Experience of “Shared memories” applied to “Spain Today. Spanish history, politics and economy (1939-2024)”.
For this course I had two allies with whom I signed collaboration agreements: Paco Gómez Nadal, general coordinator of the Universidad Permannete, UNATE, and María Bella, Councilor of Culture, Welfare, Equality and Women in the City Council of Corcubión 2023-25)
General context of the course
Someone once asked me, “Why complicate your life by organizing a transatlantic dialogue project?” The response was not long in coming; as the historian Howard Zinn said Howard Zinnsaid, “because when you are not told, you are told”.
Applying the methodology of “Shared Memories” to this history course responds to an academic need to do epistemic justice by opening the concept of official history to the oral testimony of those who lived history.
In the Spanish case, the Francoist way of making history has consisted fundamentally in prolonging the erasures and silences in order not to do justice, as well as in fabricating ignorance by eliminating and censoring everything that could interrupt the authority of the official story. The History of Spain is made of legalized and agreed absences; its expression results in a monolithic discourse that continues today because in the famous Transition neither the historical revision was demanded nor the courts of justice, truth and reparation were raised. Impunity has been the key to the success of Franco’s regime and the Transition and that is why in the course there has been an important emphasis on the importance of rigorously analyzing not only documents, testimonies and legacies; also incorporated was the work of citizen associations such as ARMH or Unha Gran Burla Negra that have been working in this direction, as well as cultural materials born in the heat of the recounting of this History.
Sometimes the best antidote against forgetfulness and ignorance is to juxtapose the archive of dissident memory to that of official documentation; in this sense, it seemed essential to me to open a space for those who suffered those stages of history in the flesh to tell us how they read the documents produced by officialdom. The inclusion in the course of these testimonies also meant accepting the challenge posed by the expression of experiences in disagreement, the enunciation of moralizing or condemnatory readings, the eventuality of unforeseen events, the disagreement of opposing ideological positions, or the decentralization and loss of control in the classroom.
With the historical revisionist process, I sought not only to clean up the historical narrative but also to create a time for each participant to learn to interpret and identify the ideological and moral positions from which each one expressed themselves and their opinions about the events studied.
Together with a rigorous critical re-reading of the official narrative, the methodology employed allowed for a respectful encounter of people who do not share the same historical vision. In the framework of a present crossed by cultural wars, identity politics and cancellations, polarizations and states of latent forgetfulness, the classroom is more than ever a territory of conflict and our task as educators is not to avoid it but to face it with appropriate methodologies.
I must say that, not without some difficulties, throughout these meetings we achieved a respectful dialogue and a space of intimacy where we could articulate a critical reason, rich in nuances, and where oral testimony, questions and personal memory shared their protagonism with the official documentation. On the other hand, the meeting of people from different generations and cultures created the necessary links to build a space of trust. And in this process made of time and trusting words, the transforming effect of the course emerged as all the participants became responsible witnesses of the legacy of a living history.
Through this series of zoom encounters, participants learned to value their role and function within a continuous debate while understanding the weight that forgetfulness, erasure or censorship have in the social and political articulation of the present. Suddenly, this group of people recognized themselves as part of a human geography and the vital legacy became a legacy and also a seed for tomorrow.
Some seeds sown in the process.
I am convinced that every public intervention, every class is an act of sowing. One never knows where the seed will fall or if it will indeed bear fruit. I have always believed that those who sow and those who teach, in reality share the same work based on faith in the potential effect of a seed pregnant with possibilities. The ideation of this project led me to imagine a whole series of fruits; some are perhaps on their way to being, others materialized before my eyes. Here are some of them:
Development of a critical historical consciousness
One of the objectives of this course had to do with showing a group of people not only the importance of knowing History, but also of recognizing the weight that this same knowledge has in the configuration and understanding of the collective biography and our own. Listening and research also invited us to take charge of some disturbing historical truths .
Teaching others to critically analyze the construction of the historical narrative led directly to dismantling exercises through which those ghosts, myths, unfinished duels or official lies came to light. Using the Spanish case as an example, we learned to pay attention to all that happens when the official narrative is juxtaposed to the oral account of personal experiences. This process was key not only to clarify what recent Spanish history does not tell, but also to analyze why it does not and the consequences that such a fair recounting would have on today, in the here and now.
The group of co-educators was invited to read and view the materials selected for the course, while the group of students had the weekly task of preparing a script of questions to address each conversation.
The total number of meetings allowed for a better understanding of the history of a country that still has the pending task of doing justice, making reparations to its victims and enunciating the truth. Both sides discovered the blind spots of history and, I must add, both sides discovered each other in moments of surprise, uneasiness, anger, disagreement and in a common desire to do justice in the name of dignity.
Dismantling history by re-politicizing and humanizing it.
All the participants had a reading and preparation time that allowed a deep reflection on each assigned topic. I matched each of the themes with the biographical stages of the co-educators of Unate and Corcubion. In this way, the recounting of official documents was carried out in parallel to the collection of biographical, local and national memories. The aim was not to sentimentalize history but to analyze in detail the structural causes of the gaps, erasures and cancellations, taking into account its depoliticization and the burden of its moralization and ideologization. It was also important to clarify that, on occasions, the variety of memories of the same event did not in any way mean that we were adopting a position of equidistance with respect to what happened. The crimes are uncovered by the documentation of those other testimonies that never saw the light of day and that today are more present than ever thanks to the work of Associations such as the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory (an active part of this process-project at different times during the course).
It was beautiful to read that for some of the co-educators these conversations were the first time they had spoken out loud about their experiences. Some people wrote that thanks to these sharing exercises with students they were later able to talk to their own families about what they had experienced and what they had gone through. They realized how important it was to make history in their own home or community. Finally, this space for co-education resulted in cathartic moments where emotions that had been bottled up for a long time were expressed for the first time. The conversation was then a place of personal emotional work.
Discovering the importance of “situated” knowledge
Another of the objectives of this process-project had to do with thinking about the diversity of knowledge that participates in the configuration of any critical knowledge of the past. At a time when historical knowledge seems to have no importance-as my students remind me, today everything is Googleable-, “Shared Memories” wanted to emphasize the importance of knowing in depth the makings of History. Memory, testimony and documentation were placed on the same level as sources of historical revisionist work.
I also know that these conversations had an effect on the communities inhabited by the co-educators. Several people wrote in their evaluations that this biographical account had allowed them to clarify many of the events they had lived through and to understand what they really went through. If the democratic health of a country can be measured by the historical knowledge treasured by its citizens, I understand that this type of process can only help to strengthen its development.
The value of life experience
Another of the project’s objectives had to do with underlining the importance of life experience as a source of knowledge necessary to face life in its different biographical stages. In our framework of intergenerational conversations, this type of knowledge accumulated in a very natural way. In fact, there were many occasions in which the conversation became a scenario where doubts and questions about a variety of situations were solved with advice from older people. On many occasions, the co-educators went from being witnesses to history to counselors and mentors.
After reading the comments of the younger people, I am convinced that the intergenerational meeting also served as an antidote to the current systemic ageism. The group of students reflected in several of their comments on the idea that retirement cannot be synonymous with invalidating the wisdom that a person treasures. For many of these young people, meeting retirees was the first time they became aware of the importance of listening to older people talk about their life experience. They also learned to think about the challenges of growing old in a system that pushes out anything that is not productive in capitalist terms.
Thinking about the advantages of learning with someone who has come the longest way, I came up with the design of a mentoring program that could easily be adapted to the public education system to improve it.
Rethinking the art of conversation
Finally, with this project-process I intended to value the art of conversation as a place for the democratic practice of exchanging positions and points of view that are often not aligned with one’s own. It seemed important to me to dedicate time to think about the questions that were asked, paying special attention to the weight of fixed categories and stigmas that limit expression and hospitable listening.
I confirmed that the respectful verbalization of differences provided fertile ground for the practical exercise of democratic exchange. It has been very gratifying to observe how the people involved gave themselves the opportunity to participate in challenging and uncomfortable conversations. Thinking about their comments, I believe that these encounters helped each one of them to discover the ideological matrices that structure their own way of thinking, their tacit knowledge of reality or their own vision of history.
In the weekly evaluations, the group of participants agreed on how important it had been to participate in these conversations for both their intellectual growth and their personal development. Through this series of exchanges, participants not only gained a range of historical knowledge, they also learned to value intergenerational connections and to converse with those they thought would never have sat at the table.
In the words of participants or younger people
Below, I have transcribed some of the comments from my students’ group. I asked their permission to make them public. These comments were written anonymously and after the end of the course. We read them with the co-educators as a group in the meeting I had in Santander and Corcubión in July 2024. In this meeting we made a joint evaluation of the process and celebrated the achievements with the delivery of a certificate of co-education.
Palmar’s questions on the final course evaluation
How did you like the tool of conversations as part of a History course?
“At first I was quite skeptical, as I thought my Spanish was too poor to hold a conversation for an hour, but in the end it has been the best thing about the class.”
“I think it’s very interesting to hear about the personal aspect of history; instead of just learning dates and facts; we’ve been able to learn how the events studied actually affected people and changed lives. It helps me remember the topics a lot more after I’ve heard how they are part of people’s lives.”
“It’s really great because not all history is covered in history books and I’ve learned a lot of things about people that weren’t even covered in class. It really makes history more humanizing.”
“I think this activity is a very valuable way to connect with people who lived through history.”
“I think the interviews with the Spanish co-educators are a fantastic and unique way to learn about major events in Spanish history.”
“I believe that having conversations is one of the best ways to learn about a person or their environment. I have been able to better understand the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of a person who has lived through the traumas of the last 60 years in Spain. Talking to and asking questions of people who have had firsthand experience of conditions in Spain is like doing your own research.”
“I love it! I feel much more focused on the material by having access to conversations with people who have lived through the events we are discussing.”
“I think it’s really great to hear personal experiences that relate to the history we are learning about in class. It humanizes the ideas and events we are discussing in class by hearing it from a person who experienced it firsthand. It also adds different perspectives to the same story, which I think is an important aspect of understanding a country’s history.”
“This part of the history course has been eye-opening. It is like the sprinkles on top of the cake for each week of class. It ties together perfectly what we study and learn through the course materials by adding a personal and concrete element to the topics we touch on.”
“I think first-hand personal accounts make an event or idea easier to understand and empathize with. Through the help of this activity, the course feels less detached and I think I can understand the material better.”
“I think the conversations help illustrate the experiences of people who have lived through the history we are learning about. Conversations help us understand the true reality of the time, as well as the impacts of certain events on later historical developments. Therefore, they help us understand history in a much more literal and impactful sense than could be achieved by learning through curricular materials alone, and I believe they are a unique and valuable experience that should continue to be implemented and potentially introduced in other situations/classes when appropriate.”
Have you learned anything about older people during these exchanges?
“I’ve learned a lot from every conversation about growing up under Franco, how the Country made the Transition to democracy and how Spain works today.”
“Yes, I learned a lot about what it was really like to live under political repression.”
“They have a lot of wisdom and have a lot to say about their lived experiences. They’re also very open to questions, and they’re also curious to learn about young people like me.”
“Yes, their views have helped me to reconstruct the thinking of Spaniards during the conflicts we have talked about. They are very wise people.”
“Yes, a lot. Things I’ve taken away… they tend to prioritize their family and it’s their greatest source of happiness; The learning never really goes away; Everyone finds a way to cope with their trauma, and the ways of coping may differ. It’s very important to learn from these people.”
“I’ve learned that older people are open to talking about things from the past that may be harder to talk about. Also that they want to get to know me.”
“They remind me to talk to my grandparents, to know my history.”
“I think often the ideas of older people can be ignored because they are considered outdated or outmoded. However, some lessons are universal and many of those shared by the co-educators were very applicable to today, despite time, distance and cultural difference.”
“From the conversations we have had so far, I have learned that most older people want to share their stories (this is probably especially true for our co-educators, and that they are passionate about communicating their knowledge and experiences to a younger generation to help them understand what they have experienced. Also, for our co-educators specifically, they have all been very kind and understanding of the fact that we, as students, are not native speakers, and they are also passionate about helping us learn and improve our Spanish skills. It’s been a lot of fun talking to all of them and getting to know the history.”
Has talking to these people made you think about your own story?
“Definitely. From the second conversation, I began to reflect on my own personal and family narrative. Hawaii and Spain are very different countries, but trying to find similarities has led me to discover intersectionality in many identity conflicts.”
“Yes, I’ve had to think about how valuable people’s knowledge is.”
“It has made me think about how I will tell my children and, hopefully, my grandchildren about the history I lived through, especially the pandemic.”
“Sort of, maybe less about my history and more about my mentality and views on life…”
“I’ve thought a lot about how there are many different perspectives in a population about the same event or thing. It’s made me think about how my perspective might be different than someone else who experienced the same event.”
“Yes, this has made me think about my family’s history and their experiences growing up in diverse environments.”
“I think it makes me think about how I will tell the story within the United States to the people I meet throughout my life, especially when I’m traveling.”
“For the most part, it has helped me appreciate a story I had never heard anything about, and probably wouldn’t have had without this class or this co-educator experience.”
“Yes, talking to these people has made me think about my own history and the personal choices I’ve made, as well as my family history, especially in terms of the broader historical situations my family members lived through and how they shaped the experiences of the generations that followed.”
Has your perception of the older people around you changed?
“I would say I’m really looking forward now to asking my relatives about their past life because I know I don’t know much about their past.”
“Yes, in fact, one of the co-educators I spoke with encouraged me to spend more time with my grandparents. I’ve gotten closer than I have in the past, which has been very special.”
“I’m going to talk more with my grandparents, especially my grandfather who was in the Vietnam War. I want to hear about his experiences in the Air Force.”
“This class prompted me to ask my grandfather specifically about the Peruvian government. He gladly shared his personal experience. There was a military dictatorship in Peru between 1968 and 1980, and he remembers widespread protest by universities, workers, businesses and citizens when he was a senior in high school. He went to the United States in 1969 to go to college and, at that time, the government had implemented certain laws prohibiting the sending of dollars abroad without military consent. Because of this, he applied for a work permit from U.S. immigration so that he could continue his studies, which was granted. I didn’t know these details about the politics in Peru when he was about my age, so learning this makes me look at it differently.”
“I am going to pay more attention to stories related to historical events when I talk to older people around me. It’s very important to listen to them, we can learn a lot.”
“I plan to talk to my grandmother about her experience of living under a dictatorship. I have never dared to ask her. I now see older people as very wise and have a lot to share and I hope to have more conversations like the ones we have had throughout this course.”
“These conversations have inspired me to ask certain questions about their childhood to older people around me that I have never dared to ask. I want to learn from them because I know they have a lot of knowledge that I am missing.”
“I have not communicated directly with my grandparents since participating in this class, but I see them differently and plan to tell them about the experiences I have had in this class, as well as potentially ask them about their own past.”
Have you learned anything about yourself?
“I have learned that my Spanish has its strengths (writing, understanding) and weaknesses (vocabulary, pronunciation). Historically speaking, I have learned that the times I am living in will someday be the history that the next generation learns, I must pay attention to the facts and analyze them.”
“I have learned that I really like talking to people about their perspectives on history. I like to hear other people’s perspectives on a topic.”
“I learned to be more confident in my conversational skills. I now understand how important it is to converse.”
“Even though I’m young, I too have lived through historical moments that we will talk about in future generations. I’ve thought a lot about what it means to live through a moment in history and how you talk about it.”
“I’ve learned that I like to genuinely talk to people. I feel like so much of human conversation consists of small talk, and these interviews provide a platform that skips the general questions and dives into difficult, personal questions, comfortably.”
“I have learned that I am able to discuss difficult topics and communicate with a person who is ideologically different from me.”
“I’ve learned that I love to converse in depth about a topic! Thank you.”
“Sometimes talking to people I don’t know is a nerve-wracking experience for me, especially in a second language. I think I’ve learned that I’m capable of doing things that make me nervous, and that usually the experience will be very beneficial.”
“I have learned that I really enjoy learning about History by listening to people’s personal stories, and that I have a strong interest in improving my Spanish and broadening my cross-cultural understanding. I’ve also learned that it’s important to connect with people who have very different stories from your own.”
Do you think this activity has helped you expand your learning about Spain’s historical past?
“Totally, I think thinking about history through the documents and through the lens of the people who lived it has been super beneficial in critically understanding how history is made.”
“Absolutely. I learned so many things about Spain that I never knew were happening even though I studied for a term in Spain.”
“Yes, definitely. I think it’s very important to talk across generations and countries because I think we’ve all learned from each other. I also love how the co-educators ask me questions, I really appreciate the genuine curiosity about my life, my hobbies, my classes, etc.”
“Yes, I had no knowledge about the Spanish dictatorship before this class and now I feel more informed about the subject. I understand now that you have to think critically about any historical past.”
“Absolutely yes, when I study a topic or event I now also have anecdotes from various people who experienced the event or topic first hand. It’s important to add testimonials to complete the picture.”
“This activity has definitely helped me broaden my historical and critical learning, I think this is a crucial part of the course.”
“I think this is a great opportunity to learn History in a totally different way than other history classes. The co-educators are great teachers.”
“I think this experience was very helpful to the course. It added a depth to the historical learning that would have been missing without the conversations.”
“Yes, I think this activity has helped me broaden my historical learning, as it has helped me contextualize and understand the actual lived experiences of people during and after the historical events we are learning about, and in doing so deepened my understanding, making it more realistic and also more memorable.”
Do you want to say something to the co-educators?
“Thank you for taking the time every Friday. I have been touched by the generosity.”
“Thank you for making the material so relevant.”
“Thank you, this class would not be the same without these conversations. So much of what I have learned is from these people.”
“Thank you for bringing in the human connection aspect.”
“Thank you very much. I find these conversations very informative, from the analysis of the words they say and how they say them; having conversations also adds an element of human reality. You have been very generous.”
“Thank you for adding personal details, anecdotes and depth to historical events that help me better understand the weather and climate of the country. Without you the class would not have been the same.”
“Thank you so much because I think a lot of my learning was done through the work we do in these conversations.”
“Thank you for the time and dedication. I don’t think I would learn the same way without these conversations. As we talk in class, often history classes focus a lot on dates and facts. These conversations add a personal dimension that give deep meaning to what we learn.”
“Thank you for being so generous. I don’t think I would learn in the same way without these conversations, because not only do they serve to contextualize the history we are learning and make it more memorable, but participating in these conversations also pushes me to really try to understand people’s stories. It’s important to hear the testimonies.”
“You are all the best.”
“We really appreciate it and value your perspectives! Thank you for being open and vulnerable in talking with us about these things.”
“They are wonderful and I loved the project!”
“Thank you for helping to educate us. I will be eternally grateful.”
“I’ve really enjoyed myself and have taken something away from each and every conversation.”
“Thank you for being open to these conversations and for educating us.”
“How lovely to talk to them and learn from them! I really appreciate that they are willing to share what they do with us!”
“Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us and being kind to us as we engage in these conversations as non-native speakers and as students with other responsibilities that can sometimes affect our conversations!
