Abstract
In some cases, members of societies and social groups feel and talk about historical events, such as natural disasters and wars, as their tragedies without having had experienced them directly. However, in other cases, they remain silent on these events as if the latter had not happened. To describe and explain these phenomena, some sociologists use the term “trauma.” In their arguments, they use this term metaphorically and fail to develop analytical frameworks and methods. Examining the theory of cultural trauma developed by Jeffrey Alexander and his joint researchers, this paper attempts to show the sociological significance of the concept of “trauma” for exploring the dynamics of collective “awakening” and “silence” in such a large-scale society as a nation-state.
The cultural trauma theory suggests that the collective silence and awakening over a tragic event cannot necessarily be explained by the objective characteristics of the event itself. According to cultural trauma theory, rather it depends on how the event is interpreted and narrated. Thus, the collective response to a tragic event varies depending upon whether the event is narrated as a deeply troubling injury for society or as an opportunity for its progress. Based on the cultural trauma theory, this paper argues that the dynamics of collective silence and awakening can be explained as culturally framed social phenomena, which cannot be reduced to the minds or spirits of individuals.
