Conflicting forms of social memory and identity

Latvia is an ethnically and linguistically diverse society whose members often have different opinions and perceptions of the dramatic events that largely shaped its history in the 20th century. These include the foundation of the independent Latvian state in 1918, loss of independence to the Soviet Union in 1940, the Nazi invasion and war crimes during World War II, mass repressions and the radical organization of the social, political and economic structures of the society pursuant to communist ideology during Soviet rule, the national awakening and independence movement in the late 1980s, and, finally, the ultimate restoration of the independent Republic of Latvia in 1991. As one can see from this “shortlist,” Latvian 20th-century history is rich with events that affected a large number of people – in most cases, the entire population – and evoked radical, pervasive, and rapid changes which had a challenging – and often a destabilizing or shock-inducing – effect on society and people's lives. Thus, these events possess the necessary features to fit the definition of “trauma” as proposed by Sztompka (2004). In diverse societies, memories of traumatic events profoundly affect the development of group identity and the dynamics of intergroup conflict (Brown et al. 2009). Over time, cleavages of political and other values based on certain memories of historical events may remain salient or even be reinforced if there are constant reminders in the political discourse and the media, which establish dominant, “normal,” or “acceptable” views on certain controversial issues (see Kepplinger 2008).