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Collective memories of colonialism and acculturation dynamics among Congolese immigrants living in Belgium

par Figueiredo, Ana;Licata, Laurent
Référence International journal of intercultural relations
Publication Publié, 2017

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

Collective memories of the historical past allow group members to make sense of their sharedpast but also to project themselves in the present and future. In this line, collective memories ofcolonialism may present consequences for present day intergroup relations and acculturationdynamics, given that they allow processes of meaning making and social positioning whendifferent groups with a shared colonial past interact. Indeed, previous research has shown thatcollective memories are associated with processes of reconciliation, victimization, and groupbasedemotions, among others, but, to our knowledge, little research has paid attention to theconnections between collective memories of colonialism and acculturation dynamics amonggroups with a past of colonization. The present study aimed to analyze collective memories ofcolonialism and acculturation experiences among Congolese immigrants living in Belgium. 43semi-structured interviews with Congolese participants were content analyzed, using ananalytical framework along the two variables of interest. We were able to map distinct aspectsof the collective memories of colonialism that Congolese immigrants in Belgium have, as well astheir experiences of acculturation in Belgium. Our results suggest that individuals remembertheir ingroup’s past in accordance with their current social identifications and relationshipswithin a given society. The results are discussed in light of their consequences for present dayintergroup relations between host and immigrant communities in Belgium.