I found this chapter pretty interesting especially the idea of the active community memory. The book states, "A community of memory is not a place of static collection of old stories" (p. 147), yet the basis of so many community structures is a common set of stories or memory. However like the book says in order for these old stories or memories to survive the community must be vibrant and growing, meaning to me that in order for the old to be remembered someone has to be interested in the new. I think that while this helps to foster the communal good that a community needs in order to keep the bonds between them strong, it more importantly forges the path for the community to grow and spread. People look to communities as places to go to learn, feel accepted, and to grow and to me one of the major aspects of choosing a community is the core values (which I think is the same as the good). No one wants to join a company that is known for being unethical, or go to a university that accepts cheating. These are just a few examples.
I like to use football as an example since it is somewhere I go everyday and see some of these concepts applied. When looking at organizational ethics, I thought of the football team and recruiting. Every time a high school prospect comes on a visit or talks to a team member they are trying to figure out our ethical codes, and our memory. A lot of these recruits want more than just the fancy facilites or gear, they want a team that reflects their values. For us it is a team that values hard work and earning what you get, because this is our "good" the team attracts a certain type of recruit. One that shares that same value set.
I totally agree! I picked out the same concepts as you did and talked about them in my own blog post. I found your football example really interesting. I haven't played sports since high school, and I have no concept about the inner workings of sports at a University level. I liked how you applied the idea of memory and goods to what you experience as a football player when new recruits come for a visit. I feel the concept of goods and memory can really be applied anywhere, from large organizations to small groups, even families. This reminds me of how blended begin to learn the expectations and norms. Members must also determine what the "good" is based on community memories.
ReplyDeleteLuke, you make some very interesting points. I too contemplated the quote, "A community of memory is not a place of static collection of old stories" (p. 147). To me, the "static" part stuck out a lot to me. Static, meaning always constant. I believe memories change with time and the wisdom we gain with age. For example, I hated the house that I grew up in. I thought that it was raggedy, I hated the size of my room, etc. However, when I think about this house now at 22, I miss it so much because it brings me back to being with my immediate family members and the times we shared, some of which we will never be able to have again. This also reminds me our our conversation on Kanye West... However you would like to memorize him now in 2014 (asshole, genius, selfish, great) there's a good chance that the perspective on West will change. We as a community will decide how he will be remembered further down the road. I also liked your point in how we choose the communities we belong to. Core values play a large, critical role, but I believe self-perception has a lot to do with it as well. For example, I didn't want to hang out with the nerds in elementary/middle school, even though they stood for the same things that I thought were important in life (focus, try your best). I was intimidated by choosing to belong to that community, due to my fear in what my "homies" would think about me. Your comparison to football recruitment is great as well. The chapter states, "A community of memory works as a conscience or guide, not as a dictate; it responds to changing circumstances within an organization or risks becoming simply a dead tradition (146). I thought that this quote was important to your point because the communicative memory of college football recruitment might change down the road. In 15-20 years, a criterion for a soon to be college football player could possibly be how the university pays the players not only in tuition, but monetarily. Just something to think about, since the memory responds to change and is never static throughout time.
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