Professor NAONO, Akiko
Professor NAONO, Akiko
- Academic Degree
- Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California
- Expertise
- Historical sociology
- Research Theme
- The Ontology of Memory and the History of “Non-Humans”
The Ontology of Memory and the History of “Non-Humans”
Memory is not under the control of the subject; it sometimes bears witness to the past on the subject's behalf. This brings us to what might be called an “ontology of memory,” an issue that has been extensively examined through the lens of trauma theory. Trauma theory provides a framework for invoking and tracing events that have been buried in history as silences or secrets. By considering the insights of memory studies and trauma theory in particular—which open the boundaries of mnemonic subjects and explore the intersubjective and transgenerational transmissions of memory—I aim to develop a methodology for writing the history of the dehumanized—those considered “non-human” and thus often excluded from traditional histories of humanity. This includes not only catastrophic events like the Holocaust and the atomic bombings but also the enduring and everyday violence of slavery, colonialism, racism, and sexism. This endeavor aligns with decolonizing efforts to challenge Eurocentric tendencies within trauma theory and expand memory studies.