Abstract
Memories of wrongdoings are often viewed as an obstacle to reconciliation in divided societies. Is it due to the past or the present politics of the past? To examine the dilemma of essentialism versus presentism, this article investigates the impact of transitional justice on memories of wrongdoing. It theorizes that using different transitional justice strategies to deal with the same wrongdoing shapes memories in different ways. The theory is tested via vignette-based surveys in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, which adopted distinct lustration laws. The results show that wrongdoing is viewed through lustration laws, reflecting present power constellations, not history.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 24-44 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Government and Opposition |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 19 Sept 2013 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2015 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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