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Social Theory: Collective Memory
Bin XuAssistant Professor of Sociology and Asian
StudiesFlorida International University
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Who controls the past controls the future.
Who controls the present controls the past.
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George Orwell, 1984
Who controls the past controls the future.
Who controls the present controls the past.
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MEMORY DYSTOPIA
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PRESENTISM
• A mild and reasonable version of 1984.• Who controls the past controls the
future. • Who controls the present controls the
past.
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Presentism: Major Arguments
• The past is molded to suit present dominant interests
• (Some) “Traditions” are invented.
• Memory/reputational entrepreneurs
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Hobsbawm: Invention of Tradition
• Definition
• Social conditions
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Hobsbawm: Invention of Tradition
• Three types of invented traditions
• Methods: narratives, rituals, symbolism, cultural objects that embody the symbols
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Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914
• Old things are actually quite new: mostly in the priod of 1870-1914
• State’s invention of political tradition• Political movements’ invention of
tradition• Invention of social tradition
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Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914
• States’ invention of tradition
1. States’ legitimacy concern
2. Methods: 1) Education2) Ceremonies3) Monuments4) Symbolism
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Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914
• Political movements’ invention of traditions
• Case: May Day (International Workers’ Day, Labor Day, etc.)
• Exceptions: US&UK
• New trend in US: Undocumented immigrant workers’ demonstrations in recent years
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Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914
• Social classes and invention of tradition
1) Working class and football
2) Middle class: education, fraternity, middle-class sport
• The FA Cup
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Social classes and invention of tradition
• The Davis Cup
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Gary Alan Fine: Harding’s Reputation and Entrepreneurs
• Reputational entrepreneur (an individual-based explanation)
• Successful entrepreneurs1. Self-interest2. Narrative clarity3. Position
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Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
• A sketch of Foucault’s thoughts
• Centrality of sex
• Power-knowledge
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Power-Knowledge and Counter-Memory
• Power-knowledge (the hyphen is important):
• Power produces knowledge; knowledge produces power.
• Discipline and Punish and discipline as in “academic discipline”
• Subjugated knowledge/counter memory
Panopticon
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Popular Memory
• The Popular Memory Group
• History and/as memory
• “Field of public representations of the past”: dominant memory and popular memory
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Popular Memory
• Popular memory as political practice
• Oral history as an example: 1) As “subjugated knowledge”:
“authentic” and “true”2) Still influenced by the present.
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How does presentism speak to Schwartz’s cultural system theory?
• Model of the society? Or Model for the Society?
• Problems?