APY 623SEM - Memory and Commemoration

In this course, we will explore anthropological perspectives on the politics of memory and commemoration with a focus on the struggles over meaning that lie at the heart of memory. Questions we will ask include the following. How do individuals, communities, and societies remember the past? How and why is memory mobilized? What is collective memory and what is its relation to national identity? What role do memory and forgetting play in the production of historical knowledge? We will also explore the sociopolitical significance of memorials, monuments and museums commemorating incidents of mass violence. Course readings will focus on case studies from around the world.

Credits: 3