Dangerous remembering in volatile spaces : Activist memory work in the Iranian context
Mousavi, Nafiseh LU
(2024)
In Memory Studies
17(5).
p.1142-1156
- Abstract
- This article studies the interrelations of memory work and activism in the Iranian context by focusing on the way remembering victims of state violence informs political activism. Due to constant repression, the recurrence of state violence and the criminalisation of oppositional activities and non-conforming lifestyles, the Iranian context is saturated with contentious memories that cannot be brought into public space. Oppositional memory work, especially regarding the victims of direct state violence, has thus become dangerous, counts as defiance and requires alternative spaces for taking shape. This article maps out and explains how activist memory work in this context entails carving out activist memoryscapes and intertwines personal... (More)
- This article studies the interrelations of memory work and activism in the Iranian context by focusing on the way remembering victims of state violence informs political activism. Due to constant repression, the recurrence of state violence and the criminalisation of oppositional activities and non-conforming lifestyles, the Iranian context is saturated with contentious memories that cannot be brought into public space. Oppositional memory work, especially regarding the victims of direct state violence, has thus become dangerous, counts as defiance and requires alternative spaces for taking shape. This article maps out and explains how activist memory work in this context entails carving out activist memoryscapes and intertwines personal suffering with acts of remembering the other and how memory is used as a resource in broader modes of oppositional politics, justice-seeking and endeavours towards social change. Examples of activist memory work in the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, a short documentary film and a commemorative exhibition are analysed in the article to showcase the different mnemonic dynamics at stake and to highlight the importance of mediation and cultural forms in the formation of activist memory work. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/22491663-ea9b-4952-a13e-020442ba8a46
- author
- Mousavi, Nafiseh
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-10-09
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Activist memory work, Dangerous remembering, Iranian context, Activist memoryscape, Remembering the other, social justice
- in
- Memory Studies
- volume
- 17
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 15 pages
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85206390051
- ISSN
- 1750-6980
- DOI
- 10.1177/17506980241262392
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 22491663-ea9b-4952-a13e-020442ba8a46
- date added to LUP
- 2024-10-09 15:38:39
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 14:10:37
@article{22491663-ea9b-4952-a13e-020442ba8a46,
abstract = {{This article studies the interrelations of memory work and activism in the Iranian context by focusing on the way remembering victims of state violence informs political activism. Due to constant repression, the recurrence of state violence and the criminalisation of oppositional activities and non-conforming lifestyles, the Iranian context is saturated with contentious memories that cannot be brought into public space. Oppositional memory work, especially regarding the victims of direct state violence, has thus become dangerous, counts as defiance and requires alternative spaces for taking shape. This article maps out and explains how activist memory work in this context entails carving out activist memoryscapes and intertwines personal suffering with acts of remembering the other and how memory is used as a resource in broader modes of oppositional politics, justice-seeking and endeavours towards social change. Examples of activist memory work in the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, a short documentary film and a commemorative exhibition are analysed in the article to showcase the different mnemonic dynamics at stake and to highlight the importance of mediation and cultural forms in the formation of activist memory work.}},
author = {{Mousavi, Nafiseh}},
issn = {{1750-6980}},
keywords = {{Activist memory work; Dangerous remembering; Iranian context; Activist memoryscape; Remembering the other; social justice}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{1142--1156}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Memory Studies}},
title = {{Dangerous remembering in volatile spaces : Activist memory work in the Iranian context}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/17506980241262392}},
doi = {{10.1177/17506980241262392}},
volume = {{17}},
year = {{2024}},
}