Sociopsychological infrastructure of an intractable conflict through the eyes of palestinian children and adolescents.

Abstract

This study investigates the sociopsychological infrastructure (SPI) of the Palestinian society which facilitates coping with the reality of the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Specifically, the study examines the views of Palestinian children and adolescents toward the conflict, as expressed in their writings in a youth newspaper. The timeline focuses on 3 distinct periods: the peace process (1996 -1997), the reemergence of the violent conflict (2001)(2002), and a relatively calm period (2005)(2006)(2007). By examining the SPI in the Palestinian case, the study aims to contribute to the existing research on the sociopsychological foundations of intractable conflict, which has so far focused on Israeli Jewish society. The key findings show that about a third of the writings of Palestinian children and youth focused on the conflict, and demonstrate the existence of the SPI and its elements. In particular, the writings mainly reflect the following components of SPI: (a) societal beliefs of victimization, (b) patriotism, and (c) collective emotion of hope. These results are discussed in relation to the particular experiences that the Palestinian children and adolescents undergo in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Young Children in Intractable Conflicts

“…This point raises the importance of examining intergroup attitudes from both groups' perspectives (for studies among Palestinian children in this context, see, for example, Brenick et al, 2010;Edres, 2006;Nasie & Bar-Tal, 2012;Teichman, Bar-Tal, & Abdolrazeq, 2007). Further research on socialization of Palestinian children in kindergarten and elementary schools would be valuable by providing a more comprehensive picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dynamics.…”

Political socialization in kindergartens: Observations of ceremonies of the Israeli Jewish holidays and memorial days

“…We determined that the memorial ceremonies for fallen soldiers and the Holocaust were those most often used to express the conflict supporting themes (Ben-Amos & Bet-El, 1999 We propose that the contents learned by children at the very early age remain in their socio-psychological repertoire and may have influence later on. As shown in previous studies, many of the young children living in the context of conflict adopt contents of the ethos of conflict and manifest these contents by themselves during the ceremonies (for a review see Nasie et al, 2016). These contents serve as fertile ground for the later development of conflict repertoire.…”

Emociones sociales y políticas en la construcción y la obstrucción de la paz en ciudadanos de estrato social medio-alto de la ciudad de Bogotá

“…Según Bar-Tal (2001) y Bar-Tal, Halperin & De Rivera (2007), las OEC se van incorporando en los procesos de socialización del sujeto, más allá del entorno familiar, como en los procesos educativos, los mecanismos culturales, los medios de comunicación y la política, como una tendencia de la sociedad a expresar una emoción dominante socialmente compartida. Ésta se expresa en narrativas del pasado y creencias sociales que ofrecen marcos de significado y que justifican la violencia del propio grupo (Nasie & Bar-Tal, 2012). Bar-Tal (2001) y Halperin, Bar-Tal, Nets-Zehngut & Drori (2008 Smith & Mackie (2015) identifican que el miedo es una de las principales OEC en estas sociedades.…”