Museums as Spaces Carrying Social Memory

Abstract

The memory of societies has always been built over space and transferred to the next generation. These spaces sometimes appear as monuments, squares, or museums. In addition to their traditional roles in preserving history and historical artifacts, museums have taken on new roles, such as the re-creation of social memory. The aim of this paper is to show how museums shape today’s reality by re-presenting the past. The paper consists of three parts. First, discussions on what social memory is and what kinds of functions it has in building space are presented. Second, the phenomenon of social memory taking root in space is explored. The roles of space in creating identity, making history, and inventing tradition are explained. Third, analysis of the role of museums as places of memory in the reproduction of social and cultural norms is undertaken.