USE OF ABUSE: THEMATIZATION OF VICTIMS AND PERPETRATORS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HISTORICAL MASTER NARRATIVE OF LATVIA

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to trace the development of the victims vs. perpetrators discourse as an integral part of the historical master narrative of Latvia since the end of the 19th century till nowadays. The narrative of abuse plays an essential role in historical master narratives of many modern national communities, as their integrity is strongly dependent on defining themselves via binary opposi- tions. According to Anthony Smith, in this self-identification process of a nation culture, mass communication and education play a particular role [Smith, 1991]. Maurice Halbwachs has specified that school textbooks, media and cultural production actually do not care much about the ‘real history’ – what is being implemented, refers to ‘collective memory’, adapted to the requirements of the actual presence [Halbwachs 1980]. The research paper analyses how this collective memory pattern has been shaped throughout time in the historical master narrative of Latvia as reflected in literature, media and school textbooks. The research focuses on the ‘official’ master narrative, as the research objective was to reveal how the past has been adjusted to present under changes of political regimes and social developments. However, in the context of the second half of the 20th century contrasting voices have been included in order to suggest the presence of the multiplicity of narratives and to pose a series of questions to the current cultural and socio-political interpretation of the past of Latvia.