Through the Eyes of the Young Generation of Cypriots: The Perception of The Cyprus Conflict
Author
Jaskot, Katarzyna
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-05-31
Pages
50
Abstract
This thesis explores how the young generation of Greek Cypriots perceives the Cyprus conflict and why, from their perspective, the country remains divided. Guided by the research question “What are the reasons the country is still divided, as seen by the young generation?”, the study employs a qualitative design that combines a literature review with semi-structured online interviews conducted via Microsoft Teams with five young adults (aged 24–35) from the Greek-Cypriot side, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. The analysis is grounded in theories of nationalism, Social Identity Theory, and Mannheim’s concept of generations, using phenomenological and narrative approaches to capture lived experiences and personal narratives. Findings indicate that the island’s division is sustained by the education system’s treatment of recent history, institutional pressures, and prevalent Greek nationalist attitudes, which together help maintain separation between communities. While the small, non-representative sample and focus on the Greek-Cypriot context limit generalizability, the study offers in-depth insight into young people’s perspectives and aims to inform discussions on reconciliation and a lasting solution.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan den unge generation af grækercyprioter opfatter den cypriotiske konflikt, og hvorfor landet efter deres opfattelse fortsat er delt. Med udgangspunkt i forskningsspørgsmålet “Hvilke årsager ser den unge generation som forklaringen på, at landet stadig er delt?” anvender studiet et kvalitativt design, der kombinerer en litteraturgennemgang med semistrukturerede onlineinterviews via Microsoft Teams med fem unge voksne (24–35 år) fra den græsk-cypriotiske side, rekrutteret gennem bekvemmeligheds- og sneboldsampling. Analysen er forankret i teorier om nationalisme, Social Identity Theory og Mannheims generationsbegreb og trækker på fænomenologiske og narrative tilgange for at belyse deltagernes oplevelser og fortællinger. Resultaterne peger på, at øens fortsatte opdeling påvirkes af undervisningssystemets behandling af den nyere historie, institutionelle pres samt udbredte græske nationalistiske holdninger, som tilsammen bidrager til at fastholde skellet mellem befolkningsgrupperne. Studiets begrænsninger omfatter den lille, ikke-repræsentative deltagergruppe og fokus på den græsk-cypriotiske kontekst, hvilket begrænser generaliserbarheden; ikke desto mindre giver det dyb indsigt i unges perspektiver og kan informere diskussioner om forsoning og en varig løsning.
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