Collective Memory Defines What ‘American’ Means

Last weekend, Americans celebrated the semiquincentennial of the signing of our nation’s Declaration of Independence. Anniversaries provide an opportunity for reflection.

What does it mean to be American? What is American history? What should we celebrate about America? The sociological subfield of “collective memory” helps us to understand how answers to these questions are social and contested.

The sociological subfield of collective memory examines how societies or groups construct and preserve shared narratives. Collective memory scholars contend that groups’ collective identities, memories, knowledge, and beliefs are transmitted to people through social institutions like education, physical culture like monuments, and group rituals. Individual memories and worldviews are shaped and sustained by our group affiliations.

There are many understandings of what it means to be an American. Enlightenment ideals are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, including “unalienable Rights” that include “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Others may celebrate the American Dream, principles of republicanism, participation in democratic elections, or take pride in the U.S. being a nation of immigrants.

Our understandings of what it means to be an American are a product of our institutional and group experiences. What it means to be an American is shaped by school curricula, displays in museums, public monuments, the mass and social media we consume, and the rituals of our families and friends.

Consider how we remember the American Civil War. Textbooks and instructors in grade school or college shaped what you know about the causes, significant events, and consequence of the conflict. Additionally, maybe you watched the popular Ken Burns miniseries, read books on the topic, or encountered information on social media. Social institutions shape our collective memory of the Civil War, just like all other historical events.

This can also be applied to modern happenings like the events on January 6, 2020. Will history record the events of that day as a protest or as an insurrection? Today, there are polarized interpretations of the event that are shaped, in large part, by one’s mass and social media consumption. It is likely that a “collective memory” of the what happened and its significance will coalesce over time.

Various groups often have disparate experiences of being an American. Black and White Americans experienced the American Civil Rights Movement differently. Wealthy and poor Americans had different experiences in the Great Recession. Democrats and Republicans are having different experiences during President Trump’s tenure. These groups’ collective memories shape how they understand America and its history.

History is contested. There are always a variety of views on what should be included and excluded. Groups in positions of institutional power in government, media, religion, and education try to control the dominant narrative of events. Though there are many unique experiences of our reality, only some stories or perspectives get recorded. Institutionally, certain perspectives are enshrined in our history books, museums, and our collective memory.

Culture wars over school curricula, monuments in our communities, the imagery on our currency, and displays in museums are contentious and politically charged. In recent decades, these debates have become increasingly partisan. These are battles over who gets to shape our collective memory.

Changes in our media climate have democratized knowledge production, for better or for worse. In the past, culture industries defined our official narratives through news, books, and mass media programming. Walter Cronkite would declare, “And that’s the way it is.” Today, anyone with a social media account can tell their story. The plurality of voices sharing their perspectives has expanded exponentially. These voices in the virtual public square shape our collective memory.

Our collective memory of America and its history is a social phenomenon. Americans from different walks of life may have different understandings of America and its history. Our collective memory is contested and evolving. It is likely that our grandchildren will likely have a very different understanding of America than we do today.

Roscoe Scarborough, Ph.D. is chair of the Department of Social Sciences and associate professor of sociology at College of Coastal Georgia. He is an associate scholar at the Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies. He can be reached by email at rscarborough@ccga.edu.