucción de narrativas colectivas es necesaria para avanzar hacia la reconciliación, los caminos que sugieren otras experiencias pasan por el contacto intergrupal, la humanización del otro y la toma de perspectiva (Ben et al, 2017;Ugarriza y Nussio, 2016). En este sentido, podríamos seguir las lecciones de recientes ejercicios en Serbia y Montenegro, en donde excombatientes serbios y croatas han visitado juntos distintos memoriales para discutir sus visiones sobre el conflicto y avanzar hacia la reconciliación (Moore, 2017).…”