“Collective Memory” Does Ex- Ture

The Robinson Chronicles “CollectiveFrom the 20s through theMemory” 90s: The way we think we were By Michael J. Robinson obert Dole says the strangest Carl Jung actually offered up some ideas lective memory correspond with the things. But it didn’t start with about the “collective unconscious” three- pretty picture Dole painted? And if it R weird commercials about the quarters of a century ago, so collective doesn’t, what is the shape of Americans’ heartbreak of “E.D.” Back in 1996, memory has a lineage as old as psycho- “memories?” Dole said something even more curious. analysis. But whether one has a Jungian Surprisingly, during his acceptance perspective or a more More important in building a theory is speech at the Republican National Con- the “existential” question: Do Ameri- vention, Dole promised the cans really have a meaningful— nation that, if elected, he’d shared—collective memory? And, tied move America backward, to directly to that is the “size,” or “vari- the past. ability” question: Is there more—or less—collective memory about the old Not so surprising was Bill days than the more recent past? Clinton’s response. In his acceptance speech, Clinton prom- s usual, there’s also a ised that if re-elected, he’d move methodological question. If the nation forward, to the fu- A “collective memory” does ex- ture. ist, is there a legitimate way to measure it? Obviously, survey re- Least surprising of all: Clinton search is a reasonable option. Sur- won. vey research is, after all, the aggre- gation of individual impressions. Dole’s speech was obviously a big mistake. But, actually, he’d been In April and May 1999, the Pew giving it for years. Born in 1923, Research Center polled more Dole said he remembered the past than 1,500 people, asking scores because he’d been there, he knew it of questions about America’s was a better America back then. past—things like public per- ceptions about the progress Dole’s remembrances are both per- made these last fifty years, or sonal and experiential. But what about www.silent-movies.com whether individuals remem- the rest of “us,” the public? As a modern ber where they were when they heard public, we could not possibly have take on all this, “collective memory” Ronald Reagan had been shot. Luckily been “there.” Still, we can have impres- is still less a theory than a notion—one for us, Pew also included a novel item we sions about the nation’s past. And re- that seems to provide more questions can refer to as the “decades question.” cently, social scientists have taken to than answers. calling these impressions our “collective People were asked, “What word or phrase memory.” That’s where Bob Dole comes in. It’s best describes your impression of the Dole’s memories that provide us with 1920s?; the 1930s?,” and so forth. De- questions that might lead to some an- cade by decade, here’s a compendium of swers about “collective memory.” the way we think we were these last Michael J. Robinson is retired associate eighty years—a fin de siècle photograph professor of government, Georgetown Uni- For starters, there’s the “shape” of our of our collective memories. versity, and consultant to the Pew Research collective memory: Does American col- Center for the People & the Press. 14 Public Perspective, January/February 2000 The 20s: “Roaring” Then; fact, among the “expressives,” 33% use that collective memory about some of “Boring” Now the very word “Depression” as their term our public past is ephemeral, even chi- of choice. But the responses to the ’30s merical. What is surprising is that so Unlike any other decade, the ’20s obli- question suggest some problems with much “collective amnesia” occurs here, gate us to adopt a cliché for a label. our theory. during an era so integral to our history. When asked to describe the ’20s, people offer up the same word: “roaring.” And Forty-two percent decline to say any- Collective memory about the ’30s is also if their preferred modifier isn’t “roar- thing about the ’30s—the record level of surprisingly apolitical. For an epoch one ing,” it is quite likely to be a synonym: “declination” for any decade. And might expect to be remembered as very “swinging,” “care-free,” “wild,” or “wide- “decliners” prove to be numerous among political, responses to the “decades ques- open.” demographic groups one would presume tion” indicate otherwise. Franklin to be very much aware of the era. Roosevelt and his New Deal stand at the Consider the numbers. Nearly two- center of the ’30s. But a mere one thirds of respondents express an opinion percent of all the references to the ’30s of some kind about the ’20s. (From here allude to Roosevelt, the New Deal, or on out I use the word “expressives” in the programs associated with either. referring to people who actually answered the question). The ’30s also provides evidence that some people actually do view hard times Among the “expressives,” 47% depict nostalgically. There is near consensus the ’20s as being fun—“Spring Break” that the ’30s were miserable. But just for adult America. References are either under 15% of the “expressives” dissent, about living it up, or about the symbols proffering a view of the ’30s as a time of of doing just that: “Flappers;” “swing;” hope, safety, or rebuilding. What’s more, “the Charleston;” “speakeasies;” “prohi- those who actually lived during the De- bition;” “bathtub gin.” But, every other pression are most likely to feel that way. noun, adjective or gerund pales in con- Somehow, 21% of the expressive elderly trast to “r-o-a-r-i-n-g.” One in seven of remember the Depression favorably. Old the “expressives” (14%) says specifically and nostalgic, these folks might well be that “roaring” is the single best word to thought of as “Dolesters.” encapsulate the decade. The ’40s: “The Not-So-Big-One” So, the ’20s are definitely roaring in the American collective memory. But they www.classicphotos.com In colloquial American, the Second are mostly boring for us, as students of World War is known as “the Big One”— collective memory. It’s not so much that Among those who have graduated from a sobriquet that reflects the scope of the we’re duty-bound to use a label that is college, nearly a third (31%) go mute conflict and the righteousness of the hackneyed. Asking people about the when asked to say anything about the cause. World War II was—and is— ’20s doesn’t tell us much that’s exciting, ’30s. And, in the black community— central to 20th century American his- other than this: there is a collective whose fundamental political loyalties tory. If the public did not regard the ’40s memory about that era. shifted dramatically during the ’30s be- as the “war years,” there’d be grounds for cause of the Depression—the figure declaring the concept of “collective The ’30s: “Hard Times” reaches 58%. memory” a failure here and now. There also appears to be a meaningful Perhaps it’s Democrats who surprise Collective memory passes this test, but collective memory about the ’30s. And, most. The ’30s may have saved the not with distinction. Among again, the best label offers no surprises: national Democratic party from politi- “expressives,” 54% describe the decade I’ve called the era “Hard Times.” cal oblivion. But, as of today, 41% say in words that translate easily into the nothing about their party’s salvation, or “Big One,” references that start with Among the “expressives,” 60% speak about anything else relating to the ’30s. “Pearl Harbor” and end with about the ’30s in terms of “struggle,” “Hiroshima.” “poverty,” “sadness,” and, of course, This is the Depression we’re talking about “Depression,” with a capital “D”—the here. Even so, there’s a big gap in our But again, we face the nemesis of “decli- semi-official word for this decade. In collective recall. And that gap tells us nation.” The number of respondents Public Perspective, January/February 2000 15 The ’50s: “Happy Days” was always presented in a frivolous ’50s and “Modernity” mode. “Happy Days” ran eleven seasons and had a cult following long before it I had expected the ’50s to be ever went to reruns. something of a bagatelle. That I’d discover the ’50s to “Laverne and Shirley” and “Happy Days” be little more than a na- made Marshall a fortune, and made tele- tional joke. As it turns out, vision history. But what makes Marshall’s the ’50s are remembered col- programming relevant to us is that it also lectively as a trifle. But, in seems to have “made” collective memory. another tasty irony, the ’50s What the public says about the ’50s also turn out to be a water- corresponds near-perfectly with the im- shed. In our recall of the ages and themes served up by “Happy ’50s, collective memory Days.” Nobody mentions Joe McCarthy. achieves modernity. Despite the loss of nearly 40,000 Ameri- can lives, a meager one percent mentions Public impressions of the the war in Korea. No, it’s Richie ’50s are just about what one Cunningham’s life that serves as a tem- would expect, especially if plate for almost everything Americans one is a Garry Marshall fan. remember about the era. One of TV’s most success- ful producers, Marshall A fifth of all respondents speak in terms National Archives spent much of the ’70s and of happiness, optimism and fun.

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