Social representations of the enemy: an organization of a field in tension

The present article is the result of one of the components of the research project "Social representations of the enemy in the social memory among the demobilized individuals of the groups of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)". This component is the study of the organization of the social representations of the enemy, constructed by the participants of the conflict. It is based on the psycho-sociological theories related to the field, the Theory of Social Representations, as well as other theories. The interpretation was based on the results of the latent class analysis. Free associations of words were used as a data generation technique. The contents are organized mostly around three groups. Attitude to the enemy distinctly is formed around the aversive feelings under the influence of the armed conflict. Enemy image is related to emotions and attitudes such as elimination, fear or hatred. Only one group, the one of less impact, suggests consideration of reconciliation.