Rebecca Myth
The term Rebecca myth is understood to mean the exaltation and transfiguration of a former group member at the expense of his successor. For example, the predecessor in a love affair, a former supervisor at work or a former class teacher is increased in retrospect in such a way that their successors cannot experience realistic recognition and appreciation against this background.
The term is derived from Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca . In it, the writer tells the story of a young woman who married a widower and who constantly compares herself with his late wife Rebecca, which makes the new relationship almost impossible. The constant repetition of this exaggeration turns the predecessor into an overpowering myth and thus endangers the relationship of her successor.
The social scientist Alvin W. Gouldner took up the term in his industrial sociological studies.
In social psychological terms, the Rebecca myth does not represent a central axiom of action , but in its generalization as a transfiguration of the past in general and the emotionally positive memory of earlier events, experiences and experiences from a scientific systematic point of view, it is significant for every action-related theory of medium range.
Individual evidence
- ^ Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy (The Free Press, 1964); Gouldner, Alvin W .: The new manager and the social structure of the company (in: Conrad, W./Streek, W. (Ed.): Elementare Soziologie , 1982, pp. 164–175)