• Humanities and Social Sciences, Cornwall
• Research
• Memory, Identity, and Heritage

Memory, Identity, and Heritage

HaSS Cornwall appreciates, explores, and critiques the ways in which narratives of the past and present are shaped by memory and heritage, and the impact that has on societies and identities.

Through recognition of the importance of place, we aim to bring together the true nature of interdisciplinarity within this department and in collaboration with external organisations. Drawing on the creative practice of those in the wider civic community, we aim to challenge our current understanding of memory recording, intangible heritage knowledge transmission, relationships between memory making and ephemera, and the ways in which we identify with the real and imagined environments in which we choose to immerse within, and withdraw ourselves from.  This research cluster aims to challenge the traditional portrayals which shape shared regional histories, and extend the reach of the topic of identity beyond written narratives to encompass intangible forms of expression and self-reflection.

We aim to examine the role of real and false memories that become engendered into the history of a topic, and sometimes become more powerful than accepted narratives.  This may be through identifying with tangible and intangible heritage in a specific geographical region, or at a particular period of time. We aim to further examine these self-imposed restrictive definitions through examining the role of storytelling in writing as a way of capturing memories and question whether the repetition of these narratives surrounding identity to allow them to become dominant representations.