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Exploring the Cultural Trauma Theory

Trondman, Jens LU (2009) SOCK01 20082
Sociology
Abstract
This is a study of the murder of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, not as it actually occurred, but rather how it was mediated through representations in the media. The guiding research question is formulated as follows: Can the media representations of the murder of Olof Palme be understood as a case of an emergent trauma process? These representations covers only the first week after the murder. The aim of the study is to explore the theory of cultural trauma in order to find analytical aspects, or elements, that can be put to use in the empirical case, that is the murder of Olof Palme. As such, this study makes use of different theoretical elements form the work of sociologists Ron Eyerman and Jeffrey C. Alexander on the theory of... (More)
This is a study of the murder of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, not as it actually occurred, but rather how it was mediated through representations in the media. The guiding research question is formulated as follows: Can the media representations of the murder of Olof Palme be understood as a case of an emergent trauma process? These representations covers only the first week after the murder. The aim of the study is to explore the theory of cultural trauma in order to find analytical aspects, or elements, that can be put to use in the empirical case, that is the murder of Olof Palme. As such, this study makes use of different theoretical elements form the work of sociologists Ron Eyerman and Jeffrey C. Alexander on the theory of cultural trauma. The focus point is cultural trauma as a socially constructed phenomenon, which is mediated through representation. Which, In this case, regards the representation through the mass media. Due to a limited empirical case, the goal is to find out whether the murder of Olof Palme can be seen as an emergent cultural trauma, rather then a full-blown version.
My conclusion is as follows: Informed by the cultural trauma theory I think there are good reasons and valid empirical proofs to interpret the first week’s media representations of the murder of Olof Palme as an emergent trauma process. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Trondman, Jens LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
The Murder of Olof Palme as an Emergent Cultural Trauma
course
SOCK01 20082
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Alexander Trondman, eyerman, emergent, collective memory, cultural sociology, Olof Palme, cultural trauma, trauma, social construction
language
English
id
1628386
date added to LUP
2010-08-09 08:45:33
date last changed
2011-05-12 15:48:37
@misc{1628386,
  abstract     = {{This is a study of the murder of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, not as it actually occurred, but rather how it was mediated through representations in the media. The guiding research question is formulated as follows: Can the media representations of the murder of Olof Palme be understood as a case of an emergent trauma process? These representations covers only the first week after the murder. The aim of the study is to explore the theory of cultural trauma in order to find analytical aspects, or elements, that can be put to use in the empirical case, that is the murder of Olof Palme. As such, this study makes use of different theoretical elements form the work of sociologists Ron Eyerman and Jeffrey C. Alexander on the theory of cultural trauma. The focus point is cultural trauma as a socially constructed phenomenon, which is mediated through representation. Which, In this case, regards the representation through the mass media. Due to a limited empirical case, the goal is to find out whether the murder of Olof Palme can be seen as an emergent cultural trauma, rather then a full-blown version.
My conclusion is as follows: Informed by the cultural trauma theory I think there are good reasons and valid empirical proofs to interpret the first week’s media representations of the murder of Olof Palme as an emergent trauma process.}},
  author       = {{Trondman, Jens}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Exploring the Cultural Trauma Theory}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}