Mnemonic aspects of identity process

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Abstract

This review of Joël Candau’s Memory and identity (2023) examines the interplay between memory and identity. The work situates its inquiry at the complex intersection of individual and collective dimensions, where Candau critiques "holistic rhetorics" (simplifications of collective memory and identity). The book’s central aim is to investigate how the past is mobilized and contested by social groups. Candau analyzes mnemogenesis, the critical role of classification in memory, mechanisms of transmission (including protomemory), and forgetting, while proposing a key taxonomy (protomemory, high-level memory, metamemory). The decline of "grand organizing memories" is addressed, leading to mnemonic fragmentation. The review positions the work as a foundational contribution to cognitive anthropology, praising its critique of holistic views but noting the need for empirical validation of the taxonomy and potential gaps in analyzing heritage as a mnemonic support.

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Author Biography

Fábio Luiz Nunes, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil, fabio.nunes.fln@gmail.com

Mestre e doutorando em Estudos Linguísticos pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, especialista em Retórica e Análise do Discurso em Publicidade e Propaganda pela Universidade de Araraquara e psicólogo pela Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais. É profissional técnico-administrativo no Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG).

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Published

2025-10-30

How to Cite

NUNES, Fábio Luiz. Mnemonic aspects of identity process. Revista UFG, Goiânia, v. 25, n. 31, 2025. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/revistaufg/article/view/82452. Acesso em: 31 mar. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 25 (2025): Revista UFG

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Resenha

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