Thesis Chapters by Franziska K Meier
The Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV) are driven by their pursuit to reform the modern Ameri... more The Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV) are driven by their pursuit to reform the modern American South on the basis of Neo-Confederate collective memory. Collective memory is a powerful tool: it shapes a group’s identity. With recent controversy calling for the removal of Confederate symbolism throughout the southern United States, the SCV is fighting a rigorous battle not only for the construction of Confederate symbolism (as their forefathers have) but instead, for their defense. Its appeal however is questionable. How can a heritage organization maintain and further advance its legitimacy on the basis of a re-written history? How does the use of collective memory construction allow the SCV to use its construction and appropriation of the “Lost Cause” myth to advance Neo-Confederate ideology into Southern collective memory? Throughout this thesis, three factors are identified which explain the SCV’s success in authenticating its memory narrative to its membership. First, the SCV targets its memberships’ burdened historic conscience through a re-imagined “truth” of Southern history, presenting its cause through a narrative of Southern martyrdom and Northern antagonism. The SCV authenticates its history by providing a tangible past and attributes worth and recognition to its membership’s Confederate heritage. It draws the past into relevance for the present. Second, the SCV constructs and legitimizes its memory narrative by publishing literature with academic approval. With connections to a broader Neo-Confederate intellectual movement, the SCV circulates publications containing “truths” about Southern history. Its readers receive a written confirmation of their memory, standardizing Neo-Confederate ideology further. Third, through a case study of the Confederate Flag illustrates the intensity attributed to the defense of its visual presence in the Southern landscape. The SCV is engaged in a struggle with other social agents to embed its constructed memory into the flag’s narrative to ensure its membership’s bond with the past. In conclusion, by using empathy and sentimentality the SCV standardizes its memory construct for its audience. It maintains its appeal by providing acknowledgment and vindication for a Confederate identity that becomes relevant in the present.
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Thesis Chapters by Franziska K Meier