Preface – telling a story of silence(s) in three parts

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingForeword/postscript

Abstract

According to the dictionary, silence equals the complete absence of sound; avoiding discussing something; the state of standing still and not speaking as a sign of respect for someone and to prohibit or prevent from speaking. These known meanings of silence mostly refer to a passive state of understanding. If one looks at history, however, other understanding(s) of silence will emerge. Oppressing political regimes across history and cultures to erase and delete ideas, identities, and dissonant narratives has employed silence. Poets, writers, filmmakers, and artists have shown us that silence can be employed as a poetic protest, as a functional tool, and as a powerful instrument of resistance. In this introductory text, which will operate as a prologue to the book, I will present the three parts that compose it. This three-act structure divides the story into three parts (acts), entitled “(Embodied) Silence and Memory”, “(Imposed) Silence and Identity” and “(Acts) of Silence and Resistance”. In the introduction, the main character – silence – will be exposed, and its relationship with the concepts of memory, identity, and resistance, and the (cultural, social, and disciplinary) world(s) these notions operate, connect, and live in.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCultures of silence
Subtitle of host publicationthe power of untold narratives
EditorsLuísa Santos
Place of PublicationOxon
PublisherRoutledge
Pages1-6
Number of pages6
Volume1
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)9781003206712
ISBN (Print)9781032071701
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Dec 2022

Publication series

NameRoutledge Studies in Material Culture and Politics
PublisherRoutledge
Number1
Volume1

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