Collective Memories as a Methodology Studying Narratives from Below

Abstract

        This article provides a review of relevant literature on the concept of collective memory as a methodology for investigating narratives from below. The literature is categorized into four main themes: the theoretical evolution of collective memory, distinctions between collective memory and mainstream history studies, examinations of national memory, and the application of collective memory as a tool for studying narratives from below. Analysis of the literature reveals that the construction of national memory predominates as a methodological approach in examining collective memory. Studies of national memory illuminate governmental agendas in shaping public recollection, liking their time in the past, present, and future. Consequently, investigating collective memory serves as a crucial means to discern social frameworks within each society, which in turn relates to the formation of diverse collective memories. If the social frameworks do not conform with, or differ from the government’s guidelines, this can potentially result in people’s narratives being constructed from below which are differentiated from the national memory. Furthermore, narratives from below prospectively contest, coordinate, or subvert the national memory. The study of collective memory therefore proves the existence of multiple memories within a society, which result from the widening and flexibility of social frameworks.