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DIGSSCORE Tuesday seminar

Margit Tavits: Legacies of the Third Reich: Concentration Camps and Outgroup Intolerance

Picture of Margit Tavits
Photo:
http://pages.wustl.edu/tavits

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We are happy to welcome Margit Tavits, Professor at the Department of Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis, to present at this seminar. The presentation is titled "Legacies of the Third Reich: Concentration Camps and Outgroup Intolerance".

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.

 

All are welcome! Lunch is served at first come, first served basis.