Slowing Down Memory Studies

Providing an accessible introduction to the concept of slow memory, this open access book focuses on the fields of environment, (de)industrialization, welfare, politics, and conflict to examine how gradual transformations are made meaningful in the present through remembrance practices at different tempos.

This open access book proposes slow memory as a new framework for understanding how remembrance operates across time, urging scholars and practitioners to resist the acceleration that characterizes both contemporary scholarship and public memory cultures.

The authors explore the theoretical foundations of slow memory in relation to environmental humanities and Indigenous studies, emphasizing themes of deep time, intergenerational justice, and contested memory regimes. The collection focuses on the fields of environment, (de)industrialization, welfare, politics, and conflict to examine how gradual transformations impact the present through remembrance practices at different tempos. It advocates for a deceleration of scholarly and commemorative practices to develop ethical, sustainable, and inclusive engagements with the past.

By foregrounding slowness as a conceptual and methodological tool, and slow memory as a “connective concept,” this book offers a vital framework for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to rethink the temporalities of remembrance in an era of rapid transformation.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. This publication is based upon work from COST Action CA20105 on Slow Memory, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).COST is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation.