Life review in the context of acute social transition: The case of East Germany

Article


Andrews, M. 1997. Life review in the context of acute social transition: The case of East Germany. British Journal of Social Psychology. 36 (3), pp. 273-290.
AuthorsAndrews, M.
Abstract

Since the collapse of East Germany in 1989, many East Germans have been occupied with Vergangenheitsbewaelitigung ('working through the past') in an attempt to gain insight into how and why 'that which called itself socialism' was able to operate as it did for 40 years. The opening of the East German Stasi files is one example of the effort to document and analyse the history of the GDR, both at the level of society, and that of individual lives. Using data collected in interviews with 40 citizens of the former GDR, most of whom were active members in the citizens' movements, this article examines the relationship between working through the past ofa country and the process of individual life review. Just as societies tend to examine their pasts only when they are already in an acute state of decline, so do individuals tend towards life review when they think the end is near. The argument is made that if this process of evaluation-of both societies, and of individual lives-were conducted as a more integral part of non-traumatic existence, the potential for benefitting from the review might be greatly enhanced. The loss of their country has srimulated a life review for many East Germans, of all ages. The oldest generation experience life review as a very painful summary of their lives which were dedicated to building a country which no longer exists. For the younger generations, life review has a different function, and offers them a chance to rewrite a blueprint for living. The intersection between life review and Vergangenheitsbewaeltigung, or biography and society, is the central theme exp ored in this article.

KeywordsEast Germany; social psychology
JournalBritish Journal of Social Psychology
Journal citation36 (3), pp. 273-290
ISSN0144-6665
Year1997
Accepted author manuscript
License
CC BY-ND
Web address (URL)http://www.bpsjournals.co.uk/journals/bjsp
Publication dates
Print1997
Publication process dates
Deposited16 Dec 2009
Additional information

Citation:
Andrews, M. (1997) ‘Life review in the context of acute social transition: The case of East Germany’ British Journal of Social Psychology 36 (3) 273-290..

Permalink -

https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/86q64

Download files


Accepted author manuscript
  • 201
    total views
  • 248
    total downloads
  • 10
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

A Chronicle of Mentoring Narrative Scholarship
Andrews, M. 2021. A Chronicle of Mentoring Narrative Scholarship. Narrative Works: Issues, Investigations & Interventions. 10, pp. 96-106.
Migration, Racism and the Hostile Environment: Making the Case for the Social Sciences
Andrews, M., Arnot, M., Anthias, F., Ashe, S., Brah, A., Dona, G., Erel, U., Gidley, B., Humphris, R., Kofman, E., Mondon, A., Murji, K., Phoenix, A., Sigona, N., Squire, C., Targarona, N., Wemyss, G., Winter, A. and Yuval-Davis, N. 2020. Migration, Racism and the Hostile Environment: Making the Case for the Social Sciences. London Social Scientists Against The Hostile Environment.
Narrative and Truth in a World of Alternative Facts: The Moral Challenge for Education
Andrews, M. 2020. Narrative and Truth in a World of Alternative Facts: The Moral Challenge for Education. Journal of Moral Education. 50 (1), pp. 32-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2020.1770707
Biographical interviews and imagined futures essay writing: users of two methods in conversation
Crow, Graham and Andrews, M. Biographical interviews and imagined futures essay writing: users of two methods in conversation. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 22 (6), pp. 557-569. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2019.1610597
Narrative Research
Squire, C., Andrews, M. and Tamboukou, M. 2019. Narrative Research. in: Atkinson, P., Delamont, S., Cernat, A., Sakshaug, J. W. and Williams, R. A. (ed.) SAGE Research Methods Foundations SAGE Publications.
Imagining the 'baffling geography' of age
Andrews, M. 2018. Imagining the 'baffling geography' of age. Journal of Aging Studies. 47, pp. 90-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2018.03.003
Remembering East Germany's Peaceful Revolution
Andrews, M. 2018. Remembering East Germany's Peaceful Revolution. The University of East London. https://doi.org/10.15123/DATA.00000219
The Narrative Architecture of Political Forgiveness
Andrews, M. 2018. The Narrative Architecture of Political Forgiveness. Political Psychology. 40 (3), pp. 433-447. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12533
Enduring ideals: revisiting Lifetimes of Commitment twenty-five years later
Andrews, M. 2017. Enduring ideals: revisiting Lifetimes of Commitment twenty-five years later. Contemporary Social Science. 12 (1-2), pp. 153-163. https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2017.1325923
Popular Representation of East Germany: Whose History is It?
Andrews, M. 2017. Popular Representation of East Germany: Whose History is It? in: Meretoja, Hanna and Davis, Colin (ed.) Storytelling and Ethics: Literature, Visual Arts and the Power of Narrative Routledge. pp. 174-190
The Unbuilding of East Germany: Excavating Biography and History
Andrews, M. 2017. The Unbuilding of East Germany: Excavating Biography and History. University of East London. https://doi.org/10.15123/DATA.00000213
Political Narratives and "Abraham Obama"
Andrews, M. 2017. Political Narratives and "Abraham Obama". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.139
Narrative, imagination and extending visions of the possible
Andrews, M. 2016. Narrative, imagination and extending visions of the possible. Sociétés. 133 (3), pp. 15-20. https://doi.org/10.3917/soc.133.0015
Text in a changing context: Reconstructing lives in East Germany
Andrews, M. 2000. Text in a changing context: Reconstructing lives in East Germany. in: The turn to biographical methods in social science: comparative issues and examples Routledge.
Generational consciousness, dialogue, and political engagement
Andrews, M. 2002. Generational consciousness, dialogue, and political engagement. in: Turner, B. S. and Edmunds, J. (ed.) Generational consciousness, narrative, and politics Lanham, MD Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 75-88
Continuity and discontinuity of East German identity following the fall of the Berlin Wall: A case study
Andrews, M. 2003. Continuity and discontinuity of East German identity following the fall of the Berlin Wall: A case study. in: Gready, P (ed.) Cultures of Political Transition: Memory, Identity and Voice Pluto Press.
Exploring Cross-cultural boundaries
Andrews, M. 2007. Exploring Cross-cultural boundaries. in: Clandinin, J (ed.) Handbook of Narrative Inquiry: Mapping a Methodology SAGE. pp. 498-512
East Germany: The contested story
Andrews, M. 2007. East Germany: The contested story. in: Shaping history : narratives of political change Cambridge University Press. pp. 114-147
Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language
Andrews, M. 2009. Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language. in: Life Story Research SAGE.
Narrating Moments of Political Change
Andrews, M. 2014. Narrating Moments of Political Change. in: Nesbitt-Larking, Paul, Kinnvall, Catarina and Capelos, Tereza (ed.) The Palgrave handbook of global political psychology Palgrave. pp. 353-368
Beyond narrative: The shape of traumatic testimony
Andrews, M. 2014. Beyond narrative: The shape of traumatic testimony. in: We shall bear witness: life narratives and human rights Madison, WI. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 147-166
The nice Stasi man drove his Trabi to the nudist beach: Contesting East German Identity
Andrews, M. 2015. The nice Stasi man drove his Trabi to the nudist beach: Contesting East German Identity. in: Marked Identities: Narrating Lives between Social Labels and Individual Biographies Palgrave. pp. 43-57
Fighting for the finest image we have of her: Patriotism and Oppositional Politics
Andrews, M. 1997. Fighting for the finest image we have of her: Patriotism and Oppositional Politics. in: Bar-Tal, Daniel and Staub, Ervin (ed.) Patriotism in the life of individuals and nations Chicago Nelson-Hall.
Maternal counter-narratives reconsidered
Andrews, M. 2004. Maternal counter-narratives reconsidered. in: Considering counter-narratives: Narration and resistance Amsterdam John Benjamins Publishing Company. pp. 51-59
One hundred miles of lives: The Stasi files as a people's history of East Germany
Andrews, M. 1998. One hundred miles of lives: The Stasi files as a people's history of East Germany. Oral History. 26 (1), pp. 24-31.
Truth-telling, justice, and forgiveness: A study of East Germany’s Truth Commission
Andrews, M. 1999. Truth-telling, justice, and forgiveness: A study of East Germany’s Truth Commission. International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society. 13 (1), pp. 107-124.
Grand national narratives and the project of truth commissions: a comparative analysis
Andrews, M. 2003. Grand national narratives and the project of truth commissions: a comparative analysis. Media, Culture & Society. 25 (1), pp. 45-65.
Tackling problems of qualitative social research: A conversation
Ruppel, Paul Sebastian, Dege, Martin, Andrews, M. and Squire, Corinne 2007. Tackling problems of qualitative social research: A conversation. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research. 9 (1).
Biographie und Geschichte: Dynamiken individueller und kollektiver politischer Erzählungen [Problems of biography and history: Dynamics of individual and collective political narratives]
Andrews, M. 2010. Biographie und Geschichte: Dynamiken individueller und kollektiver politischer Erzählungen [Problems of biography and history: Dynamics of individual and collective political narratives]. in: Können Marginalisierte widersprechen? Sozialwissenschaften und politisches Handeln Gießen Psychosozial-Verlag.
Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language
Andrews, M. 1995. Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language. Oral History Review. 22 (2), pp. 75-86.
Criticism/self-Criticism in East Germany: Contradictions between theory and practice
Andrews, M. 1998. Criticism/self-Criticism in East Germany: Contradictions between theory and practice. Sociology.
The Seduction of Agelessness
Andrews, M. 1999. The Seduction of Agelessness. Ageing and Society. 19 (3), pp. 301-318.
Forgiveness in Context
Andrews, M. 2000. Forgiveness in Context. Journal of Moral Education. 29 (1), pp. 75-86.
Feminist research with non-feminist and anti-feminist women: Meeting the challenge
Andrews, M. 2002. Feminist research with non-feminist and anti-feminist women: Meeting the challenge. Feminism & Psychology. 12 (1), pp. 55-77.
Breaking down barriers: Feminism, politics, and psychology
Andrews, M. 2006. Breaking down barriers: Feminism, politics, and psychology. Feminism & Psychology. 16 (1), pp. 13-17.
Narrative Research
Andrews, M. 2004. Narrative Research. in: eds Qualitative Research Practice London SAGE Publications.