Cultural Trauma

Cultural Trauma / Traumatisme Culturel (遇伤盟 - Jau Mo Meng) also known as Historical Trauma, Generational Trauma, Collective Trauma, occurs when members of a collectivity feel they have been subjected to a horrendous event that leaves indelible marks upon their group consciousness, marking their memories forever and changing their future identity in fundamental and irrevocable ways. While this new scientific concept clarifies causal relationships between previously unrelated events, structures, perceptions, and actions, it also illuminates a neglected domain of social responsibility and political action. By constructing cultural traumas, social groups, national societies, and sometimes even entire civilizations, not only cognitively identify the existence and source of human suffering, but may also take on board some significant moral responsibility for it. Insofar as they identify the cause of trauma in a manner that assumes such moral responsibility, members of collectivities define their solidary relationships that allow them to share the suffering of others. Is the suffering of others also our own? In thinking that it might in fact be, societies expand the circle of the ‘we’ and create the possibility for repairing societies to prevent the trauma from happening again. By the same token, social groups can, and often do, refuse to recognize the existence of others’ suffering, or place the responsibility for it on people other than themselves.
== Solutions ==
Here are some possible solutions to addressing cultural trauma:
# Acknowledgement and Recognition: A first step towards healing cultural trauma is acknowledging the historical events and their impact on the affected group. This can be done through formal apologies, truth and reconciliation commissions, and memorialization of the events.
# Education and Awareness Raising: Increasing education and awareness about the cultural trauma and its causes can help to break the cycle of intergenerational transmission. This can include educational programs, museums, and cultural events that promote understanding and healing.
# Empowerment and Empathy: Encouraging the affected group to regain a sense of agency and control over their own lives can help to alleviate the psychological effects of cultural trauma. Empathy and support from other individuals and communities can also help to facilitate healing and promote a sense of connectedness.
# Cultural Revival and Reclamation: Promoting the preservation and revitalization of cultural traditions and heritage can help to restore a sense of identity and pride among those affected by cultural trauma. This can include language preservation programs, cultural festivals, and other activities that celebrate the culture and its history.
# Mental Health Support: Providing mental health support and access to counseling services can be critical in addressing the long-term effects of cultural trauma. This can include individual, group, and community-based counseling programs that address trauma, grief, and loss.
It is important to note that addressing cultural trauma is a complex and long-term process that requires a collaborative effort from multiple stakeholders, including individuals, communities, governments, and organizations. The specific solutions will vary depending on the context and the needs of the affected group."War and conquest can cause the result of a traumatized and impoverish culture. To constantly engage in war, to constantly push, divide and kill off a culture to the brink of extinction and assimilation, is a widely practice tool by ethnic ruling classes to ensure the survival of their state (leadership, rule), culture and language against the others." - Alexandrov Matthieu Théodore
Category:Sociology
Category:Imperial Order
Category:Moment of Revolution
Category:Psychology