The Relationship Between Place And “Remembering And Forgetting” And The Construction Of Antagonistic Memory In The Context Of Social Memory

Abstract

It is clear that throughout the history of mankind, power struggles have been waged and consolidated over the domination of land and/or space. However, in the context of technological determinism, it can be said that the power struggle for the seizure of space has evolved in parallel with the transformation of processes and determinants. This is because, again, actual domination over (and/or occupation of) a physical space has given way to symbolic occupations of spaces and to the tradition of waging battles for might and power in a more abstract fashion. The principal element of abstract occupation and domination struggles is memory. “Memory,” which is defined as the ability to consciously keep in mind the subjects experienced or learned and their historical context, is indisputably the power that determines what we do and say and that determines and dominates the processes of remembering and forgetting, as long as no opposition exists or is created that could cause hesitation in strict acceptance. There is bound to be a relationship between space and memory for the reason mentioned above. This study aimed to examine the antagonistic construction of social memory in light of basic theories. To this end, focus was placed first on memory and social memory, and the related concepts were defined. Then, the nature of memory specific to the practices of remembering and forgetting was examined under the guidance of approaches to protagonist and antagonist memory, and an attempt was made to present the subject’s relationship with space from different perspectives. As a result, this study revealed that memory can never be considered as an individual forgetting/preservation device, and that its antagonistic dimension stems from the “uncompromising conflict of remembering and forgetting that it contains.” Keywords: Memory; Space; Social Memory; Antagonist Memory; Remembering-Forgetting,