This Handbook is the first systematic effort to map the fast-growing phenomenon of memory activism and to delineate a new field of research that lies at the intersection of memory and social movement studies.

From Charlottesville to Cape Town, from Santiago to Sydney, we have recently witnessed protesters demanding that symbols of racist or colonial pasts be dismantled and that we talk about histories that have long been silenced. But such events are only the most visible instances of grassroots efforts to influence the meaning of the past in the present. Made up of more than 80 chapters that encapsulate the rich diversity of scholarship and practice of memory activism by assembling different disciplinary traditions, methodological approaches, and empirical evidence from across the globe, this Handbook establishes important questions and their theoretical implications arising from the social, political, and economic reality of memory activism.

Memory activism is multifaceted, takes place in a variety of settings, and has diverse outcomes - but it is always crucial to understanding the constitution and transformation of our societies, past and present. This volume will serve as a guide and establish new analytic frameworks for scholars, students, policymakers, journalists, and activists alike.

About the Author

Yifat Gutman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the New School for Social Research in New York (2012). Her research focuses on memory activism and political change in and after ethnonational conflict.

Jenny Wustenberg is Professor of History and Memory Studies and the Director of the Centre for Public History, Heritage and Memory at Nottingham Trent University. She is Co-Founder and Co-President (2016-2022) of the Memory Studies Association, as well as the Chair of the COST Action CA20105 on Slow Memory (2021-2025).

Reviews

"More than a roadmap to memory activism or an account of its revitalizing effects on Memory Studies, this Handbook offers an illuminating set of reflections on the import and reach of activist memory projects across the globe and across the political spectrum. Here, scholars and activists alike will find essential examples, caveats, provocative questions, and forms of inspiration for the work ahead."

Marianne Hirsch, Columbia University, USA

"Key issues and debates in the field of memory studies are presented here from a pioneering vantage point - that of memory activism. The experiences and dilemmas covered in this Handbook come from across the globe and offer multiple mirrors in which to reflect on and enrich one's own findings and perspectives. A must for researchers, practitioners, and activists!"

Elizabeth Jelin, Centro de Investigaciones Sociales (IDES-CONICET), Argentina

"Late to develop, the attention to memory is quickly spreading in social movement studies. This Handbook of Memory Activism offers a most relevant contribution on how mnemonic and political changes are connected, and on the arenas, the actors, and the places of memory practices 'in action'. It comprehensively demonstrates how memories of past struggles affect contentious politics and democratic developments more broadly."

Donatella della Porta, Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy

"[The handbook identifies] the new 'turns' and provide[s] a wealth of approaches to the study of memory in IR, playing an important role in shaping the field. [It is] a very useful resource to anyone new to the study of memory in IR."

International Affairs, 99:6 2023, Dovile Budryte, Georgia Gwinnett College, USA and Vilnius University, Lithuania

Book Information
ISBN 9780367650414
Author Yifat Gutman
Format Paperback
Page Count 558
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g