Voices of Collective Remembering Universitetet i Oslo May 2004

1. Voices of Collective RememberingUniversitetet i OsloMay 2004 James V. Wertsch Washington University in St. Louis jwertsch@wustl.edu

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. 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 to open 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 became concerned enough to enter the war in earnest by opening a second front in 1944.

5. 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 disconfirming evidence • A very neat narrative; “impatient with ambiguity” (Novick), complexity, disconfirming evidence

6. 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)

7. In Lieu of Defining Collective Memory • Textual means • Issues of production and consumption (including resistance) • Collective memory vs. Collective remembering • Process of using textual means • Collective memory vs. Collective knowledge • Memories belong to a group • Part of identity project

8. Identity project (usually a picture of heroism, victimhood, etc.) Impatient with ambiguity Ignores counterevidence in order to preserve established narrative Aspires to arrive at objective truth, regardless of consequences Recognizes complexity and ambiguity May revise existing narrative in light of new evidence (archives, etc.) Collective Memory vs. History

9. Schematization in Collective Memory: “Specific Narratives” vs. “Schematic Narrative Templates” • Sasha’s “specific narrative” • Underlying Schematic Narrative Template • “Deep memory” • Schematic: general, abstract • Narrative: in form • Template: applies to many episodes • Specific to particular collectives

10. 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, and against all odds, Russia triumphs

11. 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

12. 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 a collective • Distinguishes one group from another • Source of “memory borders” • Issues of the production and consumption of the textual means

13. Conclusions • Collective remembering is not analytic history • Use of schematic narrative templates in collective remembering (vs. specific narratives)