The organization of Romanian social memory after the December 1989 events

Abstract

The social memory phenomenon causes debates nowadays, puts in opposition methodological schools, generates a series of incompatible theoretical positions. Proof that the concept of “social memory” “lived” its first age are the numerous research which regards the phenomenon, studies which led either to new theories of social memory (the theory of the organization of memory according to culture and interests is one of the acknowledged theories from which it starts in the development of the subject), or they certified the ones established until then. The present paper proposes as its objective to evaluate the factors which led to the readjustment of the social memory of the Romanian people after the events from 1989. I consider that the social memory can be organized under the influence of factors which acts unitary. As a result, I will analyze the connection between the political factor (decision – maker agents that can influence some contents of the collective memory) and the social one (the public opinion of the group that undergoes major alterations regarding the contents of memory). I initiated the investigation approach from the observation that certain contents of the social memory resignify themselves through the direct influence of the social group, the power structure having the role of putting into practice the community’s “desire”. The necessity of a unitary co-operation between the community and the decision factor for the achievement of a new mnezic construction is imperative. For that purpose, I will analyze the effects of the non-unitary actions of these factors against the social memory, being known that not always the decision factor and the social factor (the community) have the same attitudes towards certain mnesic contents. One can observe certain patterns concerning the organization of social memory in relation to these two factors, being analyzed the intentionality (what the two parts desire) and the purpose (the way in which a certain content “imprints” itself into the collective memory). The differences between the decision of the political factor to impose a certain content of the memory and the public opinions/attitudes concerning that particular content are produced more often than not, by different interests, which generates conflicts. In the present paper I will assess the function of the interests’ conflicts in the organization of the social memory.