Meaningful Pasts: Historical Narratives, Commemorative Landscapes, and Everyday Lives

Author:   Russell Johnston ,  Michael Ripmeester
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
ISBN:  

9781487528737


Pages:   304
Publication Date:   23 February 2024
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Out of stock   Availability explained
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.

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Meaningful Pasts: Historical Narratives, Commemorative Landscapes, and Everyday Lives


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Overview

In Meaningful Pasts, Russell Johnston and Michael Ripmeester explore two strands of identity-making among residents of the Niagara region in Ontario, Canada. First, they describe the region’s official narratives, most of which celebrate the achievements of white settlers with a mix of storytelling, rituals, and monuments. Despite their presence in local lore and landmarks, these official narratives did not resonate with the nearly one thousand residents who participated in five surveys conducted over eleven years. Instead, participants drew on contemporary people, places, and events. Second, the authors explore the emergence of Niagara’s wine industry as a heritage narrative. The book shares how the survey participants embraced the industry as a local identifier and indicates how the industry’s efforts have rekindled the residents’ interest in agriculture as a significant element of regional heritage and local identities. Revealing how the profiles of local narratives and commemorations become entwined with social, cultural, economic, and political power, Meaningful Pasts illuminates the fact that local narratives retain their relevance only if residents find them meaningful in their day-to-day lives.

Full Product Details

Author:   Russell Johnston ,  Michael Ripmeester
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
Imprint:   University of Toronto Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.600kg
ISBN:  

9781487528737


ISBN 10:   1487528736
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   23 February 2024
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock   Availability explained
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.

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Reviews

"""Memory studies is undergoing an affective turn as we consider how the past, beyond official memorial narratives, is internalized, performed, and resisted by ordinary social actors and groups. Meaningful Pasts significantly advances this new paradigm. It documents the ways in which residents of the Niagara region deploy mnemonic resources in building local identities, --Derek H. Alderman, Professor of Geography, University of Tennessee ""Russell Johnston and Michael Ripmeester's research maps the affective mnemonic practices of Niagara residents as they navigate concepts of community and social change. As the study reveals, traditional historical narratives, and indeed the interventions made into these by cultural professionals, have far less impact on people's contemporary understandings of self and community than often supposed. This important book will challenge cultural professionals concerned with developing effective interventions into political and social debates while providing important pointers for developing a broader understanding of community mnemonic practices.""--Laurajane Smith, Professor of Heritage and Museum Studies, Australian National University"


"""Russell Johnston and Michael Ripmeester's research maps the affective mnemonic practices of Niagara residents as they navigate concepts of community and social change. As the study reveals, traditional historical narratives, and indeed the interventions made into these by cultural professionals, have far less impact on people's contemporary understandings of self and community than often supposed. This important book will challenge cultural professionals concerned with developing effective interventions into political and social debates while providing important pointers for developing a broader understanding of community mnemonic practices."" - Laurajane Smith, Professor of Heritage and Museum Studies, Australian National University ""Memory studies is undergoing an affective turn as we consider how the past, beyond official memorial narratives, is internalized, performed, and resisted by ordinary social actors and groups. Meaningful Pasts significantly advances this new paradigm. It documents the ways in which residents of the Niagara region deploy mnemonic resources in building local identities, - Derek H. Alderman, Professor of Geography, University of Tennessee"


Author Information

Russell Johnston is an associate professor in the Department of Communication, Popular Culture, and Film at Brock University. Michael Ripmeester is a professor in the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies at Brock University.

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