IWM CDP - Public Memory of the Second World War

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The Imperial War Museum and Public Memory of the Second World War - initial research thoughts As long as people living today are still affected by issuesarising from the War, the war is still alive and we still live in a period defined by it. We still refer to the Second World War as 'the war' and aren't really sure whenthe post-War era ended. How we understand and represent war not only creates meaning through representation of narrative but also articulates values throughcreation of narrative - the IWM is at the forefront of mediating this. Arguments over its legacy continue. Once encapsulated in a discourse of triumph, recentresearch has uncovered stories of unequal hardship, the morality of wartime hardships, and abhorrent treatment of conscientious objectors and 'aliens'. 'Thewar' lives on in our national memory and as the focal point for debate about morality, pragmatism and nationality. Lines of research: Some initial, loose thoughtsabout relevant debates / lines of research which I would anticipate pursuing as part of this studentship: - Personal vs collective remembering - the balance indisplays between a grand narrative and personal stories, and trends in academic focus (rise of history from below) - Forgetting vs remembering - what has beenforgotten and why? What were the exhibitions trying to convey / achieve? Why do we want to remember? - The dwindling living memory thread - The exhibitionmakingprocess and how it has changed - Changes in the balance between objects, storytelling and design - The digital museum and wider world - Visitorrepresentations - how have the IWMs audiences been considered or planned for in the preparation of new exhibitions - Representations of WWII in widerpopular culture - Interactivity - what opportunities are there for participation in the creation and mediation of narrative, and opportunities for interactivity within theinterpretive interventions. Proposed methodology: I anticipate that my work would draw on findings from the following research, where available and appropriate:- Interrogation of the IWM archives - plans, drawings, contributory pieces of research - Interviews with museum staff - Interviews with designers / relevantcontractors - Promotional materials for exhibitions / events / activities, and reviews where available (for example in newspapers) - Archival materials from IWMcommittees / steering groups The Imperial War Museum and Public Memory of the Second World War - initial research thoughts As long as people living todayare still affected by issues arising from the War, the war is still alive and we still live in a period defined by it. We still refer to the Second World War as 'the war'and aren't really sure when the post-War era ended. How we understand and represent war not only creates meaning through representation of narrative butalso articulates values through creation of narrative - the IWM is at the forefront of mediating this. Arguments over its legacy continue. Once encapsulated in adiscourse of triumph, recent research has uncovered stories of unequal hardship, the morality of wartime hardships, and abhorrent treatment of conscientiousobjectors and 'aliens'. 'The war' lives on in our national memory and as the focal point for debate about morality, pragmatism and nationality.