Can representation of individual trauma mobilize collective memory and cultural trauma?

A case-study of the arpilleristas in Chile

Abstract

The way events are represented can result in the emergence of different narratives about a commonly experienced, and yet contested past. It is argued that such a process develops the formation of cultural trauma and collective memory in a given society. This essay aims to discuss the representation of one’s individual experiences to a wider audience as a means of creating meaning in a broader community and mobilize collective memory and cultural trauma. Hence, the case of the arpilleristas in Chile will be discussed as an example of the use of cultural artifacts as a means to represent individual trauma. I argue that the capacity of a group to create collective meaning relies on their ability to establish certain patterns of identification with that community. In this sense, the appropriation of the arpilleristas on typical Chilean cultural artifacts was essential for their impact on Chile’s national memory as they became the symbols of resistance and one of the main ways to recall the military regime. Nonetheless, such improvements were not perceived in the country’s cultural trauma as the arpilleristas mobilization did not seem to affect the core aspects of Chile’s identity.