Processes & Social Forms of Remembering & Shaping Memories Collective Memory and Public Discourse School of Communication, SFU, Spring 2007 Professor: Jan Marontate African Drum Workshop, Healing Weekend, Black Loyalist Heritage Site, Nova Scotia, 2006

Recall: Course Administration Handout # 1: Syllabus, Grading, Schedule Handout # 1: Syllabus, Grading, Schedule Handout # 1 Handout # 1 Course Website Course Website Course Website Course Website Handout #2: Partial List of Readings for Weeks 1-4 Handout #2: Partial List of Readings for Weeks 1-4 Handout #2 Handout #2 Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, 1931

Last Day: Core concepts in Studies of Collective Memory Focus on Focus on –History of scholarly work on “collective memory” and origins of early interests –Terminology & related issues –Early Interest in Collective Memory: Social Construction of ’Knowledge’ & Individual/Society –Memory as a “social fact” & the social frameworks of memory

What constitutes a “Site of Memory”? "where [cultural] memory crystallizes and secretes itself" (Nora 1989: 7) "where [cultural] memory crystallizes and secretes itself" (Nora 1989: 7)

places archives, archives, museums, museums, cathedrals, cathedrals, palaces, palaces, cemeteries, and cemeteries, and memorials; memorials; memorials

concepts and practices commemorations, commemorations, generations, generations, Mottos Mottos rituals; rituals;

objects inherited property inherited property –mementos monuments monuments manuals, manuals, emblems, emblems, basic texts basic texts symbols. symbols.

Non-places, Silencing: Memories of Amish Schoolhouse Killings Site where children were killed Site where children were killedchildren were killedchildren were killed Destruction of Amish Schoolhouse Destruction of Amish Schoolhouse Destruction of Amish Schoolhouse Destruction of Amish Schoolhouse

Innovations as Rejection of Memories of the Past or revivals? –Invention of new ceremonies –new “fashions” (today could it be rejection of the burka?)

Typology of Memory Claims (Connerton) 1-Personal Memory 1-Personal Memory –Sources: Connections with individual’s life history 2-Cognitive memory 2-Cognitive memory –Not necessary about the past but enabled by something we have learned to help us decipher past, present & future 3-Habit Memory 3-Habit Memory –Performative but not necessarily grounded in specifiv memories

Discussion of Last week’s Film Screening Rabbit-Proof Fence Rabbit-Proof Fence –Fact-based story Personal Memories? Personal Memories? Collective Memories? Collective Memories?

Today: Processes & Forms Historical notions Historical notions –memory as “positive” –way of preserving knowledge & skill knowledge & skill ways of life ways of life –sense of identity Assumptions about mnemonic traces Assumptions about mnemonic traces –Cognitive vs. unconscious processes –Time Maps as ways of making connections (Zerubavel)

“Time Maps” & the Social Shaping of Memory Discourses Questions of relevance Questions of relevance Long and short term (Annales School notion of longue durée) Long and short term (Annales School notion of longue durée) Making connections Making connections Delimiting discontinuities Delimiting discontinuities

Example: Plotlines & Narrative Forms Progress narratives Progress narratives Decline narratives Decline narratives (examples from Zerubavel Time Maps)

Historical “Phrasing” in Narratives Legato (connected) Legato (connected) Staccato (breaks) Staccato (breaks)

“Triggers”, memory retrieval (types of Mnemonic devices) –Words, facts, skills, events –Ideals, goals, intentions, promises –Feelings, states-of-mind, earlier selves etc… –Things, odours, ex. Madeleine (Proust, Remembrance of things past, triggered by smell and taste of Madeleines, a style of French cupcake)

Varieties of Personal Memory What do we become aware of when we remember and how do we do it? (David Gross Lost Time, 2000) What do we become aware of when we remember and how do we do it? (David Gross Lost Time, 2000) –Semantic memory (words) –Propositional memories (kinds of Info.) –Implicit memories (ex. How to play an instrument) –Episodic memory (beginning & end, aura) –Other kinds Projects (Odysseus and faithfulness to project of returning home) Projects (Odysseus and faithfulness to project of returning home) Revisionist (confessions) Revisionist (confessions) Happy/sad episodes, feelings & emotions (ex. Proust) Happy/sad episodes, feelings & emotions (ex. Proust) –Amnesia (deliberate, unconscious etc..)

Biography (Personal & Collective Dimensions) Biography & Autobiography as ways of creating relationships Biography & Autobiography as ways of creating relationships –Discursive process that shapes memories Example: Rabbit-proof fence Example: Rabbit-proof fence –Fact-based film –Historical reconstructions –Personal? –experiences of group(s) of people (mnemonic communities)? - other perspectives?

Ways of mapping personal to collective memories Family, ancestry & descent Family, ancestry & descent Dynasty Dynasty –Not always based on consanguinity as historical contact chains as historical contact chains as continuous structures as continuous structures

Interconnectedness Genealogical Distance (consanguinity) Genealogical Distance (consanguinity) Ancestral depth (# of generations) Ancestral depth (# of generations)

Ancestral Depth

Tracing “Families” over time Not just people Not just people Can be practices, things, events Can be practices, things, events

Monogenist & Polygenist Models of Human Descent Direct ancestors Direct ancestors Socio-mnemonic dimensions of ancestry Socio-mnemonic dimensions of ancestry

Phylogeny

Divergence Modelling

Mnemonic Cutting Conceptualizing Discontinuities (breaks) Conceptualizing Discontinuities (breaks)

Association/assimilation Periods, epochs as mnemonic transformation of historical continuum Periods, epochs as mnemonic transformation of historical continuum

History & Prehistory in Mnemonic Traditions Example: Pre-contact and Post contact history of N. American Example: Pre-contact and Post contact history of N. American

Discussion of Fieldwork: ideas for term work by –1-Viewing one of each a documentary film a documentary film a « fact-based » fictionalized film a « fact-based » fictionalized film Must be about past events (can be very recent past) or the history of a group, a place etc….something that involves sharing memories –2-Doing « fieldwork ». Visiting an historic site, reconstruction or public monument or building that is intended to commemorate or express memories of a group or event.

Vilm Clip Screening: The Return of Martin Guerre Personal story of impersonation? Personal story of impersonation? Framing collective memories of the past? Framing collective memories of the past?