As a continuation to my first blog post, I thought it would be interesting to continue writing about archives from a different point of view. They are still the focus in our ASTU class, but I thought it would be interesting to bring in some things from sociology too.
As previously spoken about, archives are typically a way for archivist to track the past, but as we learned about different family dynamics in sociology, I thought it would be interesting to tie the two together. Dr. Rachel Sullivan used the example of how many generations ago, children were placed in nunnery’s to be raised if there was some sort of dysfunction within the household (abuse, poverty, etc.). Upon learning this fact, I saw this as a sort of Archival Silence because although the evidence of trouble in the family was not clearly listed, the absence of the children was a signal that something was off.
When looking at things from a point of view that allows you to look past the obvious, it is surprising what one could discover. Information that was usually meant to be secretive becomes exposed through the actions that your ancestors may have taken to keep it covered.
As to how someone could get access to this past information varies from family to family. Personally, I was able to recall many instances where I was able to discover archival silences just by calling my mother and asking her about her childhood. Others may have the luxury of having diaries that are in good condition, or even picture albums that could trace their ancestors past. A increasingly curious generation has even led to websites such as http://www.ancestry.ca, which allows people to sign up and find documents and pictures from their families past.
These silences are everywhere and it only takes a little bit of listening and searching to discover them
Hi Rawan, you made a very interesting connection between ASTU and SOCI in the topics we have been discussing which as you have tied them together is to look at archives within the family. To add on to the example you referred to about “dysfunction within the household”, I think specifically about child abuse in the family and how that kind of violence that occurs in the lives of children are usually “silenced” because of the unequal spread of power between parents and children. In such situation, it is then difficult for the children of abuse to reach out or voice of their suffering and when they do so , it tends to happen when they reach adulthood. The problem with having to keep quiet for so long can really affect an individual’s ability to socialize, and the extreme consequence is that those individuals can never get the opportunity to heal and thus create a cycle of violence/abuse in the relationship they develop.
Hi Emily, thank you for commenting. I completely agree, when silence is forced upon a child, it can only lead to negative outcomes if they do not learn how to express themselves when they grow up. I think as generations go on, we are learning to accept different family dynamics and teaching children that it is okay to have a voice and opinion about what is going on within their household. Speaking up and expressing yourself can only lead to a better future (given that it is safe for the child to do so).