Iraqi Identity between Collective Memory and Cultural Reconstruction

Abstract

Iraqi national identity is among the most fragmented in the Arab world, having been profoundly shaped by the political and social transformations the country has experienced over the past decades, particularly following 2003. This study aims to analyze the relationship between collective memory—as a repository of historical experience—and processes of cultural reconstruction that seek to restore the social fabric and reinforce an inclusive national identity. The study adopts a sociological and cultural approach to examine the reciprocal influence between memory and identity, with particular attention to artistic practices, popular rituals, and contemporary institutional initiatives. It concludes that Iraqi collective memory, despite its deep wounds, retains the capacity to transform into a mechanism for cohesion and for the rearticulation of a shared national meaning, provided that it is managed through an integrated framework of cultural awareness and legal governance.