The Interrogative Force of the Individual and Societal Memories of the Armenian Genocide Versus Long-Term Denial

Abstract

Mega-violent actions against individuals, communities and nations, such as genocides under different forms, leave traces that can be located at various levels of social complexity from individual to societal (including global) levels and become part of the memorization, remembering and commemorative processes. I assume that the individual and societal memories of genocide form a dynamic field that nurtures the interrogative force that opposes the denial of any genocide. The interrogative force is activated by the wide range of cognitive dissonances that emerge at all levels of social complexity between the memories about any genocide and its denial by various individual and collective actors. The study explores the interrogative force of individual and societal memories in the case of the genocide suffered by the Armenians. Individual and societal memories are approached within the wider context provided by traces (physical, archeological, human remains, written, oral and iconic records), memories, remembering and commemorative processes. The study uses findings of previous research on various records and the technique of self- inquiry that gives to the participants the possibility to generate their own questions about the Genocide suffered by the Armenians. The study suggests that the interrogative force opposes denial and it increases as more individual and collective actors from different levels of social complexity are entering into the field of inquiry due to multiple cognitive dissonances that are identified during a long-term denial of genocide.