Cultures of Commemoration - Essay Example

Cultures of Commemoration What role do “cultures of commemoration” play in constructing national identities and to what extent is this rewriting of the past? Introduction The national identity of a country can be based on many influences including; language, culture, religion, history, art and literature all of which play an important role in making the identity of a nation (Giddens, 1994). A significant aspect of creating a national identity is the idea of commemoration where many elements of nationalistic fervour can be brought together as a unifying force (Bhaba, 1989). For any student of history, sociology or the arts, an understanding of national identity and the associated commemorative practices which are employed to form this identity is essential. This is because the idea of a nation state or the concept the every human belongs to one or more nations has been very influential in the course of human history. A nationalistic ideology forms the basis of creation for a nation state which determines its friendly or even hostile relationships with other nations of the world. Being a part of nations entails to some extent a positive belief in the ideology of the nation and upholding certain customs which are part of the national culture (Miztal, 2003). Creating an Identity Strangely enough, there sometimes appears to be no basis of creating a nation since in historical terms nations were formed simply because a group had a different accent from another, while at the same time, people from across races, religions, cultural and backgrounds as well as those who speak different languages can call themselves part of one nation (Giddens, 1994). This is particularly the case with western democracies like America or Britain, where the diversity of the nation is celebrated as much as the union (Bhaba, 1989). In fact, celebrations are significant in helping to create a national identity and infusing a sense of belonging to a nation without internal discrimination. The celebratory role of a particular incident in history is often connected with war and struggle. Incidentally, the celebration seldom looks at the atrocities committed by the nations involved in the war but rather at the positive, heroic, self sacrificing and noble acts which ‘deserve’ to be commemorated. For instance, the American celebration of Veteran’s Day is a celebration of all the war heroes who fought for America in the many wars the nation has conducted over its comparatively short history (Gillis, 1994). Of course there is little mention of America being the only nation in the world to have ever used a nuclear attack on another nation. The atrocities which were committed by American soldiers in Vietnam and the crimes of war they were engaged in when they were deployed as peace keepers in Africa are not open for discussion on that day since the nation is supposed to be celebrating their heroic landing on the shores of Normandy and the dust trails left by American tanks as they rolled with allied soldiers onboard to the gates of Berlin. Thus commemoration is certainly a selective recall of historical events if not a complete rewrite of history. Even events which are known to be completely fictional or those which are based on legend are celebrated with nationalistic enthusiasm simply because they become a part of the national culture (Gillis, 1994). This is particularly true in the case of religious festivals which are celebrated on a national and government level in certain countries where the religious traditions demand a day of celebration and commemoration. The Muslim celebration of Eid is a prime example of that since Muslims around the world celebrate this day, more or less as a nation even though individual cultures may affect the method of celebration. However, national celebrations may be limited to a region or a state but just like religious celebrations, they are commemorated as if the events were recent and the past generations who actually took part in the events are included in the rites of celebration. For example, Thanks Giving, which is an American holiday for the bounty which was received by the first settlers in the new world is still celebrated today and the image of the first American settlers giving their thanks to God is replayed by current American generations as they tell whatever they are thankful for (Gillis, 1994). It is certainly not the case that all Americans can trace their ancestry to the sailors onboard the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria but it becomes a national celebration because it celebrates the spirit of America. The narration of the story is as generic as it can be to include as many subcultures as possible (Bhaba, 1989). Therefore, an Indian who has become a citizen of America can also take part in the celebration by being thankful for whatever benefits the new world has to offer him or her. The spirit of the holiday becomes more important than the cause of the celebration and the media, the government as well as the people involved in the commemoration understand this completely. Governments themselves play an important role in the commemorative process since they define what is to be celebrated and what is not. It is impossible to create feelings of nationalistic pride about murder and cruelty therefore a memory of struggle in war or a poetic recollection of death is far more useful (Miztal, 2003). Americans have constructed war memorials to bring together the diverse communities of America who fought at the orders of the government. The French erect monuments aux morts (monuments to the dead) and dedicate them to the people who died from a particular city and therefore use them to evoke a sense of community and compassion for the people of that town as a local commemorative monument (Gillis, 1994). The government of a region therefore, is largely dependant on the culture and the zeitgeist which dictates how a monument is to be made and how events need to be captured in the collective minds of society (Ray, 1999). Considering the example of the 9/11 attacks on America, a commemoration is necessary but the American government as well as the city of New York are in a quandary as to how they can commemorate the events. The creation of ‘freedom tower’ and the monument to the loss in terms of human lives is more of a political battle between the construction companies and the government both of which are using the media to suggest their viewpoint as being better than others. This is because a commemorative monument goes a long way in creating the cultural identity of a people. Additionally, there is a certain way in which governments would like people to remember the events as they unfolded and the negatives have to be ignored completely while the positives have to be exaggerated as the creation of a new beginning (Gillis, 1994). The French celebration of the Fall of Bastille on July 14th is a perfect example of that since it signified a complete change in terms of society, laws, and government which formed the beginning of the modern French republic as we know it today. National identities including the equality of sexes can also be an important point for the government which can create monuments that signify and enhance the role played by women. For a long time, the commemoration of women in war was ignored since the role of women in national commemoration was considered to be nothing more than an allegory as a symbol of liberty in France and America (Gillis, 1994). However, this has changed with time and women can find themselves commemorated as heroes as well as men although certainly not as often since history has denied them several opportunities to kill or be killed in the same numbers as men. Conclusion A society remembers its past and the heroic deeds of those who formed the society to create and maintain its collective memory. The memory can be selective and flawed but it serves the very important purpose of creating, supporting and developing the idea of a national identity which can be claimed by everyone who is a part of the celebration (Gillis, 1994). While the many citizens of a single nation can experience diversity and observe differences between themselves, they are able to come to common point and be part of something which is much larger than the individual. I believe that commemorations, celebrations, the marking of events and famous personalities with coins, stamps and bank notes are a important part of culture as well as social and national identities. Even though these things may have hidden agendas or be biased in historical terms, they add to the value of a culture and create a unifying spirit for people. In these times of internal struggle as well as racial and religious strife, anything which brings people together to celebrate whatever they wish to celebrate can not be a bad thing. Works Cited Bhaba, H. (1989). “Narrating the nation”. Giddens, A. (1994). “Living in the post-traditional society in reflexive modernisation”. Gillis, J. (1994). “Commemorations: the politics of national identity”. Miztal, B. (2003). “Theories of Social Remembering”. Ray, L. (1999). “Memory, Trauma and Genocidal Nationalism”. Word Count: 1,537 Read More