Harunobu Saijo (Hiroshima University), “Legacies of Settler Mortality and Historical Memory in Settlers’ Home Regions”

U.S. ET: September 26 (Thursday), 8 – 9 PM

JST: September 27 (Friday), 9 – 10 AM

Zoom Registration: Link

Paper is available here.

Authors: Harunobu Saijo (Hiroshima University) and Xu Jing (Tsinghua University)

Abstract:
Past studies show collective violence exposure can lead to increased hostility or greater tolerance towards outgroups. Victimized groups are often also perpetrators. We propose that balanced framing, or recognizing victimhood while acknowledging perpetration may be more effective in reducing hostility than either alone. We will test this with the case of Japanese settlers from Nagano Prefecture who faced violence during evacuation from Manchuria with a planned survey of respondents from Nagano. Mainstream narratives in Nagano emphasize both their role as perpetrators and their victimhood. Using an instrumental variables approach, we will demonstrate that greater exposure to victimization under such dual framing leads contemporary survey respondents to exhibit as yet unmeasured attitudes towards China and other outgroups. Additionally, treating respondents with balanced framing in a vignette experiment results in as yet unmeasured attitudes towards China and other outgroups, compared to other framings.

Presenter: Harunobu Saijo (Hiroshima University)

Discussants: Volha Charnysh (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Anil Menon (University of California, Merced)

Chair: Yusaku Horiuchi (Dartmouth College)