Regaining In-Group Continuity in Times of Anxiety about the Group's Future: A Study on the Role of Collective Nostalgia Across 27 Countries

Anouk Smeekes, Jolanda Jetten, Maykel Verkuyten, Michael J.A. Wohl, Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti, Amarina Ariyanto, Frédérique Autin, Nadia Ayub, Constantina Badea, Tomasz Besta, Fabrizio Butera, Rui Costa-Lopes, Lijuan Cui, Carole Fantini, Gillian Finchilescu, Lowell Gaertner, Mario Gollwitzer, Ángel Gómez, Roberto González, Ying Yi HongDorthe Høj Jensen, Minoru Karasawa, Thomas Kessler, Olivier Klein, Marcus Lima, Tuuli A. Renvik, Laura Megevand, Thomas Morton, Paola Paladino, Tibor Polya, Aleksejs Ruza, Wan Shahrazad, Sushama Sharma, Ali Teymoori, Ana R. Torres, Anne M. Van Der Bles

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Collective nostalgia for the good old days of the country thrives across the world. However, little is known about the social psychological dynamics of this collective emotion across cultures. We predicted that collective nostalgia is triggered by collective angst as it helps people to restore a sense of in-group continuity via stronger in-group belonging and out-group rejection (in the form of opposition to immigrants). Based on a sample (N = 5,956) of individuals across 27 countries, the general pattern of results revealed that collective angst predicts collective nostalgia, which subsequently relates to stronger feelings of in-group continuity via in-group belonging (but not via out-group rejection). Collective nostalgia generally predicted opposition to immigrants, but this was subsequently not related to in-group continuity.

Original languageEnglish
JournalSocial Psychology
Volume49
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)311-329
Number of pages19
ISSN1864-9335
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • belonging
  • collective angst
  • collective nostalgia
  • continuity
  • cross-cultural
  • immigrants

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