Journals
2025 EN
Borinca Islam · Koc Yasin · Mustafa Sevim
ABSTRACT The present research investigated whether a normative outgroup apology enhances conciliatory attitudes (i.e., willingness for intergroup contact and feelings of peace) and intergroup negotiations while reducing competitive victimhood. In three experiments ( N = 855) conducted in the post‐conflict context of Kosovo, we manipulated the normative apology by informing participants that the majority of outgroup members (i.e., Serbs) apologized for the Kosovo war. We compared this normative apology condition with an institutional apology, in which a Serbian representative apologized for the Kosovo war on behalf of the Serbian government (in all experiments), and a control (i.e., baseline) condition in which no apology‐related information was presented (Experiments 1 and 2). Overall, the results showed that participants in the normative apology condition reported greater willingness for contact with outgroup members, increased feelings of peace, greater support for intergroup negotiations, and reduced competitive victimhood compared to participants in other conditions. In addition, Experiment 3 revealed that outgroup humanization mediated the effect of normative apology on conciliatory attitudes, intergroup negotiations and competitive victimhood. In sum, these findings showed that normative apologies play a critical role in improving intergroup relations and reducing conflict‐related tensions.
Journals
2025 EN
Wollast Robin · Phillips Joseph B. · Yahiiaiev Illia
+3 more
ABSTRACT The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused considerable military casualties on both sides and widespread harm to Ukrainian civilians. While polls suggest that a slim majority of Russians endorse the invasion, the factors underpinning this support remain uncertain. We investigated factors associated with support for the war among Russians. In three large, diverse, samples of Russian adults (total N = 2856), we extend the dual process motivational model to the context of international warfare, focusing on two key ideologies: right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO). Consistent with polling data, we find that approximately half of the participants support the war. Across studies, RWA, especially its submission facet, emerges as a strong and consistent predictor of increased support for the war in Ukraine. In contrast, the associations with SDO are weaker and more inconsistent, with anti‐egalitarianism playing only a minor role in opposing peace efforts. Additionally, factors such as Russian identification, nationalism, group efficacy, war‐related misperceptions and collective narcissism also contribute to war support. Our findings suggest that Russian support for the war may reflect broader support for the existing regime with backing for the military intervention serving as a demonstration of loyalty to Vladimir Putin and his government.
Journals
2025 EN
Kёllezi Blerina · Wakefield Juliet R. H. · Bowe Mhairi
+4 more
ABSTRACT Research highlights the long‐term collective effects of mass human rights violations (MHRVs) on survivors’ wellbeing. This multi‐method, multi‐context paper combines the social identity approach (SIA), transitional and social justice theories and human rights‐conceptualised wellbeing to propose a human rights understanding of trauma responses and experiences in the context of MHRVs. In Study 1, ethnographic research in four locations in Kosova, 5 years post war indicates that lack of perceived conflict‐related and social justice is experienced as a key contributor to survivors’ individual and collective wellbeing. In Study 2, 61 semi‐structured interviews with MHRVs survivors from post‐war Kosova, post‐conflict Northern Ireland and post‐dictatorship Albania two to three decades post conflict also show that such justice experiences inform wellbeing. These studies illustrate the importance of expanding the SIA to health and trauma theories by taking account of a human rights‐conceptualised wellbeing as well as adopting a holistic analysis of justice perception.
Journals
2025 EN
EladStrenger Julia · Statman Daniel · Kessler Thomas
ABSTRACT Public sentiment on collateral civilian killings during wartime may crucially impact critical governmental decisions and the trajectory of the conflict itself. Across six studies in Israel and the United States, we examined (1) left‐right ideological differences in acceptance of collateral civilian killings across diverse war scenarios and (2) the role of moral values and ideological ingroup norms in underlying them. Conservatives/rightists consistently showed higher acceptance of collateral civilian killings than liberals/leftists, regardless of whether the civilians killed are members of a current rival group or a strategic partner, whether the war involves real‐life or fictitious groups, or whether participants are members of the group conducting the killings or mere observers. These ideological differences were mediated by conservatives'/rightists' lower endorsement of individualizing moral foundations but not by their higher endorsement of binding moral foundations. Finally, results suggest that ideological ingroup norms may play an indirect role in shaping these ideological differences.
Journals
2025 EN
Prooijen JanWillem · Fousiani Kyriaki · Šrol Jakub
+4 more
ABSTRACT Political leaders often justify war with conspiracy theories. How effective are such conspiracy theories in gathering public support for war? The present research has investigated the effects of conspiracy theories on people's war‐related attitudes. Studies 1 and 2 were two‐wave panel studies showing that conspiracy theories about Ukraine and its allies (e.g., the United States) predicted increased support for the Russian invasion over time, as well as a range of other war‐related attitudes (e.g., increased identification with Russia; less favourable attitudes towards Ukraine; decreased military and humanitarian support for Ukraine; decreased support for sanctions). Study 3 replicated these findings among citizens of four different nations in the context of the war in Gaza (e.g., conspiracy beliefs about the Israeli government predicted increased support for the 7 October Hamas attacks over time). Study 4, then, showed that experimentally exposing participants to a conspiracy theory about Ukraine increased their support for the Russian invasion. Study 5 replicated these experimental findings in a fictitious setting uncontaminated by participants’ prior beliefs. Study 5 also provided evidence for a mediating role of perceived outgroup threat. We conclude that conspiracy theories can shape people's attitudes to war.
Journals
2025 EN
Ahmed Muhannad Bushra Masaad · Hussein Israa Alamin Mohammed · Ahmed Ahmed Balla M.
+9 more
Abstract Objective This study explored the most prevalent misconceptions about epilepsy among Sudanese individuals, focusing on knowledge, attitude, and practices in Sudan. Methods A community‐based, cross‐sectional study was conducted in the safe areas in Sudan due to the war from October 15 to November 30, 2024. A validated questionnaire, adapted from a previous study with cultural modifications, was administered both through face‐to‐face interviews and online platforms. Data were analyzed using R software, employing descriptive statistics and chi‐square tests. Results Out of 3525 participants, 98.8% reported having heard of epilepsy. Nonetheless, 56.7% believed it could be caused by genetic factors, 14.1% viewed it as a contagious disease, 37.8% attributed it to witchcraft, and 17.7% considered it a punishment from God. In terms of attitudes, 54.7% believed epilepsy prevents individuals from living a happy life, 17.2% saw it as an obstacle to marriage, 56.9% thought it negatively impacts education, 26.1% viewed it as a barrier to employment, and 74% felt that society discriminates against those with epilepsy. As for practices, 47.6% regarded spiritual healing (ruqya) as effective, while 72.3% recommended consulting a doctor during seizures. Additionally, 49.7% expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of traditional medical treatment for epilepsy. Significance This study highlights considerable gaps in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to epilepsy in Sudan. While many participants acknowledged genetic causes and endorsed the social inclusion of people with epilepsy (PWE), misconceptions—such as beliefs in contagion and supernatural causes—persist. Moreover, stigma and discrimination continue to pose significant challenges. Focused educational campaigns and public health interventions are essential to correct misconceptions, reduce stigma, and promote accurate, evidence‐based awareness of epilepsy across Sudanese communities. Plain Language Summary This study among 3525 Sudanese adults assessed the most prevalent misconceptions about epilepsy by measuring their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the condition. Slightly more than half believed it could be inherited, about a third linked it to witchcraft, and some saw it as a punishment from God. Many participants also thought epilepsy prevents people from living happily, while others viewed it as an obstacle to marriage, education, and employment, with most recognizing discrimination in society. In terms of practice, almost half trusted spiritual healing, but most advised consulting a doctor, showing the need for education to reduce stigma and improve awareness.
Journals
2025 EN
Halioua Bruno · Sulimovic Leslie · Corcos Maurice
+7 more
ABSTRACT Introduction Holocaust survivors experienced extreme trauma, including physical abuse and malnutrition, leading to various eating disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the eating behaviours of Children of Holocaust Survivors (CHS) with those of children of non‐Jewish parents who had at least one parent in France during World War II (CW), and to explore the influence of parental relationships with food on these behaviours. Methods CHS and CW participants were recruited via social media for an online survey that collected demographic data, family war history, parental hunger experiences, and the prevalence of family silence about the war. Results Among 522 CHS and 100 CW, no significant difference was found in overall dietary behaviour. However, CHS were more likely to value holiday culinary traditions for themselves (77.6% vs. 40%), their parents (68.5% vs. 40.2%), and their children (61.1% vs. 32.1%). CHS whose parents experienced hunger were more likely to keep large food stores (69.5% vs. 51.2%), eat quickly (38.7% vs. 24.2%), eat all the food (61.1% vs. 47%), and overeat (55.5% vs. 45%). Conclusion This study, the first of its kind in a large cohort, highlights the lasting impact of the Holocaust on eating behaviour in CHS.
Journals
2025 EN
Mieriemova Yuliia
Abstract The article provides an in‐depth analysis of how wartime and peacetime are conceptualized by women against the backdrop of war, in what ways these conceptualizations of time are gendered, and what do “the before,” “the during,” and “the after” war mean in this timely Ukrainian context. It offers the discussion of wartime and peacetime as socially constructed concepts, the distinction between which is further problematized through close reading of women's experiences at war. The canvas of “eight years of war” (2014–2022) before the full‐scale invasion used by the participants to navigate the reality of in‐betweenness war and peace is closely analyzed along with the participants’ perceptions that the peacetime that comes “after the war” would not be identical to the peacetime “before the war.”
Journals
2025 EN
Sánchez Parra Tatiana
Abstract The exhibition “Weaving reproductive justice: Conflict and peace in Colombia,” which is the result of ethnographic, feminist, and arts‐based research, is a collaborative storytelling experience about conflict‐related reproductive violence. Through patchwork, embroidery, and written words, the exhibition takes visitors into the lives of Afro‐Colombian women who became pregnant as a result of conflict‐related sexual violence. The exhibition shows that their experiences of parenthood exceed the grammar of gendered victimhood or reproductive rights. In this article, I examine the conceptual and methodological displacements that enabled us to create stories that talk about their experiences of reproductive violence without centering victimization, but their life‐sustaining forces in war contexts. This entailed engaging with storytelling as a site of knowledge production where women's experiences, notions, and practices of sexuality, procreation, and care—not as victims‐survivors—met the researcher's situated academic lens.
Journals
2025 EN
Hiltunen Elina · Huhtinen AkiMauri
ABSTRACT Futurists are, by definition, interested in the future. Futurists, therefore, work with time. But how does time manifest itself in various domains? The laws of nature, historical inventions and chain of events, international agreements, and cultural and religious beliefs affect the way we see and handle time. Time also appears in our bodies and cells, as we have biological clocks that keep time. The sense of time is affected by our senses, psychological situation, and for example by chemicals. This article continues the work of Virmajoki and Laakkonen and their concept: time‐need. Virmajoki and Laakkonen discuss time‐need in their article with a case study of railways. This article will focus on another practical example, warfare, and how time manifests itself in it. The article presents the holistic framework of time for warfare , with various levels of time that affect war and a soldier.