Historical criminology and adaptive collective memory

• In Event: EHC-WG Panel 2: Memories, Attitudes and Comparative Perspectives in Historical Criminology

Abstract

Historical criminologists, among others, have emphasised the role of collective memory in shaping collective emotions and actions, and yet it is a relatively neglected concept in criminological research. Perhaps this can be accounted for by the view that collective memory merely provides symbolic resources for the identity construction of groups and, relatedly, that its heuristic value is limited to only a few social phenomena of criminological interest, such as trauma, intergroup conflict and hostility. Nevertheless, in memory studies, a new paradigm has emerged recently: implicit collective memory. The focus is on processes that ‘unconsciously’ influence a community over time. This paper demonstrates that the concept is particularly useful to analyse the historical development of both criminogenic communities and criminal justice institutions. It argues that collective identity is dynamically constructed through a history of habitual interactions within a group or organisation. It is maintained by a highly embodied system of collective interactive patterns that are constantly re-actualised in the ever-changing cultural, political and legal environment. On this view, collective memory is better described as an adaptive, future-oriented becoming than merely a backward-looking, explicit recollection of memories.

Author

• Daniel Gyollai, University of Copenhagen