Staying or Leaving Under War: Memory, Identity Formation, and the Collective Ethos of Belonging

This paper explores the dilemma of staying or leaving under conditions of war, occupation, and political repression through the lens of identity formation rather than purely moral or political frameworks. It argues that such decisions are deeply rooted in early autobiographical memory, place attachment, and collective narratives that shape the individual and collective sense of belonging. Drawing on theories of self-concept, social identity, collective memory, and diaspora studies, the paper proposes a three-layer analytical model: early identity formation structured by childhood memory; collective ethos and national narratives that moralise staying or legitimise leaving; and structural forces of power that redefine individuals as insiders or outsiders across contexts of homeland and exile. Through comparative references to Palestine and Vietnam, the paper illustrates how different peoples construct philosophies of endurance, resistance, and survival, while also highlighting generational divergences in exile. The study concludes that staying or leaving cannot be understood solely as acts of loyalty or betrayal, but as identity processes governed by memory, temporality, and the lived relationship to place.