Social representations of the Holocaust and Jewish Israeli identity construction: insights from identity process theory

Jaspal, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8463-9519 and Yampolsky, MA, 2011. Social representations of the Holocaust and Jewish Israeli identity construction: insights from identity process theory. Social Identities, 17 (2), pp. 201-224. ISSN 1350-4630

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Abstract

This study explores how a group of young Israeli Jews understood and defined their ethno-national identities, focusing upon the role of social representations of the Holocaust in the construction of Jewish Israeli identity. Eleven individuals were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. The analysis was informed by identity process theory and social representations theory. Three superordinate themes are reported, entitled: (i) 'perceptions of the Holocaust as a personal and shared loss'; (ii) 're-conceptualising the Holocaust and its impact upon intra-/intergroup relations'; and (iii) 'the Holocaust as a heuristic lens for understanding the Israeli-Arab conflict'. The data suggest that awareness of social representations of the Holocaust may enhance the belonging and continuity principles of identity, in particular. It is argued that the maintenance of national ingroup security constitutes a source of (group) continuity. Implications for psychological well-being are discussed.

Item Type:	Journal article
Alternative Title:	Social representations of the Holocaust [running head]
Publication Title:	Social Identities
Creators:	Jaspal, R. and Yampolsky, M.A.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Date:	March 2011
Volume:	17
Number:	2
ISSN:	1350-4630
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/13504630.2011.558374 DOI 1315904 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	17 Apr 2020 09:30
Last Modified:	17 Apr 2020 09:30
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39669

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