The role of collective memory in protracted conflict

Abstract

This paper examines the role of interpretations of historical events when discussing the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, by those with a lived experience of it. The research literature relating to representations of collective memory and perceived intractable conflict is presented before discussing how a theoretical lens of dialogicality, through exploring the role of themata, can add to the discussion. Open-ended depth interviews with both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis revealed historical narratives without any direct questioning concerning this. Subsequent thematic analysis demonstrated the significance of these to justify and legitimise their positioning frameworks in relation to both their own and the others group's perspectives. The subsequent discussion examines how the quoted examples of perceived interpretations of the past can offer an understanding of foundational themes that remain omnipresent, yet not exclusive. Social representations of collective memories can play a significant role in the discussion of protracted conflict where frozen representations of the past can act as barriers to change, yet as will be discussed, resistance to them can lead to new perspectives that herald a shift away from a perceived intractability towards an alternative, more collaboratively imagined future.