Śmiech w Auschwitz, czyli o tym, w jaki sposób psychologia może pomóc zrozumieć łamanie tabu w miejscu pamięci Zagłady
Laughter in Auschwitz; or, How Psychology Can Help Understand the Breaking of Taboos at the Holocaust Memorial

Summary/Abstract: Non-normative behavior at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum is often met with outrageand condemnation, including from the Polish media. The research described in this articlechecked whether reactions such as laughter or using a phone – among other things,to take photographs – could serve a regulatory function for visitors to the Memorialand Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau rather than indicating disrespect for Holocaustvictims. We conducted in-depth interviews with the Museum’s guides and observedmuseum visitors. In this way, we found that several non-normative reactions to Holocausttestimony appear quite commonly among visitors. Although these are stigmatized by theguides, the reactions appear adaptive in that they distance visitors from the potentiallytraumatizing Holocaust testimony.

• Details
• Contents