This special section considers the relevance of a reflexive engagement with archives in psycholog... more This special section considers the relevance of a reflexive engagement with archives in psychology, and explores the value of archives as a resource for empirical inquiry and scholarship. The contributions offer reflective commentaries on the potential and limitations of working with (and within) archives. They also highlight the range of theoretical, methodological and practical issues that psychologists might want to take into account when engaging in this kind of inquiry, including the need to treat archives and archiving as set of societal practices through which the past is not only preserved, but also constructed, and constituted.
The chapter revisits Michael Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, as featured in the book Fas... more The chapter revisits Michael Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, as featured in the book Fascists: A social psychological view of the National Front (1978) and a number of other works published in the 1980s. In spite of its originality and continuing relevance, Billig's writing on conspiracy theories is today surprisingly neglected in literature on the subject, especially that written by social psychologists. The chapter looks at conceptual, theoretical and methodological issues that have prevented social psychologists from engaging with Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, and argues that, at a time when conspiracism is said to be on the rise, there is much to be gained from a return to this pioneering and original work.
The book examines the rehabilitation over the past two decades of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic (188... more The book examines the rehabilitation over the past two decades of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic (1881-1956), the controversial Serbian Orthodox Christian philosopher who, having been vilified by the former Yugoslav Communist authorities as a traitor, antisemite and a fascist, has come to be regarded in Serbian society as a saintly figure and the most important religious persona since medieval times. The book, written fifty years after Velimirović’s death, charts his posthumous passage from ‘traitor’ to ‘saint’ and examines the complementary dynamics of repression and denial which were used to divert public attention from the controversies surrounding Velimirovic’s life (most important of which is his antisemitism) and which enabled favourable representations to penetrate the public sphere and come to dominate memorial discourse. Also, the book presents the first detailed examination of the way in which an Eastern Orthodox Church manages controversy surrounding the presence of anti-Semi...
Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2014
The article offers a critical examination of 'borrowing' as a form of interdisciplinary engagemen... more The article offers a critical examination of 'borrowing' as a form of interdisciplinary engagement between psychology and history. This is where specific insights from one discipline are used (often selectively) by the other to shed light on a specific problem regarding experience, human motivation, or behaviour. Using two studies on the social psychological aspects of the Holocaust as relevant examples, the article highlights some of the epistemological and conceptual tensions implicit in this form of interdisciplinarity. These include the role of narrative and emplotment in historical reconstruction, the relationship between texts and historical context, the role of discourse and interpretation, and the tension between universalism and particularism. The article considers the different ways in which some of these challenges could be overcome in future research endeavours, and how one might take the interdisciplinary study of the Holocaust, but also other instances of mass crimes and genocide, beyond selective 'borrowing'.
Od 1941. do 1944. godine, u koncentracionom logoru na Sajmištu u Beogradu stradalo je blizu 20.00... more Od 1941. do 1944. godine, u koncentracionom logoru na Sajmištu u Beogradu stradalo je blizu 20.000 ljudi. Smešten u paviljonima Beogradskog sajma, na levoj obali Save, logor Sajmište bio je najveći kazamat koji su za vreme Drugog svetskog rata stvorile okupatorske vlasti u Srbiji, ali i jedan od prvih nacističkih logora u Evropi namenjen masovnoj internaciji Jevreja. Između decembra 1941. i marta 1942. u Judenlager Semlin-kako je u to vreme glasio formalni naziv logora na Sajmištu-dovedeno je oko 7.000 Jevreja, uglavnom žena, dece i starih osoba, gotovo polovina predratne jevrejske populacije dela Srbije koji se 1941. našao pod neposrednom okupacijom Nemačkog rajha. U proleće 1942, za svega šest nedelja, gotovo svi su sistematski ubijeni upotrebom smrtonosnog gasnog kamiona. Ubrzo zatim, Srbija je proglašena za "Judenrein"-očišćenu od Jevreja-a Sajmište je pretvoreno u Anhaltelager, prihvatni logor za političke zatvorenike, zarobljene partizane i prinudne radnike. Od leta 1942. do raspuštanja logora u julu 1944. godine, oko 32.000 zatočenika (većinom Srba) dovedeno je u Anhaltelager. Od ovog broja, oko trećine je stradalo u samom logoru, najčešće od gladi i bolesti, ili su ih ubili stražari i pripadnici logorske uprave. Ostali su, nakon kraćeg zadržavanja na Sajmištu, transportovani u radne logore širom Trećeg rajha, uglavnom u Nemačkoj i Norveškoj. 1 Uprkos značaju koji mu je, kao mestu nezapamćene patnje i stradanja, morao pripasti, logor Sajmište je u posleratnom periodu zauzimao marginalno mesto u društvenom sećanju. Ni u socijalističkoj Jugoslaviji, a ni kasnije, nadležne institucije nisu na odgovarajući način odale počast žrtvama ovog logora niti su 1 O istoriji logora na Sajmištu biće više reči u narednoj glavi. 42 Istorija gasnog kamiona opisana je u poglavlju "The development and production of the Nazi gas van", u Browning, Christopher, Fateful Months, str. 57-67. 43 Ibid, str. 81. Ovi zatočenici su i sami kasnije pogubljeni. 72 "Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača:
No event of any significance in the world today – be it an unexpected election result, a terroris... more No event of any significance in the world today – be it an unexpected election result, a terrorist attack, the death of a public figure, a meteorological anomaly, or the flu pandemic – takes place without generating at least a flutter of conspiracy speculations. Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction offers a well informed, highly accessible, and thoroughly engaging introduction to conspiracy theories, discussing their nature and history, causes and consequences. Through a series of specific questions that cut to the core of conspiracism as a global social and cultural phenomenon, the book deconstructs the logic and rhetoric of conspiracy theories and analyses the broader social and psychological factors that contribute to their persistence in modern society. • What are the defining characteristics of conspiracy theories and how do they differ from legitimate inquiries into actual conspiracies? • How long have conspiracy theories been around and to what extent are contemporary...
This special section considers the relevance of a reflexive engagement with archives in psycholog... more This special section considers the relevance of a reflexive engagement with archives in psychology, and explores the value of archives as a resource for empirical inquiry and scholarship. The contributions offer reflective commentaries on the potential and limitations of working with (and within) archives. They also highlight the range of theoretical, methodological and practical issues that psychologists might want to take into account when engaging in this kind of inquiry, including the need to treat archives and archiving as set of societal practices through which the past is not only preserved, but also constructed, and constituted.
The chapter revisits Michael Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, as featured in the book Fas... more The chapter revisits Michael Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, as featured in the book Fascists: A social psychological view of the National Front (1978) and a number of other works published in the 1980s. In spite of its originality and continuing relevance, Billig's writing on conspiracy theories is today surprisingly neglected in literature on the subject, especially that written by social psychologists. The chapter looks at conceptual, theoretical and methodological issues that have prevented social psychologists from engaging with Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, and argues that, at a time when conspiracism is said to be on the rise, there is much to be gained from a return to this pioneering and original work.
The book examines the rehabilitation over the past two decades of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic (188... more The book examines the rehabilitation over the past two decades of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic (1881-1956), the controversial Serbian Orthodox Christian philosopher who, having been vilified by the former Yugoslav Communist authorities as a traitor, antisemite and a fascist, has come to be regarded in Serbian society as a saintly figure and the most important religious persona since medieval times. The book, written fifty years after Velimirović’s death, charts his posthumous passage from ‘traitor’ to ‘saint’ and examines the complementary dynamics of repression and denial which were used to divert public attention from the controversies surrounding Velimirovic’s life (most important of which is his antisemitism) and which enabled favourable representations to penetrate the public sphere and come to dominate memorial discourse. Also, the book presents the first detailed examination of the way in which an Eastern Orthodox Church manages controversy surrounding the presence of anti-Semi...
Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2014
The article offers a critical examination of 'borrowing' as a form of interdisciplinary engagemen... more The article offers a critical examination of 'borrowing' as a form of interdisciplinary engagement between psychology and history. This is where specific insights from one discipline are used (often selectively) by the other to shed light on a specific problem regarding experience, human motivation, or behaviour. Using two studies on the social psychological aspects of the Holocaust as relevant examples, the article highlights some of the epistemological and conceptual tensions implicit in this form of interdisciplinarity. These include the role of narrative and emplotment in historical reconstruction, the relationship between texts and historical context, the role of discourse and interpretation, and the tension between universalism and particularism. The article considers the different ways in which some of these challenges could be overcome in future research endeavours, and how one might take the interdisciplinary study of the Holocaust, but also other instances of mass crimes and genocide, beyond selective 'borrowing'.
Od 1941. do 1944. godine, u koncentracionom logoru na Sajmištu u Beogradu stradalo je blizu 20.00... more Od 1941. do 1944. godine, u koncentracionom logoru na Sajmištu u Beogradu stradalo je blizu 20.000 ljudi. Smešten u paviljonima Beogradskog sajma, na levoj obali Save, logor Sajmište bio je najveći kazamat koji su za vreme Drugog svetskog rata stvorile okupatorske vlasti u Srbiji, ali i jedan od prvih nacističkih logora u Evropi namenjen masovnoj internaciji Jevreja. Između decembra 1941. i marta 1942. u Judenlager Semlin-kako je u to vreme glasio formalni naziv logora na Sajmištu-dovedeno je oko 7.000 Jevreja, uglavnom žena, dece i starih osoba, gotovo polovina predratne jevrejske populacije dela Srbije koji se 1941. našao pod neposrednom okupacijom Nemačkog rajha. U proleće 1942, za svega šest nedelja, gotovo svi su sistematski ubijeni upotrebom smrtonosnog gasnog kamiona. Ubrzo zatim, Srbija je proglašena za "Judenrein"-očišćenu od Jevreja-a Sajmište je pretvoreno u Anhaltelager, prihvatni logor za političke zatvorenike, zarobljene partizane i prinudne radnike. Od leta 1942. do raspuštanja logora u julu 1944. godine, oko 32.000 zatočenika (većinom Srba) dovedeno je u Anhaltelager. Od ovog broja, oko trećine je stradalo u samom logoru, najčešće od gladi i bolesti, ili su ih ubili stražari i pripadnici logorske uprave. Ostali su, nakon kraćeg zadržavanja na Sajmištu, transportovani u radne logore širom Trećeg rajha, uglavnom u Nemačkoj i Norveškoj. 1 Uprkos značaju koji mu je, kao mestu nezapamćene patnje i stradanja, morao pripasti, logor Sajmište je u posleratnom periodu zauzimao marginalno mesto u društvenom sećanju. Ni u socijalističkoj Jugoslaviji, a ni kasnije, nadležne institucije nisu na odgovarajući način odale počast žrtvama ovog logora niti su 1 O istoriji logora na Sajmištu biće više reči u narednoj glavi. 42 Istorija gasnog kamiona opisana je u poglavlju "The development and production of the Nazi gas van", u Browning, Christopher, Fateful Months, str. 57-67. 43 Ibid, str. 81. Ovi zatočenici su i sami kasnije pogubljeni. 72 "Državna komisija za utvrđivanje zločina okupatora i njihovih pomagača:
No event of any significance in the world today – be it an unexpected election result, a terroris... more No event of any significance in the world today – be it an unexpected election result, a terrorist attack, the death of a public figure, a meteorological anomaly, or the flu pandemic – takes place without generating at least a flutter of conspiracy speculations. Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction offers a well informed, highly accessible, and thoroughly engaging introduction to conspiracy theories, discussing their nature and history, causes and consequences. Through a series of specific questions that cut to the core of conspiracism as a global social and cultural phenomenon, the book deconstructs the logic and rhetoric of conspiracy theories and analyses the broader social and psychological factors that contribute to their persistence in modern society. • What are the defining characteristics of conspiracy theories and how do they differ from legitimate inquiries into actual conspiracies? • How long have conspiracy theories been around and to what extent are contemporary...
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