social theory: collective memory
DESCRIPTION
Social Theory: Collective Memory. Bin Xu Assistant Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies Florida International University. Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. George Orwell, 1984. Who controls the past controls the future. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Social Theory: Collective Memory
Bin XuAssistant Professor of Sociology and Asian
StudiesFlorida International University
![Page 2: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Who controls the past controls the future.
Who controls the present controls the past.
![Page 3: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
George Orwell, 1984
Who controls the past controls the future.
Who controls the present controls the past.
![Page 4: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
MEMORY DYSTOPIA
![Page 5: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
PRESENTISM
• A mild and reasonable version of 1984.• Who controls the past controls the
future. • Who controls the present controls the
past.
![Page 6: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Presentism: Major Arguments
• The past is molded to suit present dominant interests
• (Some) “Traditions” are invented.
• Memory/reputational entrepreneurs
![Page 7: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Hobsbawm: Invention of Tradition
• Definition
• Social conditions
![Page 8: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Hobsbawm: Invention of Tradition
• Three types of invented traditions
• Methods: narratives, rituals, symbolism, cultural objects that embody the symbols
![Page 9: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
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
![Page 10: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Case: Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914
• States’ invention of tradition
1. States’ legitimacy concern
2. Methods: 1) Education2) Ceremonies3) Monuments4) Symbolism
![Page 11: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
![Page 12: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
![Page 13: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
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
![Page 14: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
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
![Page 15: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Social classes and invention of tradition
• The Davis Cup
![Page 16: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Gary Alan Fine: Harding’s Reputation and Entrepreneurs
• Reputational entrepreneur (an individual-based explanation)
• Successful entrepreneurs1. Self-interest2. Narrative clarity3. Position
![Page 17: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
• A sketch of Foucault’s thoughts
• Centrality of sex
• Power-knowledge
![Page 18: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
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
![Page 19: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Popular Memory
• The Popular Memory Group
• History and/as memory
• “Field of public representations of the past”: dominant memory and popular memory
![Page 20: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
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.
![Page 21: Social Theory: Collective Memory](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022051821/56816254550346895dd29d61/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
How does presentism speak to Schwartz’s cultural system theory?
• Model of the society? Or Model for the Society?
• Problems?