Memory Studies: Key Concepts and Future Directions

Memory Studies explores how individuals, groups,  organizations,

and societies use and make sense of their past(s).  Developing at

the junction of humanities and social sciences and incorporating

concepts, methodologies, and research findings from several

disciplines, memory studies has emerged as one of the most

vibrant transdisciplinary fields of inquiry in recent decades.

Memory scholars are active in expertise and debates over the role

of history policy, memory politics, or historical heritage in the

public sphere. In this course, we will discuss the basic concepts of

this field as well as new research directions that are particularly

relevant to sociologists but also valuable to students of  other

disciplines. Each class will be devoted to a different theme  and

will be divided between a short lecture and a discussion of the

assigned  theoretical readings, case studies, or visual materials.

Memory Studies explores how individuals, groups,  organizations,

and societies use and make sense of their past(s).  Developing at

the junction of humanities and social sciences and incorporating

concepts, methodologies, and research findings from several

disciplines, memory studies has emerged as one of the most

vibrant transdisciplinary fields of inquiry in recent decades.

Memory scholars are active in expertise and debates over the role

of history policy, memory politics, or historical heritage in the

public sphere. In this course, we will discuss the basic concepts of

this field  as well as new research directions that are particularly

relevant to sociologists but also valuable to students of  other

disciplines. Each class will be devoted to a different theme  and

will be divided between a short lecture followed by a discussion of

the assigned  theoretical readings, case studies, or visual materials.

Week 1

Introduction/Organization

Week 2

Memory and society 

Week 3

Memory and culture  

Week 4

Memory and digital society

Week 5

Memory and climate 

Week 6 

Memory and family

Week 7

Memory and gender 

Week 8

Memory and class

Week 9

Memory and ethnicity 

Week 10

Memory and nation

Week 11

Memory and politics 

Week 12

Memory and cultural heritage 

Week 13

Workshop 1: Student presentations of  their book reviews 

Week 14 

Workshop 2: Student presentations of their book reviews

The Collective Memory Reader, eds. J. K. Olick, V. Vinitzky-

Seroussi, D. Levy, Oxford University Press 2011 (selected readings)

The Routledge International Handbook of Memory Studies, eds A.

L. Tota, T. Hagen, Routledge 2016 (selected readings)

The Routledge Handbook of Memory Activism, eds. Y. Gutman,

with  Jenny Wüstenberg, Irit Dekel, Joanna Wawrzyniak, Kaitlin M.

Murphy and Kerry Whigham, Benjamin Nienass Routledge 2023

(selected readings)

Cultural Memory Studies: An International and Interdisciplinary

Handbook eds  A. Erll & A.  Nünning, de Gruyter (selected readings)

Students who will complete this course will know and understand

the basic concepts of memory studies (K_W01). They will be aware

of ongoing theoretical and methodological debates in memory

studies (K_W03). They will be able to relate academic readings to

actual problems of social life and its empirical studies in the field

of memory studies (K_U17). They will be able to prepare a

presentation of an individually selected book in English and

critically discuss its content (K_U19).

Students are expected to do short readings (ca 20-30 pages)

before each class and actively participate in in-class discussions (50

per cent of the final grade). In addition, they will be required to

write a review of a recently published book in memory studies (in

English) of their own choice (50 per cent of the final grade).

Book reviews of ca 2500 words must be submitted by January

10th, 2023. Please upload your review here [link].  If you would

like to receive feedback on a draft version, you need to submit

your review  before  December 15th, 2022.