Scattering or Sowing of Seeds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scattering or Sowing of Seeds - Essay Example Digging into the definition of "collective memory" it is evident that past experiences of an individual in a society influences the experiences of others in the same society and elsewhere. Collective memory is defined as the shared memory that can be passed on and also constructed by the group or modern society. (Esquith, 1996, P. 78) The definition further predisposes that it s the memory that a community possesses of its own history, lessons and learning it consciously. The tendency of bringing the entire institutional fabric which is created during such periods (when such memory occurs) impacts neglectively on the role of collective memory. It does not play a crucial role in the processes of political change. It leaves a mark on the daily political practices once the new regime becomes established. Collective memory leaves traces of the past memory in the political learning systems but to some extend this is unavoidable. (Fabre, 1994, P.29) Most of the studies under this topic focus on the effects of trauma that is produced by the memory of those bad times, war for example. Most of the scholars indicate that the war left an indelible mark on the nation. This could or can affect and undermine the peaceful nature of the society at critical moments. Collective memory instills lessons in the individuals' life and when it comes to political learning, chances are that political change may be effective. Political learning is the process through which people modify their political beliefs and tactics as a result of severe crisis, frustrations and dramatic changes in the environment. (Fabre, 1994, P. 33) This phenomenon is based on the fact that beliefs are not fixed immutably in childhood and that they are affected by political events. Political learning represents a process of cognitive change which is key to democratic reconstruction. In the African American culture has a history of struggle. African American struggled to succeed and be free, equal and affirmed. These experiences have impacted positively in some aspects. Most of them have positive sense of racial identity and spiritual strength because during the slavery period, the spirit was vital for survival. It was in the open that colour was a major determinant of who would be a slave and who would be free. (Walton, 1997, P. 132) The spiritual strength of the African - American was also derived from the physical and psychological struggles of slavery. They value self-love and love for others as methods through which people can enhance their personal lives. Through enhancing the lives of people, political change would be evident. Despite the experiences that they had gone through, they still had a great sense of accommodating change. (Walton, 1997, P. 34) Collective memory comes about through collective attitudes and behaviors. These are created and shared through common experiences and communication among a group of people. In the case of the African American, the slavery attitudes and experiences were eminent. The use of collective memory as a political socialization agent was a good target to the bringing of new knowledge to the people through political learning. It had a role of changing perceptions and attitudes of a group of people who had been exposed to hard kind of life. This tool captures the interests of researchers and scholars in social, psychological memory, sociology and anthropology. Research has it that individuals who were born between 1940 and 1960 are