Plenitude, scarcity and the circulation of cultural memory

An argument is made for the need to conceptualize cultural memory, not as merely derivative of individual psychology, but in terms of a ‘working memory’ (Assmann) that is constructed and reconstructed in public acts of remembrance and evolves according to distinctly cultural mechanisms. Foucault’s ‘...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of European studies 2005-03, Vol.35 (1), p.011-028
Main Author: Rigney, Ann
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Collective memory
Cultural heritage
Culture
History
Memory
Sociology
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Summary:An argument is made for the need to conceptualize cultural memory, not as merely derivative of individual psychology, but in terms of a ‘working memory’ (Assmann) that is constructed and reconstructed in public acts of remembrance and evolves according to distinctly cultural mechanisms. Foucault’s ‘scarcity principle’ is used to show the role of media in generating shared memories through processes of selection, convergence, recursivity and transfer. This media-based approach, emphasizing the way memories are communicated, circulated and exchanged, allows us to see how collective identities may be (re)defined through memorial practices, and not merely reflected in them.
ISSN:0047-2441
1740-2379
DOI:10.1177/0047244105051158