Never Again

Abstract

Do individuals previously targeted by genocide become more supportive of other victimized groups? How are these political lessons internalized and passed down across generations? To answer these questions, the authors leverage original survey data collected among Holocaust survivors in the United States and their descendants, Jews with no immediate family connection to the Holocaust, and non-Jewish Americans. They find that historical victimization is associated with increased support for vulnerable out-groups, generating stable political attitudes that endure across generations. Holocaust survivors are most supportive of aiding refugees, followed by descendants, especially those who grew up discussing the Holocaust with their survivor relatives. An embedded experiment demonstrates the steadfastness of these attitudes: unlike non-Jews or Jews without survivor relatives, survivors’ and descendants’ views toward refugees do not change after reading an in-group versus out-group–protective interpretation of the “never again” imperative. Histories of victimization can play an ameliorative role in intergroup relations.

The Political Legacies of Wartime Resistance: How Local Communities in Italy Keep Anti-fascist Sentiments Alive

“…6 People neither automatically remember events nor objectively interpret them (Basta 2018). Collective memories structure a community's understanding of the past, forge collective identities, and, in turn, inform behavior (Eyerman 2001;Shamir and Arian 1999;Eyerman 2004;Antze and Lambek 1996;Fouka and Voth 2023;Wayne, Damann, and Fachter 2023;Esposito et al 2023;Wayne and Zhukov 2022). Therefore, a collective memory of wartime events must be created before legacies can be passed down.…”

The young and the hawkish: Generational differences in conflict attitudes in Israel

“…Some studies suggest long-term impacts due to post-traumatic stress disorder (Hirsch-Hoefler et al, 2016), but broader cohort effects remain underexplored (see Kim, 2024). Special attention has been given to long-term effects of significant atrocities, leading to narratives of collective victimhood passed through generations (Balcells, 2012; Lupu and Peisakhin, 2017; Wayne and Zhukov, 2022). Beyond violence, peace negotiations and leadership changes can affect public opinion (Yakter and Harsgor, 2023).…”

Electoral proximity, political violence, and personal wellbeing: An experimental analysis in West Africa

“…From the suppression of voting to shaping political attitudes, there are other effects of political violence (Canetti et al, 2017; Dyrstad, 2013; Hadzic et al, 2020; Oto‐Peralías, 2015; Rozenas & Zhukov, 2019; Wayne & Zhukov, 2022; Zhukov & Talibova, 2018). There is said to be a legacy to political violence, which given these aforementioned structural causes creates a rational expectation of future violence.…”