ABSTRACT
The role of personal nostalgia in inspiring and sustaining resistance in the Ukraine during World War II was explored in narrative analysis of three memoirs. Common themes identified in the memoirs were compared to findings of current empirical psychological research. Nostalgia fortified the resistance by strengthening cultural identity, social bonds, attachment to home, and continuity of self. Nostalgic memories counteracted loneliness and supported cognitive-emotional coping during and after the struggle. Integration of present and past was instrumental in accepting personal growth in a new homeland. Findings shed light on the interaction between individual and social identity, the relationship between personal and historical nostalgia, and the distinction between healthy and maladaptive nostalgia.
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Krystine Irene Batcho
Krystine I. Batcho, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY. Her scholarly pursuits have explored the relationship between memory and emotion and psychological wellbeing. Recently, her primary research has focused on the psychology of nostalgia. Her Nostalgia Inventory has facilitated substantial discussion and scholarship. She makes regular contributions on the Psychology Today website, and has been widely cited across disciplines in academic and general audience venues.