print“Society of Trauma”:
Public Perceptions, Hopes and Fears in the Armenian Society After the Karabakh War
Atanesyan A.V.
Dr. Sci. (Pol.), Professor, Head of Applied Sociology Department, Faculty of Sociology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia; Professor at the Department of Journalism, Media Communications and Public Relations, Institute of International Relations, Pyatigorsk State University, Pyatigorsk, Russia atanesyan@yandex.ru
Anikin V.A.
Ph.D. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., School of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, HSE University, Moscow, Russia vanikin@hse.ru
Atanesyan A.V., Anikin V.A. “Society of Trauma”: Public Perceptions, Hopes and Fears in the Armenian Society After the Karabakh War. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2024. No 12. P. 102-114
The article attempts to characterize Armenian society in the aftermath of the Karabakh War as a “society of trauma.” The topic and its conceptual deliberation in frames of the “society of trauma”, or a “traumatic society”, is applicable to those modern societies living in conditions and after prolonged armed conflicts. Conducted between October and December 2023, the study utilized in depth interviews with individuals across different age groups and regions, expert interviews with professionals, and analysis of previous sociological studies. The study aims to uncover deep-seated value judgments regarding societal transformations before and after the war, factors influencing these shifts, the impact of ruling elites and foreign actors on Armenian domestic and foreign policy, and the overall dynamics of Armenian post-conflict society. Findings reveal a society grappling with declining trust in government institutions, pessimism about the future, nostalgia for the past, political apathy, and a reshaping of collective memory. The term “society of trauma” encapsulates these significant characteristics, reflecting the enduring impact of the conflict.
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