From Maurice Halbwachs to contemporary memory studies: Theoretical and practical implications
Orianne, Jean-François
From Maurice Halbwachs to contemporary memory studies: Theoretical and practical implications - 2026.
51
This article pays tribute to French philosopher and sociologist Maurice Halbwachs (1877–1945), particularly his seminal work “The Social Frameworks of Memory” (1925), which was published exactly a century ago. In addition to the fact that the book begins with the fictionalized story of a young woman with amnesia, it is of direct relevance to neuropsychologists because it extends the concept of memory, which psychologists had previously considered to be individual, to the social context. The past is not merely relived, but reconstructed from social frameworks. This is a form of sociological imperialism manifested here in the ambition to establish a purely sociological explanation of human memory. Thus, for Halbwachs, individual memory is shaped through a continuous dialogue with society. Although he had a strong influence on his discipline, as the direct heir to Émile Durkheim, his work remained largely unknown to psychologists and neuroscientists. Things have changed over the past twenty years reflecting the “social turn” in neuroscience and contemporary memory studies. This article highlights this notable development and several of its theoretical consequences, particularly regarding collective memory and social memory, with significant applications in psychopathology and neuropsychology. We then describe a model (Orianne et al. 2025) that emphasizes the link between individual memory, collective memory, and social memory. This model “revisits” the concept of autobiographical memory by situating it firmly within interactions with others and society. Finally, we apply it to certain memory changes observed in post-traumatic stress disorder.
From Maurice Halbwachs to contemporary memory studies: Theoretical and practical implications - 2026.
51
This article pays tribute to French philosopher and sociologist Maurice Halbwachs (1877–1945), particularly his seminal work “The Social Frameworks of Memory” (1925), which was published exactly a century ago. In addition to the fact that the book begins with the fictionalized story of a young woman with amnesia, it is of direct relevance to neuropsychologists because it extends the concept of memory, which psychologists had previously considered to be individual, to the social context. The past is not merely relived, but reconstructed from social frameworks. This is a form of sociological imperialism manifested here in the ambition to establish a purely sociological explanation of human memory. Thus, for Halbwachs, individual memory is shaped through a continuous dialogue with society. Although he had a strong influence on his discipline, as the direct heir to Émile Durkheim, his work remained largely unknown to psychologists and neuroscientists. Things have changed over the past twenty years reflecting the “social turn” in neuroscience and contemporary memory studies. This article highlights this notable development and several of its theoretical consequences, particularly regarding collective memory and social memory, with significant applications in psychopathology and neuropsychology. We then describe a model (Orianne et al. 2025) that emphasizes the link between individual memory, collective memory, and social memory. This model “revisits” the concept of autobiographical memory by situating it firmly within interactions with others and society. Finally, we apply it to certain memory changes observed in post-traumatic stress disorder.
Réseaux sociaux