Sarah Grace
Key Summary Points
- Although memorials, living memorials, commemoration, remembrance, and monuments are interrelated concepts, it is important to understand the distinctions between them.
- Memorials can take a variety of forms: personal, official, grassroots, counter, living, or some combination. Each form reflects the cultural, historical, and emotional contexts of its creation and use.
- Memorials serve a variety of purposes: honoring, commemorating, and remembering the dead; aiding in an understanding of significant human events; constructing official and counter narratives; creating symbolic representations; and stimulating dialogue. By tying together the past and the present, memorials encourage viewers to critically engage with past events and their implications for the present and future.
- The creation of monuments and memorials has steadily grown since the end of WWI, with the style and form changing from static structures, statues, and edifices to more abstract designs. These shifts reflect evolving societal values and the recognition of diverse perspectives on historical events.
- Contemporary memorials are often designed to embrace ambiguity and resist closure. Rather than instructing audiences on what to think, feel, or remember, these designs invite active engagement, reflection, and interpretation, fostering a more personal and meaningful connection to the memorialized events or individuals.
- Living memorials, such as gardens, quilts, or interactive installations, have become increasingly popular as they allow for ongoing contributions and evolution. These memorials provide dynamic spaces for communities to grieve, commemorate, and build resilience collectively.
- Grassroots and counter memorials have gained prominence as powerful tools for addressing overlooked histories or marginalized narratives. These memorials challenge official narratives and provide alternative ways of understanding historical events, often advocating for social justice and systemic change.
- The psychological functions of memorials include aiding in emotional regulation, providing spaces for collective mourning, fostering a sense of community, and supporting meaning-making processes. They play a crucial role in helping individuals and communities process grief, heal from trauma, and engage in critical reflection on societal values and historical legacies.
Additional Resources
Canada. (n.d.-a). Memorials in Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/militaryhistory/memorials-monuments-cemeteries/memorials-canada.html
Gurler, E. & Ozer, B. (August 20, 2013). The effects of public memorials on social memory and urban identity. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 82, 858-863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.361
Lewis, J. & Fraser, M. (December 1996). Patches of grief and rage: Visitor responses to the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Qualitative Sociology, 19(4), 433-451. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02393368
Manitoba. (n.d.). A brief history of war memorial design. https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/hrb/internal_reports/pdfs/war_memorials_brief_history.pdf
Popescu, D. & Schult, T. (2020). Performative Holocaust commemoration in the 21st century. Holocaust Studies, 26(2), 135-151.https://doi.org/10.1080/17504902.2019.1578452
