[Personal_archives] The feeling of memory and other feelings

[RICKBARRY at aol.com]

Thanks Martha for your clarifications. You didn't tie me up at all. I just  
happen to love words and enjoy opportunities to play with them. Doing so often  
illuminates the discussion, I've found. Perhaps as in this case: I think it 
was  very useful for you to provide the profession use of the term, especially 
in a  group of largely non-sociologists. It is the kind of thing that 
archivists would  learn more about if there was greater involvement of other 
disciplines in our  discourse, as today. For myself, my graduate work was in management 
science,  which makes me think that the sociologist's "reflexivity" is 
similar in  meaning to the management term "Hawthorne effect" --  another  term 
contributed by sociologists. 
 
I do believe with some others in the archives profession (e.g., Terry Cook)  
that, at least in institutional archives, description and disposition  
management are quite subjective activities. Some have  suggested that archivists 
should personally sign such documentation  for accountability reasons and future 
reference. Your question also  gives rise in my mind to another: do 
institutional archivists dealing with  personal collections not have the right (or is it 
against generally accepted  professional practice) to advise donors that 
certain items will not be accepted  if they wish -- e.g., for nude pictures of 
juveniles? And if they do have the  right, do they choose to use it and how are 
such decisions made -- solely  according to the instincts of the archivist; 
using specified institutional  guidelines; by review with an established panel 
charged to provide  assistance to the archivist; otherwise? The same questions 
apply to Nancy's  issues where all such photos may be accepted, but then treated 
very differently  for purposes of access.
 
Regards,
 
Rick
 
 
In a message dated 10/30/2008 6:34:13 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
mlangford at qc.aibn.com writes:

Alison,  the emphasis in your note didn't come through, but I see how we  
misunderstood each other. My point was about the feeling of memory - the  
translation into photographic expression of the state of remembering. A  
photographic work that appears "inclusive and informative" may prompt  
memory, but its chief characteristics bespeak knowledge which summons  
more criticality than exploratory feeling. But the obvious retort is  
that something that appears "inclusive and informative" to you may not  
be so clear to me, and not just because I lack the background or  
contextual data to do the analysis. This is where the punctum trumps the  
studium, and taps into more personal memories. Archivists are  
susceptible to the same subjective, sometimes blinding emotions. And the  
rehearsal of these feelings generally occurs in the public/private realm  
of the reading room.

Nancy,  you've formulated an excellent  list of questions in response to 
the reflexivity question Sorry, Rick, to  tie you in knots over my choice 
of words, but we were borrowing from  sociology where the word is used to 
convey the theory that the presence of  the observer influences the 
behaviour that is observed. Translating that  into the archives, I would 
suggest that there is no way for an archivist  to bring me material 
'neutrally'. Everything, from a professional judgment  of my competence 
to process certain kinds of data  to a subjective  judgment of my 
entitlement to certain kinds of data - I think that's what  Nancy is 
getting at with her list, but I won't put words in her  mouth.

I hope this isn't too telegraphic - I feel the end of  conversation 
coming nearer and I'm still trying to sketch that in-between  space I 
asked about at the beginning. Let me bring Erving Goffman in.  Visiting 
researchers know that there is a backstage behind the onstage  behaviour 
of the archivist who is advising them. Indeed Alison just  confirmed it, 
in her report that selective sharing takes place. So back to  my earlier 
question - how's your reflexivity? Do archivists take stock,  from time 
to time, of the archival effect? I actually think that's what  Nancy is 
doing for us. Other voices may wish to chime  in.

Martha




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