Victimhood Nationalism — How Nations Weaponize Collective Suffering
Historian Jie-Hyun Lim examines how nations construct identity through competitive victimhood, with Columbia faculty discussing its global implications.
Why we picked this
The idea that nations compete over who suffered most sounds provocative until you look at any current territorial dispute. Lim has the comparative framework to back it up.
Jie-Hyun Lim, Distinguished Professor at Sogang University, presents his research on how nations build identity through narratives of collective suffering, and how that process fuels cycles of conflict rather than resolution. His concept of “victimhood nationalism” traces a pattern across East Asia and Eastern Europe, where competing claims of historical injury become tools for amplifying nationalist tensions rather than addressing them.
The evening brings together Columbia faculty as discussants: Carol Gluck, Ruth Barraclough, and Andreas Huyssen, with Malgorzata Mazurek moderating. That lineup covers Japanese history, Korean studies, and European memory culture, which means the conversation should move well beyond any single regional case.
Free and open to the public at the Heyman Center, with virtual attendance available via Zoom. Registration is required for both options.