ETA’s difficult dissolution : intergroup conflict and narratives

Abstract

The present dissertation is a study of the nationalist group ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) and their narratives. The role of history, politic, and sociology in the Basque conflict is extensively researched in order to grasp the ins and outs of the conflict. The research then questions the expression of socio-identity theories and concepts in ingroup’s narratives, and studies how identity-based factors of influence such as kinship ties, chosen trauma, grievances, salience of identity and belief in social change are expressed in the testimonies of ETA members and Basque nationalism founders. Finally, the research focuses on compassionate reasoning: its effects and its role in conflict-supporting narratives.