This thesis will explore the phenomenon of temporary memorials as expression for marginalized groups through multiple case studies primarily from the United States but also with a brief look to Europe. After outlining prevailing themes and definitions of in cultural heritage management and memorial studies, there will be a series of case studies which demonstrate ephemerality in memorialization. The counter-monument, a term coined by Judaic Studies scholar James E. Young, is a memorial that uses passing action on the part of visitors to come to terms with a conflict and large-scale tragedy. The use of names on monuments and the deposition of personal and friable artifacts at those monuments by loved ones indicate the acknowledgement of complex individualized existence even within a national setting. Relatively small-scale construction of shrines and personalized murals in often forbidden places provide a public forum to mourn and to confront the everyday realities of discrimination. Consequences of memorialization in the Digital Age include changes in storage and retrieval techniques that fundamentally alter what is and is not preservable. Although it only covers a small aspect of memory studies, this thesis explores a subtopic vital to practical application of contemporary theory in the social sciences. The information here will provide a springboard for further studies in multi-cultural and multi-social-class collaboration in physical memorial creation. It will promote the continuation of intangible cultural practices while maintaining peaceful societal functioning.
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Art History
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Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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