Thinking about silence

Winter, Jay

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511676178.002

Cited by 147 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…79 In such contexts, silence is a social construction, an active response to uncomfortable truths and unpalatable realities. 80 Seeking to preserve their narratives of the past, many unionists have implicitly and explicitly met calls for truth with silence. I have chosen to conceptualize this dynamic with three overlapping themes: 'silence as passivity,' 'silence as loyalty' and 'silence as pragmatism.…”

Section: The Politics Of Silence and The Problem Of The Pastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Denial, Silence and the Politics of the Past: Unpicking the Opposition to Truth Recovery in Northern Ireland

Lawther¹

2012

International Journal of Transitional Justice

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There has been considerable and protracted debate on whether a formal truth recovery process should be established in Northern Ireland. Some of the strongest opposition to the creation of such a body has been from unionist political elites and the security forces. Based on qualitative fieldwork, this article argues that the dynamics of denial and silence have been instrumental in shaping their concerns. It explores how questions of memory, identity and denial have created a 'myth of blamelessness' in unionist discourse that is at odds with the reasons for a truth process being established. It also examines how three interlocking manifestations of silence-'silence as passivity,' 'silence as loyalty' and 'silence as pragmatism'-have furthered unionists' opposition to dealing with the past. This article argues that making peace with the past requires an active deconstruction of these practices.

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Section: The Politics Of Silence and The Problem Of The Pastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Denial, Silence and the Politics of the Past: Unpicking the Opposition to Truth Recovery in Northern Ireland

Lawther¹

2012

International Journal of Transitional Justice

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“…This practice is based on the assumption that language influences the way in which reality is perceived. Thus, use of language (e.g., euphemisms, understatement) in creating conflict‐supporting narratives can influence society members to feel certain emotions that foster continuation of the conflict (Winter, ). For example, after the 1967 Six Days War, many Israelis, including official sources (mostly since 1977), referred to the West Bank by its biblical‐era name, “Judea and Samaria.” This was meant to promote the metanarrative about the historical link between the Jewish people and this area (Tsur, ).…”

Section: Narratives: Conceptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Construction of the Israeli‐Jewish Conflict‐Supportive Narrative and the Struggle Over Its Dominance

Oren

Nets‐Zehngut

Bar‐Tal

2015

Political Psychology

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Societies involved in intractable conflicts form a conflict‐supporting master narrative that provides justification and explanation of the conflict as a whole as well as narratives about its specific events and relevant persons. Both types of narratives fulfill important functions in satisfying the basic sociopsychological needs of the individuals and the collectives involved, as well as in maintaining a positive image of the society in the international community. In order to fill these needs, the narratives tend to be selective, biased, and simplistic. Moreover, because these narratives are so functional, societies go to extraordinary lengths to maintain their dominance among their own people and internationally. The present article analyzes the specific case of the Israeli‐Jewish narrative of the Israeli‐Palestinian conflict with regard to the methods that are used in the narrative's construction and the ways through which formal authorities strive to preserve its dominance in Israel and in the international community.

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“…Not 'speaking out' in such circumstances is in fact a very meaningful act of language, 112 an inherently active rather than a passive response. 113 In this context, the relative silence of lawyers about emergency law related human rights abuses arguably constituted what Cohen has described as 'a blameworthy form of collusion or encouragement'. 114 It was also quintessentially political.…”

Section: The Diplock Courtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Did the Lawyers Do During the ‘War’? Neutrality, Conflict and the Culture of Quietism

McEvoy

2011

Modern Law Review

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Using Northern Ireland as a case study, this paper explores how lawyers responded to the challenges of entrenched discrimination, sustained political violence and an emerging peace process. Drawing upon the literature of the sociology of lawyering, it examines whether lawyers can or should be more than ‘paid technicians’ in such circumstances. It focuses in particular upon a number of ‘critical junctures’ in the legal history of the jurisdiction and uncouples key elements of the local legal culture which contributed to an ethos of quietism. The paper argues that the version of legal professionalism that emerged in Northern Ireland was contingent and socially constructed and, with notable exceptions, obfuscated a collective failure of moral courage. It concludes that facing the truth concerning past silence is fundamental to a properly embedded rule of law and a more grounded notion of what it means to be a lawyer in a conflict.

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Thinking about silence

Cited by 147 publications

References 25 publications

Denial, Silence and the Politics of the Past: Unpicking the Opposition to Truth Recovery in Northern Ireland

Denial, Silence and the Politics of the Past: Unpicking the Opposition to Truth Recovery in Northern Ireland

Construction of the Israeli‐Jewish Conflict‐Supportive Narrative and the Struggle Over Its Dominance

What Did the Lawyers Do During the ‘War’? Neutrality, Conflict and the Culture of Quietism

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