Fil Voices of Collective Remembering

7/31/2019 Fil Voices of Collective Remembering

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Voices of CollectiveRemembering

Universitetet i OsloMay 2004

James V. Wertsch

Washington Universityin St. Louis

[email protected]


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Collective Memory

Ancient issue but renewed interest

Many disciplines involved

History (Nora, Novick)

Sociology (Halbwachs)

Psychology (Middleton)

Anthropology (Cole)

Communication/media studies (Schudson) Education (Wineburg, Seixas)

Literature (Fussell)


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Collective Memory

Little agreement on terminology (vs. study of

individual memory in psychology):

Collective memory (Halbwachs)

Public memory (Bodnar)

Cultural memory

Historical memory

Historical consciousness (Seixas)


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An Encounter with Collective

Memory: Sasha in Moscow

The United States made a lot of money from selling

arms and other things to countries during the early

years of the war, but it did not really contribute as an

ally. In fact, along with Great Britain it refused toopen a second front in 1942 and again in 1943. It

was only after the U.S. and Britain began to think

that the Soviet Union might win the war by itself and

dominate post-war Europe that they becameconcerned enough to enter the war in earnest by

opening a second front in 1944.


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Russian Collective Memory

Stark contrast with US narrative

Tied to a Russian identity project

Sasha: a post-Soviet account: informed and with

access to information

Not recognized or transparent to Sasha: just telling

us What really happened

Probably not open to revision based on disconfirmingevidence

A very neat narrative; impatient with ambiguity

(Novick), complexity, disconfirming evidence


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In Lieu of Defining Collective

Memory

Collective memory vs. individual memory

Collective memory: strong version vs.

distributed version Distributed version of collective memory (the

correct interpretation):

Active agent + cultural tool Cultural tools especially in the form of narrative

texts (Sasha + textual means)


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In Lieu of Defining Collective

Memory

Textual means

Issues of production and consumption(including resistance)

Collective memory vs. Collectiveremembering

Process of using textual means

Collective memory vs. Collective knowledge Memories belong to a group

Part of identity project


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Collective Memory vs. History

Identity project (usuallya picture of heroism,victimhood, etc.)

Impatient withambiguity

Ignores

counterevidence inorder to preserveestablished narrative

Aspires to arrive atobjective truth,regardless of

consequences Recognizes complexity

and ambiguity

May revise existing

narrative in light of newevidence (archives,etc.)


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Schematization in Collective

Memory: Specific Narratives vs.

Schematic Narrative Templates Sashas specific narrative

Underlying Schematic Narrative Template

Deep memory

Schematic: general, abstract

Narrative: in form

Template: applies to many episodes

Specific to particular collectives


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Triumph-over-Alien-Forces SNT

Russian version:

Russia was peaceful and not interfering with

others

Russia is viciously and wantonly attacked

without provocation

Russia almost loses everything in total defeat

Through heroism and exceptionalism, andagainst all odds, Russia triumphs


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Applies to Several Past Episodes

Mongols (13th century)

Swedes (18th)

Napoleon (19th)

Germans (20th)

Communism and Western mentality (20th)

Template: same basic (schematic) story(narrative) over and over


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Conclusions

Collective memory

Distributed version Collective remembering = active agent using

particular textual means (especially narratives) Textual means are often transparent

Textual means belong to, and characterize acollective

Distinguishes one group from another

Source of memory borders

Issues of the production and consumption of thetextual means


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Conclusions

Collective remembering is not analytic

history

Use of schematic narrative templates in

collective remembering (vs. specific

narratives)

Documents

Fil Voices of Collective Remembering