Regaining In-Group Continuity in Times of Anxiety About the Group's Future : A Study on the Role of Collective Nostalgia Across 27 Countries

Open Access

Abstract

Collective nostalgia for the good old days of the country thrives across the world. However, little is known about the social psychological dynamics of this collective emotion across cultures. We predicted that collective nostalgia is triggered by collective angst as it helps people to restore a sense of in-group continuity via stronger in-group belonging and out-group rejection (in the form of opposition to immigrants). Based on a sample (N = 5956) of individuals across 27 countries, the general pattern of results revealed that collective angst predicts nostalgia, which subsequently relates to stronger feelings of in-group continuity via in-group belonging (but not via out-group rejection). Collective nostalgia generally predicted opposition to immigrants, but this was subsequently not related to in-group continuity.