A Sense of National Coherence and Openness to the "Other's" Collective Narrative: The Case of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The purpose of this study was to examine a new concept-sense of national coherence (SONC) and its role as a mediator between levels of conservativeness (as measured by voting behavior and religious grouping) and the tendency to delegitimize the "other's" collective narratives. Based o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Peace and conflict 2019-08, Vol.25 (3), p.226-233
Main Authors: Mana, Adi, Srour, Anan, Sagy, Shifra
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Conflict
Conservatism
Female
Human
Intergroup Dynamics
Jewish people
Male
Meaningfulness
Narratives
Openness
Peace
Peace negotiations
Questionnaires
Religious Groups
Resilience
Sense of Coherence
Test Construction
Voter behavior
Voting
Voting Behavior
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to examine a new concept-sense of national coherence (SONC) and its role as a mediator between levels of conservativeness (as measured by voting behavior and religious grouping) and the tendency to delegitimize the "other's" collective narratives. Based on Antonovsky's (1987) concept of sense of coherence, SONC is defined as an enduring tendency to perceive one's national group as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. The research questions were examined among Israeli Jews in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Questionnaires adapted for the research population were delivered to a sample of 505 adults, aged 18 and above, by electronic platform. The results support the research hypotheses regarding the mediating role of SONC. The discussion focuses on the dual role of SONC as a resilience concept and as a potential obstacle for a peace process in conflict areas. Public Significance Statement The present study suggests a new concept, sense of national coherence, and describes its role as a mediator between levels of conservativeness and the tendency to delegitimize the "other's" collective narratives, in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
ISSN:1078-1919
1532-7949
DOI:10.1037/pac0000391