Incoherence in the Iraq War narrative and the concept of collective attachment

Antigonos Sochos

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Abstract

As a major function of ideological and institutional frameworks is to provide security to the social group, by constructing ideologies and socio-political institutions, social groups also construct their objects of collective attachment. When social debates are conducted openly and freely, they are informed by secure collective attachment representations leading to effective and group-protecting action. When they are conducted in the context of social domination they are informed by insecure collective attachment representations, leading to ineffective and group-compromising action. The decision to invade Iraq in 2003 seems to have been informed by insecure collective attachment representations defining an incoherent social narrative and an ineffective protective strategy.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 262-279

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Psychohistory (Volume 42, Issue 4)

Publication milestones

Published - 31/12/2015

Publication status

Published - 31/12/2015

ISSN

0145-3378

External Publication IDs

handle.net: 10547/624430
Scopus: 84938871192