Presentation > Key Concepts

Memory Each person's memory forms the basis from which they construct their sense of self. Memory is not history. Memory is what we register and record biologically. Life history is the narrative that we create from our memory; it is the construction of what we remember. Memory is by nature selective. We preserve what, for one reason or another, has or has had some significance in our lives. Life history is the medium through which we organise and articulate (either internally or externally) that which we find in our memory. Our life story is thus the narrative that we construct from what we have selectively preserved in our memory. The way in which we organise our memory and consequently how we construct our Life history is the way in which we comprehend ourselves. History is therefore not so much about the past but about the present and the future. It is what gives us our sense of identity. Just as our life histories comprise the organisation of what we have selectively remembered, so collective histories are the organisation of that which has been selectively preserved by social or group memory. This organisation of what is considered meaningful is what gives cohesion to a group. It is what establishes its identity. To participate in a group necessarily means to share its story; to share in the historical narrative, which makes sense of the present position both to the individual and to the group as a whole. There is no such thing as a group without a story. A particular group usually preserves that which it regards as important in any given present moment. It is the social context that determines what the memory regards as relevant. And usually it is this same social context that lies behind the construction of official historical narratives such as those documented or recorded in academic texts or on film. In this way society as a whole creates its own story and guarantees its continuity as a group entity. As a result official history generally reflects the points of view of the dominant. The Net We can now glimpse a future where the historic narrative of society might contain multiple 'voices', including the personal histories of individuals of all social levels, organised democratically without hierarchy, with the story of each one constituting a node in our social fabric. The result will be a social memory, constructed from diverse sources (cultural, social, individual). To enable such a social memory to come into existence, it is necessary to create a 'democratic space' where it can be created and stored; a space where each and every person or group can be the authors of their own history: a space where these narratives are not organised in a hierarchical or linear way; thus paving the way for a new construction of our ideas of self and identity. The construction of this 'social memory' is dependent upon a 'network of authors', who freely and independently submit their life stories and have them included in the Web Portal. Such a broad and diverse repository should be constructed in an open and decentralised way. In order fully to achieve this, the space must be virtual. The Internet makes it possible for the public not only to be consumers but also content providers. Because this storage and dissemination is internet-based, as well as having access to the material on-line the users or groups of users will themselves be able to produce content in a democratic process. As a result the content of the site will be a rich and multi-coloured tapestry woven by the innumerable social groups that currently constitute our society. Social Change As this "memory space" becomes a reference resource for contemporary society, we will discover a new way of constructing "official historical narratives". We will hear new "voices" and what they say will enable us to re-examine and re-evaluate those social values that dominate our sense of identity. This means of giving "voice" to each and every individual constitutes a powerful way of re-addressing current value systems and of transforming them. The increased awareness gained from submitting such life stories will help to awaken people to a consciousness of their role in the history of their own communities. Social change begins at the moment when such a perception of being the agent of one's own story ceases to be an individual concern and becomes one of the collective. In so far as individuals perceive their responsibility in the construction of the history of their town or country, and in so far as they inspire their peers to do the same, they will be playing a role in social change and practising social responsibility.