"The concept of “historical memory,” often expressed as “collective memory,” “social memory,” or for political scientists, “the politics of memory,” refers to the ways in which groups, collectivities, and nations construct and identify with particular narratives about historical periods or events.
How is memory used in history?
Memory is important in history because people can apply that knowledge to their current lives by learning history. For example, if a country learned in the past about the dangers of a particular event, it can use that knowledge to avoid a similar situation..
What is cultural memory in history?
Cultural memory is the constructed understanding of the past that is passed from one generation to the next through text, oral traditions, monuments, rites, and other symbols..
What is memory history?
History is based on the interpretation of the past, meaning the collection of everything that has ever happened before now. Memory is what is passed down through generations. It is the first-hand account of an event. History is an interpretation of that memory..
What is the role of historical memory?
Historical memories are foundational to social and political identities and are also often reshaped in relation to the present historical-political moment.".
A repertoire of discursive strategies functions to emotionalize national narrative and nationalize personal pasts. National memory has been used calculatedly by governments for dynastic, political, religious and cultural purposes since as early as the sixteenth century.
Cultural memory differs from collective memory in two ways: first, it focuses on cultural characteristics that 'communicative' or 'everyday memory' lack. Second, it is different from history, which does not have the characteristics of memory.
£405.00Nov 12, 2020How has our collective memory been influenced and expressed by politics, culture, philosophy and science? In a work that spans over 2,500 years,
£405.00Nov 12, 2020The volumes situate our understanding of memory within a variety of historical contexts, looking to art and science alike to determine how it
How long does cultural memory last?
All studies in oral history confirm that even in literate societies living memory goes back no farther than eighty years—after which, separated by the floating gap, come, instead of myths of origin, the dates from schoolbooks and monuments
Cultural memory is based on fixed points in the past
Is cultural memory a construct?
The field’s fundamental assumption about the constructedness of cultural memory, however, is also valid for the level of theory: Every theoretical idea about the contents or functions of cultural memory is itself a construct and more of an academic ‘invention’ than a discovery of cultural givens
What is a history of memory?
The history of memory should place the articulation of a particular perception of the past within the context of society as a shared symbolic universe
A given memory is subsumed within a culture that is constituted by common practices and representations
Cultural history of memory
UNESCO initiative to preserve heritage
UNESCO's Memory of the World (MoW) Programme is an international initiative launched to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, decay over time and climatic conditions, as well as deliberate destruction. It calls for the preservation of valuable archival holdings, library collections, and private individual compendia all over the world for posterity, the reconstitution of dispersed or displaced documentary heritage, and increased accessibility to, and dissemination of, these items.
National memory
Form of collective memory defined by shared experiences and culture
National memory is a form of collective memory defined by shared experiences and culture. It is an integral part to national identity.
Politics of memory is the organisation of collective memory by political agents; the political means by which events are remembered and recorded, or discarded. Eventually, politics of memory may determine the way history is written and passed on, hence the terms history politics or politics of history. The politics of history is the effects of political influence on the representation or study of historical topics, commonly associated with the totalitarian state which use propaganda and other means to impose a specific version of history with the goal of eliminating competing perspectives about the past. In order to achieve this goal, memory regimes resort to different means such as narrating, strategic silencing, performing or renaming/remapping.
