Collective memory vs. history

Hamid Foroughi

Chapter 27 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Historical Organisation Studies, 2026, pp 94-98 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The recent surge of interest in historical organization studies and the proliferation of research on organizational memory have been welcome developments, significantly advancing scholarly conversations in these areas. At the same time, this growing body of work has prompted important questions about how collective memory differs from history. In this short entry, I aim to clarify how we might conceptualize collective memory as distinct from history. I begin by challenging the notion that collective memory is merely a flawed or inferior form of history. Rather than viewing it as ‘bad history’ collective memory should be understood as a social process through which groups construct, negotiate and sustain shared understandings of the past.

Keywords: History; Collective memory; Past (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332922
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