CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2017
| Author | Szőnyi, Eszter Veronika |
|---|---|
| Title | Construction Of A Traumatic National Identity The Collective Memory Of Trianon As National Trauma In The Natinoal Identity Of Students In Secondary Education |
| Summary | The thesis aims to study the construction of national identity through the collective memory of Trianon as a national trauma in the context of the formal education system. Trianon constitutes an important part of the Hungarian national past and has become more relevant in public history as well as in the right-wing narrative in political discourse. The thesis examines how students in secondary education relate to Trianon and how the collective memory of Trianon as a national trauma shapes their national identity. Further, the author analyzes education policy documents and textbooks to understand the interrelation of the levels of discourse, policy and the members of formal education, the students. On the basis of group discussions with students from six different schools in Budapest, the author concludes that Trianon as a historical event is not significant for the students’ identity, however, the themes through which they talk about Trianon are central to their nation-concept. The most important themes of relating to Trianon were trauma of the trans-border Hungarians; contrasting rational and emotional thinking; the destructive character of dwelling on the past instead of turning towards the future; and considering time as well as being affected personally crucial in understanding Trianon in the frame of national identity. |
| Supervisor | Varadi, Luca, Szabolcs Pogonyi |
| Department | Nationalism Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2017/szonyi_eszter.pdf |
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