Political Trauma and Social Memory

This article is a historical review of the violence and political repression which has taken place in Chile. The authors describe the repression and its effects (fear, social denial, auto-censorship, isolation, passiveness, pessimism and impotence).

Social memory is defined as the meaning given to the traumatic events from the past, and their effects on social relationships. Problems in remembering as well as in forgetting traumatic events are associated with the desire to avoid conflict. In Chile, the authors observe the dilemma of the coexistence of memory and oblivion and at the same time a tension between both in those who want to remember and those who would wish to turn over the page.

Foto @Stefania Grasso