Title

Re-collection: A proposal for refining the study of collective memory and its places

Abstract

This article outlines a theory of re-collection as a means of enhancing and enriching the study of collective memory. Re-collection seeks to generate insights into two underdeveloped threads of collective memory research: (a) its processual and dynamic nature and (b) its largely emplaced character. In particular, this article argues that places of memory are not finished texts, but sites of re-collection in which individuals and groups selectively cull and organize re-collected versions of the past. Grounded in Michael McGee's concept of rhetorical fragments, the theory of re-collection involves attending to discursive fragments of memory that circulate within and around the memory site - as well as the fragments brought to the site by individuals and collectives. Re-collection thus requires analytical tools beyond those traditionally used in rhetorical criticism-as is illustrated in a case study proposal for exploring the process of re-collection surrounding the Space Window in Washington National Cathedral.

Department(s)

Communication

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2009.01345.x

Publication Date

8-10-2009

Journal Title

Communication Theory

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