Palgrave Redefining Monuments: Materialist Memory Theories and Radical Heritage Practices (Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict)

This book undertakes a critical examination of monuments, heritage, and memory, analysing their intersections with colonial histories, gender dynamics, and class structures. By challenging conventional conceptions of monuments, memory, and heritage, this work advocates for a materialist approach that rigorously critiques hegemonic and authorised discourses. It seeks to reconceptualise these phenomena by proposing alternative paradigms and radical practices that offer new perspectives on their construction, preservation, and interpretation. The volume is structured into two primary sections: a theoretical component that develops a materialist critique of the subject, alongside innovative frameworks for its reinterpretation, and an empirical component grounded in concrete experiences derived from radical practices involving the construction, preservation, and demolition of monuments. Situated within contemporary debates surrounding the future of monuments and the ongoing culture wars, Redefining Monuments provides an indispensable resource for scholars and readers invested in counter-hegemonic interpretations of monuments. The work aims to advance the development of a materialist theory and methodology for understanding memory and heritage, offering a critical contribution to these fields.