‘Nostalgia for the future’: memory, nostalgia and the politics of class

Laurajane Smith; Gary Campbell

doi:10.1080/13527258.2017.1321034

‘Nostalgia for the future’: memory, nostalgia and the politics of class

Laurajane Smith^*, Gary Campbell

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

128 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nostalgia for some is pointless and sentimental, for others reactionary and futile. Where does that leave those of us interested in labour history and heritage–is it all just ‘smokestack nostalgia’? Using interviews with visitors, volunteers and staff at sites and museums of industrial and working class heritage in England, the United States and Australia, we argue that a useful distinction can be made between ‘reactionary nostalgia’ and ‘progressive nostalgia’, and that a ‘nostalgia for the future’ can emerge from memories and memorialisations. Drawing on the past can help mould the sentiments and nurture the emotional commitment to social justice issues the Left so desperately needs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	612-627
Number of pages	16
Journal	International Journal of Heritage Studies
Volume	23
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2017.1321034
Publication status	Published - 9 Aug 2017

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10.1080/13527258.2017.1321034

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‘Nostalgia for the future’: memory, nostalgia and the politics of class

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