EMOTIONAL IMPRINTS OF WAR : a computer-assisted analysis of emotions in dutch parliamentary debates, 1945-1989

Historical research can be enhanced by methods and resources from various disciplines, ranging from psychology to computer linguistics. With a creative and innovative perspective on ›things we think we know‹, Milan van Lange presents a computer-assisted historical investigation into the role of emotions in dealing with consequences of World War II in the Netherlands. By ›emotion mining‹ digitised sources, van Lange shows where emotions were present and how they were expressed and discussed in the political engagement with people who experienced long-term effects of the war, such as former collaborators and war criminals, the resistance, and war victims. Contents 1. Introduction . On War, Emotions, and Computers in History 2. Emotions 3. Materials and Data . Digitised Sources and a Lexicon 4. Methods and Operationalisation . A Computer-assisted Approach to the Analysis of Digitised Historical Texts 5. Peering Through the Macroscope . Baseline and Background Case Study 1 . ‘The Resistance’ Introduction A History of Resistance Legislation (1947–1985) 6. Erratic Emotions . Mining the Underground in the Dutch Parliament 7. A Strong Disposition . Discussing the Pension Act for Extraordinary Government Employees Case Study 2 . ‘War Victims’ Introduction A History of Alleviating War Victims’ Suffering in Parliament (1945–1989 8. Emotional Consistency . A Macroscopic View on War Victim Debates 9. Emotional Scaffolding . The Construction of War Victim Legislation in Parliament 10. Conclusion . On the Role of Emotions and Computers Supplements Bibliography Author Information