Collective Memory and Collective Memory and Public DiscoursePublic Discourse

School of School of Communication, SFU, Communication, SFU, Spring 2007Spring 2007

Professor: Professor: Jan MarontateJan Marontate

Exhibition of Storefront Display covered with toxic dust from September 11, 2001, New York City. Source NYTimes, Aug. 25, 2006See also article by Fried about another exhibition related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks

Second Short Report Second Short Report Presentations (continued)Presentations (continued)

Discussion of Term Discussion of Term AssignmentAssignment

HandoutHandout 4 4 Primary & secondary sourcesPrimary & secondary sources Class Class PresentationPresentation Dates Dates for Term for Term

Assignment (will be split in two groups)Assignment (will be split in two groups)

Today : Slight Change in Today : Slight Change in ThemeTheme

Memory in the context of Socio-political & Memory in the context of Socio-political & cultural changecultural change– Supression?Supression?– Celebration?Celebration?– Persistance of memory? Persistance of memory?

Film screening depicting changing sites of Film screening depicting changing sites of memory in everyday life & rapidly changing memory in everyday life & rapidly changing socitiessocities

Recall: What constitutes a Recall: What constitutes a “Site of Memory”?“Site of Memory”?

"where [cultural] memory crystallizes and "where [cultural] memory crystallizes and secretes itself" (Nora 1989: 7)secretes itself" (Nora 1989: 7)

placesplaces

archives, archives, museums, museums, cathedrals, cathedrals, palaces, palaces, cemeteries, and cemeteries, and MemorialsMemorials And non-placesAnd non-places

concepts and practicesconcepts and practices

commemorations, commemorations, mottosmottos ritualsrituals food food

Above: Sheep on top of car being transported to Dakar, Senegal for ritual slaughter for the festival of the sheep (Tabaski in Waloof)

Left: Small cakes known as Madeleines, a specialty ofThe region of Commercy in France, mentioned in Marcel Proust’s In remembrance of Things Past. (literally à la recherche du temps perdu

objectsobjects

inherited propertyinherited property– mementos mementos – Ex. High school Ex. High school

yearbookyearbook monuments monuments manuals,manuals, emblems,emblems, basic textsbasic texts symbols.symbols.

Censorship & IconoclasmCensorship & Iconoclasm CensurshipCensurship Iconoclasm : Iconoclasm : deliberate destruction of images rooted deliberate destruction of images rooted

in religious, political or other socio-cultural beliefsin religious, political or other socio-cultural beliefs– Ex. Ex. Destruction of 3Destruction of 3rdrd c. A.D. Buddhas by Taleban in Afghanistan c. A.D. Buddhas by Taleban in Afghanistan completed March 12, completed March 12,

20022002

Difference in meaning between vandalism & iconoclasm: Difference in meaning between vandalism & iconoclasm: vandals “ignorant”, purposeless acts of destructionvandals “ignorant”, purposeless acts of destruction

Silencing: Silencing:

Recall: Memories Recall: Memories of Amish of Amish Schoolhouse Schoolhouse KillingsKillings– Site where Site where

childrenchildren werewere killedkilled

– Destruction Destruction ofof AmishAmish SchoolhouseSchoolhouse

Ex. Destruction of Ex. Destruction of MonumentsMonuments

Changing visions of the past as a Changing visions of the past as a way to change the present way to change the present (Connerton)(Connerton) Acts of repudiation, Acts of repudiation, like like

the execution of the execution of leaders.:leaders.:– King of France during King of France during

the French revolution the French revolution (Connerton)(Connerton)

– Saddam Hussein in Saddam Hussein in December 2006December 2006

Preparations for the execution of Saddam Hussein

Life (Personal) histories and Life (Personal) histories and collective memorycollective memory

Rescuing the lived experience of marginalized Rescuing the lived experience of marginalized or subordinate groups ? or subordinate groups ?

Problems in confronting personal histories Problems in confronting personal histories with “objective” records (ex. Connerton, with “objective” records (ex. Connerton, Zerubavel)Zerubavel)

Social Memory vs. Historical Social Memory vs. Historical Reconstruction (Connerton)Reconstruction (Connerton)

Historical reconstructions independent of Historical reconstructions independent of social memorysocial memory– Historians, evidence & authorityHistorians, evidence & authority

Traces of the past (documents, artifacts, first hand Traces of the past (documents, artifacts, first hand observations)observations)

Notions of “truth”Notions of “truth”

– Historical writing and politics (ex. Basis for Historical writing and politics (ex. Basis for understanding the war between Israel & the understanding the war between Israel & the Palestinians– differing collective memories of the Palestinians– differing collective memories of the past and its meaning for the present)past and its meaning for the present)

Historical reconstructions and the Historical reconstructions and the shape of shared memories of the shape of shared memories of the pastpast

– depends on group membershipdepends on group membership Question of Belief & disbeliefQuestion of Belief & disbelief Survival of witnesses?Survival of witnesses?

– Context Context different points of viewdifferent points of view Different opportunities for deceitDifferent opportunities for deceit

– Importance of types of documentation (primary, Importance of types of documentation (primary, secondary) for understanding historical secondary) for understanding historical reconstructionsreconstructions

Memories as HabitsMemories as Habits

Notion of “universal” or shared mental Notion of “universal” or shared mental traditions or processes within populations or traditions or processes within populations or groups (ex. Eye-witnesses, survivors, groups (ex. Eye-witnesses, survivors, holocaust deniers, etc.)holocaust deniers, etc.)

Mnemoic communities and individuals Mnemoic communities and individuals – Exceptionalism, ConformityExceptionalism, Conformity

Conventions or norms or practices of Conventions or norms or practices of “sameness” “sameness” – rule-following behaviours like language systems rule-following behaviours like language systems

or clothes or even bodily practices, postures….or clothes or even bodily practices, postures….

Example: John Berger “Men in suits”Example: John Berger “Men in suits”

Viewing “men in suits” todayViewing “men in suits” today

What do we need to know about socio-historic What do we need to know about socio-historic context? (Who? What? Where? Why?)context? (Who? What? Where? Why?)– Sumptuary laws in 19Sumptuary laws in 19thth-century Germany-century Germany– Place of photography in societyPlace of photography in society– Technical limits of photographyTechnical limits of photography– Conventions of posing for picture-taking sessionsConventions of posing for picture-taking sessions– Why was this collected?Why was this collected?

What binds recent memories What binds recent memories and distant ones?and distant ones?

Groups provide Groups provide frameworks to locate frameworks to locate memoriesmemories

Different groups have different frameworksDifferent groups have different frameworks Collective memory about Collective memory about communicationcommunication

– in specific contexts between group membersin specific contexts between group members

Film ScreeningFilm Screening

Video clips from Video clips from Goodbye LeninGoodbye Lenin Suggestion for in-class exerciseSuggestion for in-class exercise

– Identify of types of “sites” of memory of old Identify of types of “sites” of memory of old regime that were shown in film and give regime that were shown in film and give specific examplesspecific examples

– What “sites” of memory were deliberately What “sites” of memory were deliberately removed?removed?

– Which ones did the children feel were Which ones did the children feel were important for their mother?important for their mother?