Memory in times of crisis: An interdisciplinary workshop
Since the late 20th century, many countries that have been accustomed to relatively high levels of socioeconomic security have experienced crises. Argentina has been in an ongoing crisis since the late 1990s. Southern European countries, such as Spain, Greece, and Portugal, experienced financial crises leading to high unemployment, brain drain, and collective unhappiness. Ireland experienced a banking crisis in the same period. Finally, COVID-19 and the climate crisis, alongside the energy, housing, and inflation crises, make it impossible to discuss life and politics in Europe without referring to the concept of crisis.
The “Memory in times of crisis” workshop is an interdisciplinary two-day event driven by the ambition to explore how relatively prosperous societies experiencing crises (re)consider the recent past and the consequences of these (re)considerations. The workshop employs a wide definition of the term crisis, including economic, political, and environmental aspects, aiming to discuss various questions: Which factors influence (re)considerations of the past? How are these (re)considerations expressed, and where do they lead? Do people become more sceptical towards recent political choices and historical certainties during crises? Which emotions are produced by this (re)consideration? How are these emotions reflected in the media and the culture? How may they affect social relations and sociability? Which memory-driven cultural responses are produced by this renegotiation of the past? How do crises intersect with memory in the long run?
We welcome papers analysing crises in historical contexts from the late-20th century to the present. We are particularly curious about the interplay between crises, memory, and digital connectivity and how this affects everyday life in societies during crises. We wish to scrutinise how such interactions influence life and to delve into the memories of people who experience(d) crises or interact(ed) with critical contexts through media, cultural products, and postmemories. We strive to learn more about how memories are expressed and performed, how they produce(d) cultural products (e.g., podcasts, artistic products, social media collectivities, and exhibitions), and how they influence(d) social relations, thereby producing gendered interactions and inter/intra-generational tensions or consensuses. We welcome digital approaches and “peer-to-peer” memory practices that challenge institutionalised forms of memory, as well as analyses that leverage digital memory to construct and implement theoretical claims made by memory studies.
The workshop brings together historians, memory scholars, media scholars, cultural studies scholars, anthropologists, and political scientists,among others. We are also open to contributions from people outside of academia, including media content creators and practicing artists. We are particularly interested in comparative, connective, and transnational approaches. Contributions may deal with but are not limited to (re)considerations of the recent past on critical environments between the late 20th century and the present, as expressed in:
- traditional media (e.g., newspapers and magazines)
- social media
- literature and poetry
- film, radio, and television
- podcasts
- oral testimonies (e.g., interviews and autobiographic podcasts)
- museums and exhibitions
- academic analysis (e.g., historiography and cultural studies)
- art
The workshop will take place at Linnaeus University, Växjö Campus, Sweden, on 2–3 June 2025 in a hybrid form. Scholars from Sweden and nearby countries are encouraged to travel to Växjö for the event. Some grants to assist unfunded PhD students and early career scholars are available. Please mention if you are interested in a grant (and briefly explain why) in your proposal. The final objective is the publication of a special issue in a leading memory or cultural studies journal edited by Dagmar Brunow, Jørgen Bruhn, and Panagiotis Zestanakis. Papers (approximately 2,000 words) will ideally be pre-circulated to maximise interaction among participants. English is the official language of the event.
Keynote Speaker
Wulf Kansteiner - Professor of memory studies and contemporary European history at Aarhus University, Denmark.
A sustainable event
This event is a sustainability-assured meeting in accordance with Linnaeus University’s guidelines for sustainable events. These guidelines are linked to the 17 global goals in Agenda 2030 and comprise the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, the social, and the environmental.
Learn more about Linnaeus University´s sustainable events here.