Abstract

Collective identities serve to both stabilise and destabilise a sense of nationhood in the context of intractable conflict. Using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a case study, we suggest that developing collective identities remain dependent on their historical, cultural and political contexts. A future can be imagined either as a continuation of the conflict, as the dominant narrative retains its prominence, or as one where alternative narratives steer a path away from conflict. Narratives from those embedded in conflict form the architecture of social representations, and we discuss this using the concepts of dialogicality and themata. Through this process, we explore how imagined futures are not necessarily perceived as intractable, as alternative narratives rejecting the status quo become visible.