War Memory and Commemoration (Memory Studies: Global Constellations)

By: Brad West

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Synopsis: In a period characterised by an unprecedented cultural engagement with the past, individuals, groups and nations are　debating and experimenting with commemoration in order to find culturally relevant ways of remembering warfare, genocide and terrorism. This book examines such remembrances and the political consequences of these rites. In particular, the volume　focuses on the ways in which recent social and technological forces, including digital archiving, transnational flows of　historical knowledge, shifts in academic practice, changes in commemorative forms and consumerist engagements　with history affect the shaping of new collective memories and our understanding of the social world.　 Presenting studies of commemorative practices from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East, War Memory and Commemoration illustrates the power of new commemorative forms to shape the world, and highlights　the ways in which social actors use them in promoting a range of understandings of the past. The volume will appeal　to scholars of sociology, history, cultural studies and journalism with an interest in commemoration, heritage and/or　collective memory.