Document Type
Book chapter
Source Publication
Regional peace building : the Korean Peninsula and North-east Asia : conference proceedings, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, 10 June 2010
Publication Date
6-1-2010
First Page
7
Last Page
18
Publisher
Centre for Asian Pacific Studies, Lingnan University
Abstract
This paper hypothesizes that policies of dealing with the past carry symbolic meanings, which facilitate, or hamper, the victims’ perceptions of justice and reconciliation. The symbolic meanings communicated through compensation, trials, and apologies express the disassociation of the wrongdoer from the wrongdoing. In the eyes of victims they indicate whether or not the wrongdoers are genuinely interested in dealing with the past. The absence of one policy of dealing with the past shows that a wrongdoer is not genuine and that he has not given up on his previous hostile attitudes. In order to test the hypothesis, we have devised an experimental vignette, which manipulates financial compensation, trial, and apologies in 2x2x2 factorial design. The vignette will be embedded in a questionnaire which will be randomly assigned and distributed within a group of South Korean students who would respond to five questions on justice and four questions on reconciliation. The results of the OLS linear regression analysis should provide a feedback on the symbolic meaning of policies of dealing with the past, statistically captured by mutual conditionality (interactions) of these policies.
Publisher Statement
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Additional Information
Paper presented at the Conferenec of Regional peace building: The Korean Peninsula and North-east Asia, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, June 10, 2010.
Full-text Version
Accepted Author Manuscript
Language
English
Recommended Citation
David, R. (2010). Symbolic meaning of historical injustices: Attitudes of south korean students to Japan's policy of dealing with the past. In Regional peace building: The Korean Peninsula and North-east Asia: Conference proceedings, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, 10 June 2010 (pp. 7-18). Hong Kong: Centre for Asian Pacific Studies, Lingnan University.