Ethnic cleansing Quote by Wendy Griswold
““A more general statement of Davies's point would be that when institutions and meaning systems are threatened or disrupted, it may not be the case that entirely new ones will be created; one response may simply be a greater emphasis on preexisting cultural traits and distinctions...Thus, Wuthnow's (1987) "breakdowns of the moral order" may not produce new ideologies; it may reinvigorate old ones, including old hatreds that were assumed to have vanished from the modern world. The increasing fragmentation and resurgent ethnicity of the former Eastern bloc gives evidence of this. The concept of "ethnic cleansing" represents community with a vengeance.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Construction of Public Knowledge, Wendy Griswold, 1994
When institutions are threatened, societies often revive existing cultural traits rather than invent new ideologies, leading to renewed old hatreds and ethnic conflicts.
In simple terms: Crises can revive old beliefs and hostilities.
Key Takeaway
Watch for old narratives resurfacing in crises.
Themes
culture
conflict
institutional change
ethnicity
memory
Mood
cautious
analytical
critical
Type
sociological
theoretical
observational
When to use this quote
- political upheaval
- post‑communist transitions
- ethnic tensions
- media framing
- policy making
Key Concepts
social identity
collective memory
political sociology
ethnic cleansing
moral order
Questions to Reflect On
- How do societies decide which old traits to amplify?
- What mechanisms prevent old hatreds from resurfacing?
A Different Perspective
New ideologies may not emerge; old prejudices can be re‑energized.
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