Objects, Memory, and Restorative Justice (A Personal Reflection on Conservation’s Meaning)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Humans and objects are deeply entangled through systems of knowledge, exchange, production and consumption. The entanglement is also emotional. Objects have symbolic power and therefore emotional charge. Insofar as the individual psyche can be a model for the collective one, thinking of the objects we each carry with us throughout life can be a helpful way to understand how objects acquire emotional significance beyond their original function, and how they are critical to identity and memory construction. This in part equates to say that what societies keep or do not keep, as well as how they keep it, is critical in defining how we deal with our past and therefore how we define both present and future. Conservators have been increasingly aware of this fact. Because of their emotional power, dealing with objects and how they shape memory can also help heal collective wounds. I argue that the emotional power of material objects could be more systematically harnessed by turning to the principles of Restorative Justice, an emerging social science that emphasizes interconnectedness within communities and societies. Restorative Justice is a useful lens through which to consider decision making in conservation, while conservation can contribute significantly to restorative efforts.