Memory, Commemoration and Community

Code: RPAS2010NOV08
If you wish to be considered for funding under this research theme, please ensure that you quote this code on your application form under 'Intended Source of Funding' (if using the downloadable form) or 'Name of Proposed Supervisor' (if applying online).

The arrival of Memory Studies as a recognised discipline is seen as offering an alternative to traditional historical discourse, providing a vocabulary to deal with the traumas of the past. With the rise of historical theme-parks, memoir writing, trauma testimony, confessional literature and self-memorialisation via camcorder and YouTube, the past is very much present in modern academic circles. This project seeks to attract students who wish to re-examine traditional historical discourses and consider the ways in which different art forms and other related discourses approach and reconsider the past, including how they have done so in former times. In particular, it aims to explore how memory and commemoration operate to build and shape concepts of community and collective identity. We are thus encouraging interest from those approaching Memory Studies from a local, national and international context, and those whose work is located in a range of historical time periods and academic disciplines including comparative literature, creative writing, history, history of art, history of science, literary and film studies and sociology. Projects relating to the University's archive, rare book and museum collections are also welcome.

Candidates interested in joining the project who do not yet have a Master's degree can apply for funding to take one of our Research Preparation Masters in Art in Scotland, Celtic Studies, Comparative Literature, Cultural History, Creative Writing, Early Modern Studies, English Literary Studies, History and Philosophy of Science, Irish-Scottish Studies, Latin-American Studies, Medieval Studies, Modern Historical Studies, The Novel, Scandinavian Studies and Visual Culture.

Available studentships

The available studentships are:

2012-13

3 x Home Fees PhD Studentships
1 x Overseas Fees PhD Studentship

In addition, the committee awarding studentships for the project may be able to allocate some funds towards maintenance.

Closing date: Friday 6 April 2012. Please note that all supporting documentation, e.g. transcripts, references, research proposals, etc., must have been submitted to the Admissions Office by the closing date. The University cannot guarantee that an incomplete application will be considered.

Possible Research Titles and Topics

Principal Investigator: Dr Alison Lumsden
Applicants are strongly advised to contact the principal investigator or a member of the supervisory team before submitting their application form and research proposal.

While these are not exhaustive of the thesis topics the project may consider supporting, they do give a fairly clear idea of the types of projects which the supervisory team would be keen to see investigated. We are eager to see these projects investigated in local, national and international contexts, and from the perspective of a range of historical time periods and academic disciplines. 

• Commemorating the Dead: Mourning and Commemoration in Literature, Visual Art and Continental Thought
• Memory and Trauma: Concepts of Story and Space in Post-Conflict Communities
• The Arts of Commemoration: Conceptualising and Representing Memory Across Communities
• Activating the Archive: Employing Aberdeen University's Museum, Archive and Printed Book Collections