Shifting silence, enduring shame, ambivalent memories : an oral history of the Portuguese colonial war (1961-1974)
This Thesis explores the lived memory of the Portuguese colonial war (1961-1974), having at its core an analysis of thirty-six oral history interviews with ex-combatants of this conflict. The meanings that the combatants attributed to their war experiences then and now are its analytical focus. This life history approach is framed by a wide assessment of the public memory of this event from 1974 until the first decade of the new millennium, as well as by a review of the war memory theory field and a methodological reflection on doing oral history interviews with Portuguese war veterans. Through the historical analysis of the public memory of this war the Thesis offers its general intervention. A methodological intervention occurs through providing an analysis of the colonial war based upon personal narratives of its ex-combatants, typically absent in the Portuguese context. Combined, both facets unravel not only this war's lived experience but also significant insights about the individual and collective impact of the conflict in Portugal. This Thesis navigates the memorial complexities at play in a post-colonial, postauthoritarian society oscillating between remembrance and forgetting. It highlights not only
Ferreira Campos, Ăngela da ConceiĂ§ĂŁo
DP670 20th century
Shifting silence, enduring shame, ambivalent memories : an oral history of the Portuguese colonial war (1961-1974). This Thesis explores the lived memory of the Portuguese colonial war (1961-1974), having at its core an analysis of thirty-six oral history interviews with ex-combatants of this conflict. The meanings that the combatants attributed to their war experiences then and now are its analytical focus. This life history approach is framed by a wide assessment of the public memory of this event from 1974 until the first decade of the new millennium, as well as by a review of the war memory theory field and a methodological reflection on doing oral history interviews with Portuguese war veterans. Through the historical analysis of the public memory of this war the Thesis offers its general intervention. A methodological intervention occurs through providing an analysis of the colonial war based upon personal narratives of its ex-combatants, typically absent in the Portuguese context. Combined, both facets unravel not only this war's lived experience but also significant insights about the individual and collective impact of the conflict in Portugal. This Thesis navigates the memorial complexities at play in a post-colonial, postauthoritarian society oscillating between remembrance and forgetting. It highlights not only
shifting silence endure shame ambivalent memory oral_history portuguese colonial war explores live memory portuguese colonial war core analysis thirty oral_history_interview conflict meaning combatant attribute war experience analytical focus life_history frame wide assessment public memory event well review war_memory theory field methodological reflection oral_history_interview portuguese war veteran historical_analysis public memory war offer general intervention methodological intervention occur provide_analysis colonial war base_upon personal narrative typically absent portuguese context combined facet unravel war live_experience also significant insight individual_collective impact conflict portugal memorial complexity play post_colonial society oscillate remembrance highlight