This paper examines how the legacies of assassinated individuals are preserved in the collective consciousness of America.
creator
Micah
creator
Nelson
creator
Nelson, Micah
Title
The Social Appropriation of Legacy : A Symptom of Elite Control in American Society
Index Date
2013
Publisher
Grinnell College
Type of Resource
text
Genre
research paper
Digital Origin
born digital
Digital Extent
29 pages
Media Type
application/pdf
description
This paper examines how the legacies of assassinated individuals are preserved in the collective consciousness of America. While these legacies are deeply ingrained in national thought, they have been constructed in ways that are radically different from reality. They have been appropriated, as American society has simplified, changed, or ignored the actual beliefs and actions of these assassinated figures. Case studies of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy illustrate this. The metamorphosis of legacy described here does not occur out of ignorance and is not a product of collective action. Rather, it reflects elite control in America, as a small group of individuals influence the agents of socialization associated with instilling impressions of these figures (i.e. media and school system). The implications of the elite-controlled social appropriation of legacy are discussed in the context of the implementation of democratic governance.
Language
English
Topic
Elite (Social sciences)
Topic
Martyrs
Topic
Heroes
Topic
Assassination
Topic
Political aspects
Topic
Social aspects
Topic
Frederick Baumann Essay Prize (2013)
Geographic
United States
Related Item
Frederick Baumann Essay Prize
Related Item
Digital Grinnell
Related Item
Student Scholarship
Identifier (local)
grinnell:3202
Access Condition
Copyright to this work is held by the author(s), in accordance with United States copyright law (USC 17). Readers of this work have certain rights as defined by the law, including but not limited to fair use (17 USC 107 et seq.).