This preprint examines the dilemma of staying or leaving under conditions of war, occupation, and political violence through the lens of identity formation rather than moral or strategic choice. It argues that decisions to remain, depart, or endure are shaped by early autobiographical memory, place attachment, and collective narratives that structure belonging across time. Drawing on social psychology, memory studies, diaspora research, and International Relations, the paper develops a temporally grounded framework that reconceptualizes staying and leaving as identity strategies negotiated under structural constraint, rather than acts of loyalty, resistance, or rational mobility.
Osama S Qatrani (2026) studied this question.