Virtuality in systems of memory: Toward an ontology of collective memory, ritual,and the technological

Abstract

In recent years, ‘collective memory’ has been used to describe the organization of a group identity that either supplements or replaces identity categories. Despite the apparent emphasis on the ‘collective’, most theories of collective memory rely explicitly on ontological models derived from modes of thought that privilege the psychic memory of individuals rather than collective phenomena. This article sketches the beginnings of an ontological model for collective memory that defines collective memory as an active process via which collectivities are produced through embodied movements that serve to differentiate entities from a larger environment. While not the only form of movement, the article examines the role of material technologies in the shaping and transformation of embodied rituals, consequently transforming how collectives are produced through memory as embodied actions.