Memory Fragmentation from Below and Beyond the State: Uses of the Past in Conflict and Post-conflict Settings

This book explores collective memory in post-conflict societies, distinguishing between vertical and horizontal fragmentation. It offers case studies of conflict and post-conflict collective memory, analyzing how actors participate in the production, dissemination, and contestation of memory discourses. It explores how states have tried to produce and impose memory discourses on civil societies, leading to horizontal and vertical memory fragmentation, and how states representatives have attempted to reassert control of national memory discourses.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 22 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume presents a novel model of collective memory that distinguishes between two distinct conceptual logics of memory fragmentation: vertical fragmentation and horizontal fragmentation. Through a series of compelling case studies of conflict and post-conflict collective memory, the book sheds light on the diverse ways in which various actors engage in the production, dissemination, and contestation of memory discourses.

The book delves into the complexities of vertical and horizontal memory fragmentation, recognizing the existence of multiple diverging and often conflicting memory discourses within the public sphere of a given community. It analyzes the juxtaposition, tensions, and interactions between narratives produced beyond or below the central state, often transcending national boundaries.

The book is organized in a manner that reflects the involvement of different actors in the process of memory fragmentation. It explores how states have attempted to produce and impose memory discourses on civil societies, sometimes even at the expense of their own citizens' experiences. This exploration highlights the power dynamics at play and the challenges faced by states in reasserting control over national memory discourses.

Furthermore, the book considers the responses and resistances from actors below and beyond the state to these attempts. It examines the ways in which individuals, communities, and social movements have challenged and subverted state-sanctioned narratives, leading to horizontal and vertical memory fragmentation.

This volume is of significant interest to sociology and political science scholars who are engaged in the study of memory in post-conflict societies. It offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of memory production, dissemination, and contestation, providing a rich foundation for further research and analysis.

Weight: 532g
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367706210