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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

Published on: August 26, 2011

Collective memory: conceptual foundations and theoretical approaches.

James V Wertsch¹, Henry L Roediger

¹Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA. jwertsch@wustl.edu

Memory (Hove, England)

|March 8, 2008

Summary

Collective remembering is an active, socially situated process, distinct from static collective memory. It emphasizes identity formation and shared cultural tools over objective historical representation.

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Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

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The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior

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Using a Classroom-Based Deese Roediger McDermott Paradigm to Assess the Effects of Imagery on False Memories

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Published on: November 14, 2018

Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Sociology
Memory Studies

Background:

Discussions of collective memory often lack clear conceptual distinctions.
Understanding collective memory requires differentiating it from related concepts.

Purpose of the Study:

To delineate the conceptual landscape of collective memory.
To propose key oppositions for understanding collective remembering.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of collective memory and remembering.
Distinguishing between collective memory, collective remembering, history, and individual memory.

Main Results:

Collective remembering is an active, contested process, not a static knowledge base.
Collective remembering prioritizes identity and contestation over objective historical accounts.
Collective remembering involves socially situated individuals using shared cultural tools.

Conclusions:

Reframing collective memory as active collective remembering offers a more dynamic understanding.
This framework highlights the role of social and cultural factors in shaping shared pasts.