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“Can’t You See It?”: A Cultural Psychological Approach to the Role of Heritage in Shaping Collective Memory and Identity

par Licata, Laurent ;Babinska, Maria ;Zian, Yasmina
Editeur scientifique Cabecinhas, Rosa;Abadia, Lilia;Lins, Luiza
Référence LIVING MEMORIES & MEDIA - MEMÓRIA VIVA & MEDIA, Húmus Editora, Famalicão, Portugal, page (17-32)
Publication Publié, 2026

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Résumé :

Heritage is often perceived as an inert backdrop to social life,composed of monuments, street names, statues, and cultural objects thatmany overlook. Yet, from a cultural psychological perspective, heritageplays a critical role in shaping collective memory and social identity.This paper explores how cultural artefacts act not as passive remnantsof the past but as intentional tools that structure intergroup relations,reinforce or challenge dominant narratives, and enable identity con-struction. Drawing on the concepts of collective memory (Halbwachs,1950), cultural affordances (Salter & Adams, 2016), and recognitiontheory (Honneth, 1996), this contribution analyses the conflicts thatarise when minority groups contest official memories embedded in her-itage. Illustrations from Belgium, including the contestation of colonialstatues and museum narratives by Afrodescendant decolonial activists,reveal how memory becomes a site of political struggle. The paper con-cludes by proposing a dialogical framework for engaging with heritage,based on four discursive modes (Ferry, 1996), that can help reconcilerecognition of minority perspectives with the identity functions of col-lective memory.