The relationship between PTSD victims challenges with articulating the trauma they experienced and the civil veteran discussion is one that cannot be underestimated. When stories are not shared between two demographics society loses it's information within it's cultural memory. Forgetting can be seen as a human flaw against the solidity of memory, in reality forgetting can be a part of allowing a society heal from trauma. Communications scholar Maria Sturken comments upon strategic forgetting in "Tangled Memories" coining the term and outlining the concepts of cultural memory. "Cultural memory is a field of cultural negotiation through which different stories vie for a place in history"(Sturken, 2) stories that are not shared forgotten.
Individuals in the cultural negotiation play a role in the creation of histories. Conflicting narratives battle for dominance. Voices that aren't able to share their stories are quickly sunk in the vastness of the collective memory. According to Sturken's quote from Pierre Nora " history is perpetually suspicious of memory and its true mission is to suppress and destroy it"(Sturken, 5) trauma makes it hard to open the discussion for both parties in the civil military discussion. Veterans need to overcome the challenges of articulating traumatic memories and process atrocities committed in cold blood. Civilians feel uncomfortable pressing veterans to relive PTSD related memories, unable to feel comfortable opening the discussion, preferring to brush over or ignore the issues that need to be discussed.
"The collective remembering of a specific culture can often appear similar to the memory of an individual"(Sturken, 1) but it is necessary in the creation of a history. Cultural memory works in tangent with sanctioned history, often similar but not the same. Sanctioned history often does not explore traumatic events in detail, favoring looking over the more general bigger picture. Giving general details instead of sharing the true horrors of the event. This sanctioned version of events is a component of strategic forgetting in the cultural memory. As time continues without other competing or contemporary narratives society forgets the personal stories of war veterans in favour of mainstream narratives.
Sturken suggests that strategic forgetting can be a part of healing within a society but it can also be a determent to cultural memory. Losing valuable interactions that could help the military and civilian divide close through open discussions.
Sources:
Sturken, Marita. Tangled Memories: The Vietnam War, the Aids Epidemic, and the Politics of Remembering. , 1997. Print.
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