Monuments are closely linked to the history and collective memory of a nation.
Collective memory is an expression that was born at the impulse of Maurice Halbwachs . This sociologist and psychologist of French origin wrote and published works such as “Les Cadres sociaux de la mémoire” and “La mémoire collective” .
From the perspective of this intellectual, collective memory is formed with memories treasured by a community as a whole. That is, this content is constructed, shared and transmitted as a group, in society .
Over the years, many thinkers analyzed this notion, debated it and even enriched it with deep analyzes and connections with other concepts. Jan Assmann , for example, released a material that in Spanish is known under the title “Religion and cultural memory. Ten studies” , while Pablo Connerton positioned the human organism as a key space for the conservation and dissemination of memory . Pierre Nora also made contributions in this regard, in his case focused on the idea of shared memory .
Types of collective memory
Collective memory is nourished by the multiple wills of individuals who socially construct a story or history that gives them identity as a people.
Group learning and experiences, cultural traditions and customs account for collective memory . It is interesting, in this framework, to discover the approaches, varieties and forms that allow us to appreciate the collective memory of a certain community.
Social memory , for example, is a phenomenon that develops in social groups when memories function as ties of recognition within a generality. As can be seen when searching for information with historical roots, orality was essential to sustain this type of memory until writing was invented and there was a more precise and lasting alternative for documentation.
It is worth highlighting that collective memory also encompasses cultural memory . This occurs when a crowd shares a culture. In this scenario, memory is not limited to being a private and individual experience, but rather acquires a collective dimension and importance that is fundamental to understanding the past and building a future.
Nor should we overlook the particularities or value of historical memory , which is linked to collective memory but also maintains differences with it. In the first case, the theory points out, limits of social order are imposed and there is a single version of the events. Collective memory , meanwhile, is being transformed with updates from social groups that feed it with multiple contributions.
Lastly, and not because it is less necessary or appreciable than the rest, popular memory gains notoriety. She is subject to stories from previous times, whether they are recorded in writing or are the fruits of oral history .
Within a family clan, the photo albums of its members nourish the collective memory of the group, enabling the transfer of information and memories from generation to generation.
Culture of memory
Some experts on this topic mention that collective memory has a historical and sociocultural variant that is generally classified as the culture of memory . It refers to the link between a subject or a community and its own history or past.
The manners and behaviors approved on a social scale are recognized as elements of this category to account for an identity consolidated over time. A distinction can be made between a culture of remembrance with a public profile and another that is private in nature.
In the latter case, audiovisual records (printed or digitized images, audios, etc.) that rescue and honor a family history , the cult of ancestors and genealogies are cited as examples.
The public culture of remembrance , on the other hand, encompasses museums , monuments , historical anniversaries , tributes to national heroes , etc.
Traditional dances, popular songs, legends and folklore are essential to build and preserve collective memory.
Examples of collective memory
Collective memory has had various characteristics over the years. The advancement of technology, without a doubt, has driven important transformations. Symbols and rituals, as well as stories and narratives, showed an evolution thanks to the media and computer resources available to the communities, for example.
Also those considered places of memory (such as heritage sites , historical archives and memorials ) contribute to creating, sustaining and keeping collective memory current.
In practice, collective memory (an essential driving force for social cohesion and the construction of identity ) is reflected in, to describe a case as a reference, the testimonies of people who were witnesses or victims of a traumatic and/or extremely relevant internationally. Although the statements may vary between some people and others based on their memories and own experiences, common points are recognized in their statements and there are coincidences in the function of transmitting data so that new generations know about it. This occurs, specifically, with oral or written reconstructions of an attack, the murder of a personality, a tragedy of enormous magnitude, etc.
The Holocaust and everything that makes it visible, to indicate a precision, has been leaving traces in the collective memory .