Greeks' and Germans' representations of world events: Selective memory and voluntary oblivion

Authors

  • Anna Madoglou Panteion University
  • Anastassia Melista Panteion University
  • Sylvia Liaris-Hochhaus Panteion University

Abstract

This research investigates events composing world social memory and oblivion. Participants, 243 Greek and German students, were asked to write three world history events that they wished to remember and three others that they wished to forget and then to evaluate them in terms of their positiveness and importance. Correspondence Analysis (SPAD) was applied to data. Results indicated that: a) All the events of world social memory and oblivion are important. Pleasant and positive events are arranged in social world memory whereas unpleasant and negative ones in social oblivion. b) Τhe content of world social memory is objectified in World War II and the socio-political events that occurred in Europe during the second half of the 20th century. c) World social memory is Eurocentric and is characterized by recency or “last years/century” bias. d) Membership in a national group functions as a filter for the choice of world historical past. Greeks and Germans are anchored to their own historical past.

Author Biographies

  • Anna Madoglou, Panteion University

    ANNA MADOGLOU is Associate Professor in Social Psychology at the Panteion
    University of Athens. Her research interests focus on social influence processes, minority activity, social representations and social memory. Her last book published in Greek explores the explicit (=social memory) and implicit (social oblivion) forms of social thought.

  • Anastassia Melista, Panteion University

    ANASTASSIA MELISTA is Psychologist and Teacher in Primary Education. She
    received her PhD in Social Psychology from the Department of Psychology at the
    Panteion University of Athens. Her research interests are the development of national identities, social representations, immigration and social memory.

  • Sylvia Liaris-Hochhaus, Panteion University

    SYLVIA LIARIS – HOCHHAUS is Psychologist (Panteion University of Athens) and
    Counselor of mental health (University of Strathclyde, Scotland). Her research interests focus on social memory (intergroup comparisons) and burnout. She lives and works in Mainz, Germany.

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Published

2010-10-15

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 2 (2010)

Section

Free standing papers