Conclusions: Mapping the Economy/Memory Nexus-Themes and Future Agendas

When we look at the sum total of the previous eight substantive chapters of this volume, with our lead questions in mind that we put to all our contributors, what then emerges in this volume about the economy/memory nexus that stood at the heart of all the contributions assembled here? First, we will reflect on who were the carriers of memory narratives in the case studies discussed here. Which actors and institutions have we identified as key ones in the economy/memory nexus? And how do their memory narratives help the political management of economic transformations? How do they acquire political salience? Secondly, drawing on the chapters of this volume, we will examine when and how economic crises and transformations produce memory narratives. Which power relationships underpin economic memory narratives? How prominent was the construction of earlier crises as lessons from which to learn in the present, in order to forge a better future? Thirdly, and finally, we will offer some thoughts on which concepts of memory are usefully employed in the analysis of the economy/memory nexus. In the last part of the conclusions, we will then proceed to reflect on the implications of our findings for the future of studies seeking to explore the economy/memory nexus. Here we identify some of the potentially fruitful themes and areas in which more research is needed.