Social Theory: Collective Memory

Bin XuAssistant Professor of Sociology and Asian

StudiesFlorida International University

Who controls the past controls the future.

Who controls the present controls the past.

George Orwell, 1984

Who controls the past controls the future.

Who controls the present controls the past.

MEMORY DYSTOPIA

PRESENTISM

• A mild and reasonable version of 1984.• Who controls the past controls the

future. • Who controls the present controls the

past.

Presentism: Major Arguments

• The past is molded to suit present dominant interests

• (Some) “Traditions” are invented.

• Memory/reputational entrepreneurs

Hobsbawm: Invention of Tradition

• Definition

• Social conditions

Hobsbawm: Invention of Tradition

• Three types of invented traditions

• Methods: narratives, rituals, symbolism, cultural objects that embody the symbols

Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914

• Old things are actually quite new: mostly in the priod of 1870-1914

• State’s invention of political tradition• Political movements’ invention of

tradition• Invention of social tradition

Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914

• States’ invention of tradition

1. States’ legitimacy concern

2. Methods: 1) Education2) Ceremonies3) Monuments4) Symbolism

Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914

• Political movements’ invention of traditions

• Case: May Day (International Workers’ Day, Labor Day, etc.)

• Exceptions: US&UK

• New trend in US: Undocumented immigrant workers’ demonstrations in recent years

Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914

• Social classes and invention of tradition

1) Working class and football

2) Middle class: education, fraternity, middle-class sport

• The FA Cup

Social classes and invention of tradition

• The Davis Cup

Gary Alan Fine: Harding’s Reputation and Entrepreneurs

• Reputational entrepreneur (an individual-based explanation)

• Successful entrepreneurs1. Self-interest2. Narrative clarity3. Position

Michel Foucault (1926-1984)

• A sketch of Foucault’s thoughts

• Centrality of sex

• Power-knowledge

Power-Knowledge and Counter-Memory

• Power-knowledge (the hyphen is important):

• Power produces knowledge; knowledge produces power.

• Discipline and Punish and discipline as in “academic discipline”

• Subjugated knowledge/counter memory

Panopticon

Popular Memory

• The Popular Memory Group

• History and/as memory

• “Field of public representations of the past”: dominant memory and popular memory

Popular Memory

• Popular memory as political practice

• Oral history as an example: 1) As “subjugated knowledge”:

“authentic” and “true”2) Still influenced by the present.

How does presentism speak to Schwartz’s cultural system theory?

• Model of the society? Or Model for the Society?

• Problems?