CSDC Speaker Series: Legacies of the Third Reich: Concentration Camps and Outgroup Intolerance

The Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship presents:

Margit Tavits (Washington University in St-Louis)

Legacies of the Third Reich: Concentration Camps and Outgroup Intolerance

You can learn more about Professor Tavits by clicking here.

Where and When: Friday, November 15, 2019 at 3:00pm. Ballroom, Thomson House, McGill University.

Abstract: We explore the long-term political consequences of the Third Reich and show that current political intolerance, xenophobia, and voting for radical right-wing parties are associated with proximity to former Nazi concentration camps in Germany. This relationship is not explained by contemporary attitudes, the location of the camps, geographic sorting, the economic impact of the camps, or their current use. We argue that cognitive dissonance led those more directly exposed to Nazi institutions to conform with the belief system of the regime. These attitudes were then transmitted across generations. The evidence provided here contributes both to our understanding of the legacies of historical institutions, and the sources of political intolerance.

See all the other Speaker Series Events here.

This series is sponsored by the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship, which is funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC).