Use and Politics of History (YK-214A)

historicity

historical factfulness, accuracy of authenticity

presentism

A theory, that only present entities and moments are real, denying the whole concept of past and future.

anachronism

the inappropriate projection of contemporary concepts on the past

memory studies

Search for stability and identity in the past

collective memory

a shared pool of experiences and knowledge held by a group (such as a nation), that shapes its identity and values

social memory

aka communicative memory, "living memory", concrete, embedded and evolving. Stories, lessons, shared activities

cultural memory

Long-term, symbolic, abstract. Art, literatue, formal education and mythology.

semantic memory

Ability to recall a fact, a date, etc. "I remember that." May be autobiographical (=personal) or not.

episodic memory

"Mental time travel", ability to recall what something was like, e.g: "I remember what it was like to be there." Always autobiographical.

schema

Combination of psychology and ethnography. Memory of meanings, not just facts. E.g, association with a certain concept: Restaurant = a place where food is served, there are tables, menus, waiters, etc.

flashbulb memory

A clear and long-lasting memory of a significant event with high emotional charging; such as major accidents, personal trauma, or a surprising event.

system 1 thinking

Automatic, fast, little or no effort, no sense of voluntary control (often described as intuition of "gut feeling)

system 2 thinking

Slower, more conscious and deliberate, logical and critical. Used for tasks that require more brainpower.

truth and reconciliation commissions

1. is focused on the past 2. investigates a pattern of events 3. engages with affected population 4. temporary body, final report 5. officially authorized

E.g, after a conflict, an international taskgroup will investigate the events, and find out the "truth", that's formed with parties affected.

Prespa agreement (2018)

An agreement made between North Macedonia and Greece about the name change of N.Macedonia, its new flag, territorial borders, N.Macedonia's permit to join international organizations and recognition of Macedonian language

(narrative) framing

structuring information of history, events and experiences into a specific format to influence perception, interpretation and decision-making. "What do we emphasize and ignore?"

periodization

Determining, when time frame is covered by a historical narrative: "When do we begin and end the story?"

agency

Determining the "makers of history": "Who or what makes a difference in the outcomes?"

teleology

Determining, if something could've been done differently "Whas the outcome inevitable?"

contingency

"...or was it an unlikely accident?"

nostalgia

A longing for the past, a fading affect bias: negative emotional affects fades more than positive.

Example: Ostalgie in Germany; longing for the more social society and way of life with its products, media, etc. but forgetting the governmental espionage on its citizens, terror caused by the Berlin Wall, shortages of goods, etc.

lieu de mémoire (site of memory)

Points of connection to (real or imagined) past, physical or abstract, not usually intended to be a memorial at first: e.g street or school/institution names "Aleksanterinkatu = Alexander II" "Karl Marx Allee = Karl Marx"

"Sibelius Academy = Jean Sibelius"

historical imaginary

"Pictures of the past" of nations and places, impressions from social and cultural memory

counter-memory

an individual act of resistance, to relentlessly question the veracity of "history as true knowledge"

pragmatics

how meaning comes from context

semantics

the literal meaning of words

speech act

what we do with words: e.g compliment, insult, confess, deceive

locution

making a statement

illocution

expressing an attitude or intention

perlocution

producing an effect, such as a feeling, understanding or action by the listeners

universal museum

Museums, that are places of study, collections of tresures and art, collections of curiosities

Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Curiosities)

Museum with emphasis on rarity and curiosity or its objects

Mix of cultural artefacts and natural wonders, with connections to exploration and colonies

restitution/repatriation

Returning an object to its country of origin

UNESCO convention of 1970

This international agreement requires that signers create legislation and the administrative structure to (1) regulate the import and export of cultural objects, (2) forbid their nations' museums from acquiring illegally exported cultural objects, (3) establish ways to inform other nations when illegally exported objects are found within a country's borders, (4) return or otherwise provide restitution of cultural objects stolen from public institutions, and (5) establish a register of art dealers and require them to register.

1619 Project

A project by New York Times aiming to place the efforts of slaves and Black Americans at the center of the national narrative, and proposing the year 1619 as the founding year of the US

Ohio SB1

A Senate Bill, which bans diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI)-based hires and enrollment in universities, and bans faculty from going on strike. (Premise of white, conservative students being oppressed and indoctrinated)

invented tradition

National romantic movements, "recovery" of folk traditions and mythologies

implicature

implicitly communicated meaning - something the speaker suggests without saying it directly