A social psychological perspective on World War II collaboration in the 21st century: A Belgian case. (27th February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bouchat, Pierre; Luminet, Olivier; Rosoux, Valérie; Aerts, Koen; Cordonnier, Aline; Résibois, Maxime; Rimé, Bernard
• Is Part Of: European journal of social psychology. Volume 50:Number 7(2020)
• Page Start: 1406
• Page End: 1424
• Publication Date: 2020-02-27
• Subjects: Belgium -- collaboration -- intergroup relations -- political psychology -- social identity -- World War II; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2664
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0046-2772

Abstract

Abstract: The present study addresses antecedents and consequences of attitudes towards collaboration in the context of World War II (WWII) in Belgium. A survey conducted on 922 Belgian French‐ and Dutch‐speaking participants shows that, on overall, Dutch‐speakers perceive collaboration as more moral and support amnesty of the former collaborators at a higher level than their Francophone counterparts. In addition, we show that these attitudes are predicted by the generational belonging, linguistic and national identification of the participants. Finally, we find that attitudes towards WWII collaboration are linked to specific political prospects for the future of the country only among Dutch‐speakers. These findings suggest that, 75 years after its end, the issue of collaboration during WWII still divides the Belgian society. Furthermore, they underline the added value of a multilevel approach in the understanding of social psychological phenomena.