Memory, Hope and Aspiration

“Memory, Hope and Aspiration”, explores the themes of memory, hope and aspirations in the context of terror events. The chapter explores the social science conceptions of memory, hope and aspirations while moving beyond them to investigate the possible emergence of hopelessness, counter-memory and counter -aspirations. In the case of memory, the chapter highlights three specific forms of memory: official memory, counter-memory and public memory. In doing so, it highlights the need to contextualize these forms of memory and their linkages within the lives of terror survivors. The chapter engages with hope and hopelessness and their emergence to identify the influence they have on the lives of terror survivors. Next, the chapter engages with the aspirations of the survivors, where it highlights the need to understand the influence of a dynamic context on survivor aspirations and counter -aspirations. Through this engagement, the chapter presents these concepts as crucial to understanding the differential recovery trajectories of terror survivors. The chapter highlights lived and felt experiences and the trajectories of these experiences as the key to understanding the concepts identified within the chapter. Subsequently, the chapter details the approach and methodology. The study uses the pragmatic worldview to allow the adoption of research methods, strategies and data sources which can be used to ascertain practical solutions for the marginalization of survivors. The study made use of a mixed methods approach to capture the realities of terror survivors. From reverse Google image searches for images associated with the event and its aftermath to discourse analysis to survivor narratives, the chapter highlights the range of methods, tools and data used to capture the events and narratives surrounding the lives of survivors. The chapter identifies the Life Course Research design, which aligns with the ontological and epistemological locations of the study and evolves with the phenomenon under study, as the closest approximation that encapsulates all the design considerations that guided the exploration. This design allows for an in-depth engagement with the lived and felt experiences of the survivors over a prolonged period of time.