A Spitting Image of Reality? Analyzing Stories of Meaningful in-out Group Incidents As a Tool for Understanding Students' in-out Group Relationships in a Divided Community

This article explores the usefulness of analyzing narratives of particular incidents that are meaningful to and involve members of different ethnic groups in a situation of conflict. Narrative analysis of the content and structure of stories told by 15 Greek and 15 Turkish Cypriot students about a particular 'spitting incident' and the micro- and macro context in which these students, selected from two secondary schools in the Republic of Cyprus develop their narratives, shows that the analysis of such stories can enhance our understanding of: a) the different ways in which actors represent this incident and the factors and processes that inform these representations and b) the more general representations actors make of their own in-group and perceived out-group. More specifically, TCs portrayal of the TC protagonist as a vulnerable but likable and brave hero who is the victim of deliberate and hostile actions of a powerful and untrustworthy villain (the GC protagonist and particularly the GC community), who uses his power to punish the hero unfairly and excessively corresponds to their views of how GCs treat TCs in the Republic of Cyprus more generally and TCs passive, more defensive response to such treatment. Similarly, GCs portrayal of the GC protagonist as a pious hero and the TC protagonist as the disrespectful anti-Orthodox villain corresponds with their views of TCs as dominant, aggressive religious (Muslim) extremists who cannot be trusted. In addition, while TCs narrate this story primarily as an isolated incident, and seek to excuse, deny and/or downplay the accusations directed to the TC student, GCs often tell this story in relationship to a more general, critical discussion of existing school policies which they define as biased against them . The conclusions discuss the implications of this study for future research and social policy on in-out group relationships.