In both research and teaching questions are often raised about “Collective Memory-Work and ethics.”
Some issues that repeatedly come up:
– the method requires other forms of consent than, e.g. an interview
– participants need to understand their consent and obligations also towards each other in the group
– what about the possibility of group pressure and its effects on consent
– withdrawal of individual participants may have consequences for the entire group
– how to deal with the tension between anonymisation and authorship (ownership)
– it can be difficult for participants to anticipate or understand what memories and emotions may arise during the work
– the method may evoke feelings and memories that participants are not prepared for
– how to address issues of equality in groups where all experiences matter
– there may be discrepancies between intended equality and the actual processes in the group
– authors of memory stories are present when others discuss and analyse their (personal) memories, this can be difficult and possibly unpleasant
To provide a forum for a discussion of such questions (and possibly others, yours?) workshops on “CMW and ethics” are on offer.
These workshops are not a lecture or a presentation; instead we gather a group of participants who are happy to share their experiences of using the method in research, teaching and/or learning. Workshops can be organised online. If you like to participate in such a workshop please get in touch here.