Module overview
Whether in the form of monuments, stories or rituals a desire to remember seems to be everywhere in most if not all contemporary nation states. In some respect this has been fuelled by the continually evolving international situation, which has posed a series of challenges to the construction and articulation of national borders and identities. In light of these developments, this module explores different facets of the relationship between memory and the nation from a variety of historical, political, social and cultural perspectives. It highlights the ways in which memory has been deployed by nations to buttress their legitimacy and to create unifying national narratives. However, it also interrogates the way these claims have been challenged and undermined by remembrance practices and mobilisations generated at the grassroots by memory activists and entrepreneurs. Additionally, the module will introduce you to the concept of transnationalism by considering cases where memories cross or transcend national boundaries and communities and the particular issues this raises for nation-states. Combining critical theoretical texts with a range of case studies, the module offers the opportunity to engage with complex questions surrounding the creation, articulation and contestation of national identities and notions of belonging.