A cultural psychological analysis of collective memory as mediated action: Constructions of Indian history
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Mukherjee, Sahana
Adams, Glenn
Molina, Ludwin E.
Abstract / Description
The present research applies a cultural psychological perspective on collective memory as mediated action to examine how constructions of a national past serve as tools that both reflect and shape national identity concerns. We employ a situation-sampling method to investigate collective memory in a series of studies concerning intergroup relations in the Indian context. In Study 1, participants (N = 55) generated three historical events that they considered important/relevant for Indian history. In Study 2, participants (N = 95) rated the importance and relevance of these events in a within-participant design. Illuminating the psychological constitution of cultural reality, frequency of recall (Study 1) and ratings of importance/relevance (Study 2) were greater for nation-glorifying events celebrating ingroup triumph than for typically silenced, critical events acknowledging ingroup wrongdoing. Moreover, these patterns were stronger among participants who scored higher in national identification. In Studies 3 (N = 65) and 4 (N = 160), we exposed participants to different categories of events in a between-participants design. Illuminating the cultural constitution of psychological experience, participants exposed to typically silenced, critical events reported lower national identification and greater perception of injustice against marginalized groups than did participants exposed to nation-glorifying events. Together, results illuminate a conception of collective memory as mediated action. Producers invest memory products with an identity-interested charge that directs subsequent intergroup relations toward identity-consistent ends.
Keyword(s)
collective memory India intergroup relations mediated action national identity situation sampling method social representatons of historyPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2018-01-12
Journal title
Journal of Social and Political Psychology
Volume
5
Issue
2
Page numbers
558–587
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Mukherjee, S., Adams, G., & Molina, L. E. (2018). A cultural psychological analysis of collective memory as mediated action: Constructions of Indian history. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 5(2), 558–587. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v5i2.705
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Mukherjee, Sahana
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Adams, Glenn
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Molina, Ludwin E.
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-26T12:45:06Z
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Made available on2018-11-26T12:45:06Z
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Date of first publication2018-01-12
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Abstract / DescriptionThe present research applies a cultural psychological perspective on collective memory as mediated action to examine how constructions of a national past serve as tools that both reflect and shape national identity concerns. We employ a situation-sampling method to investigate collective memory in a series of studies concerning intergroup relations in the Indian context. In Study 1, participants (N = 55) generated three historical events that they considered important/relevant for Indian history. In Study 2, participants (N = 95) rated the importance and relevance of these events in a within-participant design. Illuminating the psychological constitution of cultural reality, frequency of recall (Study 1) and ratings of importance/relevance (Study 2) were greater for nation-glorifying events celebrating ingroup triumph than for typically silenced, critical events acknowledging ingroup wrongdoing. Moreover, these patterns were stronger among participants who scored higher in national identification. In Studies 3 (N = 65) and 4 (N = 160), we exposed participants to different categories of events in a between-participants design. Illuminating the cultural constitution of psychological experience, participants exposed to typically silenced, critical events reported lower national identification and greater perception of injustice against marginalized groups than did participants exposed to nation-glorifying events. Together, results illuminate a conception of collective memory as mediated action. Producers invest memory products with an identity-interested charge that directs subsequent intergroup relations toward identity-consistent ends.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationMukherjee, S., Adams, G., & Molina, L. E. (2018). A cultural psychological analysis of collective memory as mediated action: Constructions of Indian history. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 5(2), 558–587. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v5i2.705en_US
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ISSN2195-3325
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1443
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1753
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v5i2.705
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Keyword(s)collective memoryen_US
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Keyword(s)Indiaen_US
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Keyword(s)intergroup relationsen_US
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Keyword(s)mediated actionen_US
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Keyword(s)national identityen_US
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Keyword(s)situation sampling methoden_US
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Keyword(s)social representatons of historyen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleA cultural psychological analysis of collective memory as mediated action: Constructions of Indian historyen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue2
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Journal titleJournal of Social and Political Psychology
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Page numbers558–587
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Volume5
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record