Psychology and history: About building genealogical trees or how to retake family memories in network societies

Abstract

In this text, some theoretical thoughts are developed regarding to the making of genealogy trees, aiming to understand the importance of this representational object. It is assumed that the making of family trees can be a mode of narrative that carries out social representations. Through them people re-elaborate themselves as symbolic subjects and they can reinvent the sense of living in community/ies. The discussion is based on the Theory of Social Representation of Serge Moscovici and on the concept of Network Society of Manuel Castells. It was observed the knowledge of common sense may be expanded into psychology in a fructiferous way whereas articulate genealogy trees within genogram. Furthermore, it was concluded that the making of genealogical trees are not necessarily an individualistic act and a reinforcement of social relations of domination, but a way to resist to the instituting and an effort of construction/reinforcement of community embraces.