Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2018, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 104-133.

Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Society-Culture Paradigm in Memory Study: An Interpretation of the Halbwachs-Assmann Research Tradition

LIU Yaqiu   

  1. Social Sciences in China Press
  • Online:2018-01-20 Published:2018-01-20

PDF

536

Abstract:

The societal and cultural concepts in Halbwachs-Assmann research tradition offers us a society-culture paradigm that remedies what is absent in the existing memory study. The paradigm is presented through concepts that are closely related to sacred memories, such as the social framework of memory, social quality and the Canon, myths, festivals, and etc. For sociology, the social power that stimulates people's memories comes from the so-called "Sacred Society" described by Durkheim. Halbwachs' collective memory theory is rooted deeply in sociological tradition. Concepts such as social framework and social quality are at the core of Durkheim's social ontology. They helped Halbwachs formulate his sacred memory theory. Likewise, Jan Assmann's cultural memory theory continues Halbwachs' study of sacred memory by supplementing a new dimension of cultural memory. This relationship forms the foundation of the society-culture paradigm in the memory study. Taking the meaning of cultural rules in history as its core, the paradigm emphasizes the combination of social and cultural dimensions in memory and provides a systematic analysis of how historical society becomes possible. To change the social memory study from "orientation discussion" to "paradigm analysis" can be beneficial to the development of the social memory research tradition.

Key words: collective memory, social framework, cultural memory, Canon, sacred memory