Landscapes of memory: politics, history, and ethnography in wartime Afghanistan

Thesis

This dissertation examines the construction, interpretation, and mobilization of wartime memory through ethnographic research conducted in northeastern Afghanistan between 2018 and 2019, spanning the final years of the Islamic Republic and its dissolution in 2021. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, it addresses three interconnected questions: how individuals and communities engage with the past in relation to hegemonic narratives; how localized perspectives shape and contest dominant historical accounts; and how memories of war contribute to identity formation at local, regional, and national levels. As the first ethnographic account of socio-political memory under wartime conditions in Afghanistan, this study makes significant contributions to memory studies and anthropology. It documents critical memories emerging during state collapse and explores how communities negotiate memory-making in the midst of ongoing conflict. By systematically recording localized memories that challenge official narratives, it provides empirical insight into how communities preserve historical truths amid political transformation. Additionally, it develops a localized theoretical framework for interpreting global abstractions such as the War on Terror. Through analysis of commemorative practices, visual and material culture, and landscapes, with particular attention to women as central agents and bearers of historical memory, this dissertation demonstrates how past wars become embedded in both physical geographies and cultural practices. In this politicized context, commemoration emerges as a powerful domain of politics, illustrating how collective memory operates as an active force shaping contemporary political dynamics and social relations. This research ultimately demonstrates how ongoing wars produce enduring social effects, both material and immaterial, as evidenced in the everyday lives of communities navigating the uncertainties of protracted conflict.

Authors: Ebtikar, M

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-gakn2ezxz
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: commemorative practices; historical memory; Afghanistan; political memory; ethnography; material culture; collective memory; wartime memory
• Subjects: Middle Eastern Studies; Memory Studies; Political Science; History; Anthropology