Collective memory is different from history in that it is not a given, but a "living" construction. By choosing what people, places, and events of the past should be part of collective memory, communities and nations create different histories. Since these choices depend on political interests and power relations, the politics of memory thus engages the question of "who wants whom to remember what, and why" (Confino). In this paper, students will analyse key aspects of collective memory. What role does collective memory play in constructing political identities? How do communities overcome past traumatic events—such as war, genocide, and colonial exploitation? How do political actors employ collective memory as a rhetorical "weapon"? How do "memories of political correctness" (Langenbacher) make certain paths of action unthinkable? Students will be equipped with the theoretical and methodological tools required to analyse "vehicles of memory", ranging from museums and monuments to popular movies and video games. Case studies that serve to illustrate the political dimension of collective memory will be drawn from Aotearoa New Zealand as well as other parts of the world.

A list of required readings will be available on Moodle at the start of the semester.