What is "Communal Memory"?

Somehow this entry all began when I was attempting to complete the "Welcome" gadget. Hmmm... It occurred to me that that was not quite the right spot for it. But 2 blogs in one day? And day one of my blog, even? Hmmm... Anyway, now it is written, albeit condensed, since I thought it was going to be the "Welcome" or Intro section....

What is "Communal Memmory"? And why do I ask this?

I pose this rhetorical question because it is the name of my blog and thought that you, the reader, might be interested in its significance. Of course, if you are reading this then you know me, and if you know me, then you also know that I have a Master degree in Library and Information Science, with an Archives concentration. Therein lies the idea upon which the title for this blogsite originated (after having tried many other great titles, all of were already taken). But I digress.

Society easily forgets its history. Or one perspective is deemed true over another. Witnesses forget or pass away. Earlier editions of books are replaced with newer, 'true-er' editions. One day the pages of our books may fall away and we will rely mostly on electronic material. Will we have the technological capability to access this new truth? This new history?

What is your part in helping to preserve societal, or communal, memory? Do you have a part? Do you want a part? Consider the generations to come, who will see the truth only as clearly as we have preserved it for them. As have we. We must seek out comprehensive information to partake and to pass forth as we look to the future.

A group's communal memory becomes its common knowledge which creates a social bond, a sense of belonging and identity. Professional historians attempt to corroborate, correct, or refute collective memory. Memory work then entails adding an ethical component which acknowledges the responsibility towards revisiting distorted
histories thereby decreasing the risk of social exclusion and increasing the possibility of social cohesion of at-risk groups. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_work





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