Looking Back, Moving Forward: The Role of Collective Nostalgia in Shaping Collective Action Intentions

Drawing on theories of collective continuity, nostalgia, and intergroup emotions, this study examines whether perceptions of collective discontinuity—a felt rupture in a group’s historical trajectory—evoke collective nostalgia (i.e., longing for how the group used to be), which in turn promotes ingroup protection intentions via increased group-based anger. We tested this serial mediation model among two distinct groups: Arab-Israeli citizens and Jewish-Israeli citizens, each experiencing unique forms of collective discontinuity. Arab-Israeli citizens experience a crisis of safety and social cohesion amid escalating intra-community violence and perceived state neglect. Jewish-Israeli citizens confront democratic instability tied to proposed judicial reforms, compounded by collective trauma following the October 7th attacks. A total of 303 Arab-Israeli citizens ( M = 36.05, SD = 11.33) and 272 Jewish-Israeli citizens ( M = 44.69, SD = 14.06) completed an online survey. Findings supported the hypothesised model in both groups. Collective discontinuity predicted greater collective nostalgia, which in turn predicted ingroup protection intentions, both directly and indirectly through group-based anger towards the government. However, one group-specific pathway emerged: discontinuity → group-based anger → ingroup protection intentions among Jewish participants. We consider theoretical and practical implications of the findings.