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“Remember that we suffered!” The effects of historical trauma on anti-Semitic prejudice

Author(s): Skrodzka, Magdalena; Kende, Anna; Faragó, Laura; Bilewicz, Michał

Date: 2022

Topics: Holocaust, Jewish Perceptions of Antisemitism, Interviews, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Memory, Mental Health, Psychology, Trauma

Abstract: A history of group traumatization exerts significant influence on group members as well as their outgroup relations. In particular, historical trauma events and their ongoing repercussions may lead to feelings of control deprivation within groups. Members of traumatized groups are prone to believe in conspiracy theories, including ones that are anti-Semitic in nature, in an attempt to find explanations for their trauma and regain some sense of control. Often, these narratives depict Jews as those who possess control. In our study, we examine how the frequency of thoughts about historical trauma as well as historical trauma symptoms (behavioral, emotional, and depressive tendencies) are related to three forms of antisemitism: traditional antisemitism, secondary antisemitism, and a belief in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. The study was conducted in Hungary (N = 350) where traumatic historical events often reverberate in the national narratives. The results indicate that a higher frequency of thoughts about historical trauma is associated with higher prejudice across all three forms of antisemitism. The effects of historical trauma on secondary and conspiracy antisemitism were partly driven by behavioral symptoms of historical trauma. The explanations and implications of these results are discussed.