Families construct memories as well as memories constitute families. Each family member creates different stories and biographical narratives. At the same time these stories are related to each other and there is a collectiveness in the memory-making within a family. Memories are crucial both for the development of individual and collective identities, and they are framed by discourses such as national master narratives.
Memories are centred around events experienced from birth to death. The memory is how the person experiences and interprets the events. It can be either shared by other family members or kept secret from others. Memories are reproduced by language and symbolic actions for instance rituals. Some are constituted around traumatic experiences; others are more related to everyday life.
The memory making happens within social norms. Social norms regulate the person's definition of the situation and behaviour. What is being talked about as well as being silenced are connected to these definitions of situations and the social norms. How are processes of memory-making initialized, negotiated and continued, both on macro- and micro level. There will also be a special session on qualitative methodology.

The organising committee is
Irene Levin , OUC (Oslo University College)
Tone Bye , Student, master of social work
Eivind Engebretsen , OUC (Oslo University College)
John Eriksen , NOVA (Norwegian Social Research)
Nicole Hennum , OUC (Oslo University College)
Øyvind Kopperud , HL-center (Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities)
Claudia Lenz , HL-Center (Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities)
May-Britt Solem . OUC (Oslo University College)
Tone Schau Wetlesen , UIO (University of Oslo)

Deadline for abstracts: October 1. 2008
Registration - January 20, 2009
Deadline for papers: May 1. 2009

Complete information about the conference can be found on the web of Oslo University College

Contact person: Irene Levin
e-mail: Irene.levin@sam.hio.no
Tel: + 47 22453517 or +47 99228325