A multi-generational oral history study considering English collective memory of the Second World War and Holocaust
This thesis provides a survey of the English memory of the Second World War and Holocaust using oral interviews. Drawing from work by Halbwachs on collective memory and Grele on myth-making I demonstrate how people use national collective memory to provide frameworks for their individual narratives of memory or remembrance. I will also show how various influences from media and education have contributed to promoting and sustaining some of the myths associated with the British experience of the Second World War. However, by an empirical analysis of the data I also demonstrate how different groups within the nation, especially the family setting, have emotional charged memories that differ markedly from the national collective memory. Therefore, the study also notes remarkable divergences in the âpublicâ and âprivateâ representation of World War II and the Holocaust within England. I will illustrate how certain memories and representations have been marginalised as they are not useful to the overall social cohesion of the national community, which draws a level of security from the popular British war memory. Therefore this study adds a contribution to the discourse surrounding the memory of the Second
McKay, Thomas Joseph
A multi-generational oral history study considering English collective memory of the Second World War and Holocaust. This thesis provides a survey of the English memory of the Second World War and Holocaust using oral interviews. Drawing from work by Halbwachs on collective memory and Grele on myth-making I demonstrate how people use national collective memory to provide frameworks for their individual narratives of memory or remembrance. I will also show how various influences from media and education have contributed to promoting and sustaining some of the myths associated with the British experience of the Second World War. However, by an empirical analysis of the data I also demonstrate how different groups within the nation, especially the family setting, have emotional charged memories that differ markedly from the national collective memory. Therefore, the study also notes remarkable divergences in the âpublicâ and âprivateâ representation of World War II and the Holocaust within England. I will illustrate how certain memories and representations have been marginalised as they are not useful to the overall social cohesion of the national community, which draws a level of security from the popular British war memory. Therefore this study adds a contribution to the discourse surrounding the memory of the Second
multi generational oral_history study consider english collective_memory second world war holocaust provide survey english memory second world war holocaust use_oral interview drawing work collective_memory myth_making people use national collective_memory provide frameworks individual narrative memory remembrance also_show various influence medium_education contribute promote sustain myth associate british experience second_world_war however empirical analysis_data also different_group within nation especially family set emotional memory differ markedly national collective_memory therefore study also_note remarkable divergence public_private representation world_war holocaust within england illustrate certain memory representation marginalise useful overall social_cohesion national community draws level security popular british war_memory therefore study add discourse_surround memory second