collective memory
shared recollection: mental representations of past events that are common to members of a social group. For example, mine workers may collectively remember the accidental death of a coworker differently than the general public, just as younger and older people may remember significant historical events differently. Collective memory is expressed in numerous forms—including oral and written narratives, monuments and other memorials, commemorative rituals, and symbols—and serves a range of functions, such as establishing and maintaining relationships, teaching or entertaining others, and supporting group identity. The memory is common to the group, but it is remembered by individuals, and research suggests that they coordinate their personal memories with those of their groups through a process of attunement: Stimuli assumed to be experienced by one’s social group are more prominent in both cognition and behavior because they receive greater attentional
focus or more elaborated encoding, which in turn increases their accessibility. Also called cultural memory; social memory.