Le journalisme au cinéma

The term "Righteous of France" makes reference to the title "Righteous Among the Nations" created by the Hebrew State in 1953 in order to honor those who had saved Jews. The expression has been reclaimed by French public powers, to the point of inspiring, in January 2007, a specific commemoration and induction of the "Righteous" into the Panthéon. Why, with all the controversy surrounding the state's "exploitation of memory" (which erupts at frequent intervals), didn't this induction raise a single comment?

Sarah Gensburger traces the history resulting in this public commemoration, confronting several of the questions posed by contemporary debates on memory: to what extent can one speak of "the politics of memory?" Which "effects" do public commemorations have on society? Is there a link between the "rise of communalism" and "the inflation of commemorations?" In proposing a new objective of standard sociology of public action, this work offers another approach to collective memory in its relationship with politics.

A graduate student qualified in Social Sciences, Sarah Gensburger holds a doctorate in sociology.