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(Journal Article) |
Social Research 65 (2): 315-330 (1998)
Language and Memory: "Pre-Columbian" America and the Social Logic of Periodization
E Zerubavel
ABSTRACT
This article examines the social logic of the process of periodization and the social meanings assigned to what people come to regard as distinct historical periods. The article will also try to shed some light on the special role of language in this process. Particular context within which the paper examines the relation between the way historical periods were named and the meanings collectively assigned to them is the history of the U.S. More specifically, this paper focus on the conventional history of the discovery of the U.S. The article also examines the unique role of the year 1492 in collective memory of the people in the U.S.