This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Rowe, S. M. Articles by Kosyaeva, T. Y. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Linking Little Narratives to Big Ones: Narrative and Public Memory in History Museums

James V. Wertsch

Washington University, USA

Tatyana Y. Kosyaeva

IEIE, Russia

Developing an account of the encounter between vernacular and official (Bodnar, 1992) mediational means, this paper explores some of the ways narratives about history come into dialogic contact in history museums. We argue that the history museum acts as a public forum where personal lives may be linked more or less closely to collectives through encounters among narratives produced by the museum and its visitors. Through analysis of exhibits at two museums and visitor talk in one museum, we offer a preliminary discussion of possible relationships among narratives in the negotiation of public memory.

Key Words: dialogism • identity • museum • narrative • public memory • visitor studies

Culture & Psychology, Vol. 8, No. 1, 96-112 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/1354067X02008001621


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Ratner Cultural Psychology and Qualitative Methodology: Scientific and Political Considerations Culture Psychology, September 1, 2008; 14(3): 259 - 288. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Bergadaa Temporal Frameworks and Individual Cultural Activities: Four typical profiles Time Society, September 1, 2007; 16(2-3): 387 - 407. [Abstract] [PDF]