Akdeniz Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no.11, pp.9-29, 2022 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
It is clear
that throughout the history of mankind, power struggles have been waged and
consolidated over the domination of land and/or space. However, in the context
of technological determinism, it can be said that the power struggle for the
seizure of space has evolved in parallel with the transformation of processes
and determinants. This is because, again, actual domination over (and/or
occupation of) a physical space has given way to symbolic occupations of spaces
and to the tradition of waging battles for might and power in a more abstract
fashion. The principal element of abstract occupation and domination struggles
is memory. “Memory,” which is defined as the ability to consciously keep in
mind the subjects experienced or learned and their historical context, is
indisputably the power that determines what we do and say and that determines
and dominates the processes of remembering and forgetting, as long as no
opposition exists or is created that could cause hesitation in strict
acceptance. There is bound to be a relationship between space and memory for
the reason mentioned above. This study aimed to examine the antagonistic
construction of social memory in light of basic theories. To this end, focus
was placed first on memory and social memory, and the related concepts were
defined. Then, the nature of memory specific to the practices of remembering
and forgetting was examined under the guidance of approaches to protagonist and
antagonist memory, and an attempt was made to present the subject’s
relationship with space from different perspectives. As a result, this study
revealed that memory can never be considered as an individual
forgetting/preservation device, and that its antagonistic dimension stems from
the “uncompromising conflict of remembering and forgetting that it contains.”
Keywords: Memory; Space; Social Memory; Antagonist
Memory; Remembering-Forgetting,