Identity is one of the most powerful drivers of humanity and yet among the least understood. Despite countless studies, articles, and books, many aspects of identity remain mysterious to both scientists and laypeople. As social beings, our lives are regulated and influenced by our understanding of who we are. Identity shapes and is shaped by social norms, laws, cultures, in addition to our personal feelings and beliefs.
Identity plays an essential and complex role in relation to conflicts and mental illness. People may accept harming others when they see them as deserving of harm and essentially different from themselves. Conversely, they may cooperate and resist when they see themselves as part of a group worth sacrificing for.
In this book, Talal Alali examines collective identity and its complex relationship with both mental disorders and traumas using the context of war. He examines why psychology has struggled to grasp these dynamics comprehensively and how we can b
