ABSTRACT
In this chapter, collective memory and national identity are examined from a social psychological perspective. In a case study on the generational evolution of collective memories in the Belgian context, dynamic relations linking memories of the past and national identity were evidenced. Results suggested that when the collective memory transmitted to the new generations is inconsistent with the current societal experience of their members, feelings of victimhood fade and identification with Belgium rises. This leads to the conclusion that memory and social identity constitute two concepts of capital importance in the understanding of the development and perception of country identity.
