One day before the Love & Loss symposium, we will release a prerecorded panel featuring ideas we LOVED too much to LOSE… stay tuned for the 13th February!
PRECONFERENCE LINE-UP
When we think about the functions that nostalgia for communism has in contemporary media, a set of these stares one in the face.
I argue that replaying communism might also serve as a strategy with which to show how to navigate the post-truth condition in which we live and bring back the truths lost to it.
In the opening section, I ground my thesis in Gabriele Cosentino’s definition of the post-truth condition and explain how it pertains to replaying communism. Then, I introduce Netflix’s 1983 series (which tells an alternative story of Poland as a country in which communism did not fall but lasts into the twenty-first century) and explain how the Polish variant of the extended communism depicted in the series might be treated as the post-truth condition.
Finally, I segue into pointing out the ways in which the protagonist of the series brings back the truths lost to this condition. In the conclusion section, I expand on the relationship between nostalgia for communism and the post-truth condition.
This paper examines the public discourse surrounding the West Bengal government’s decision to discontinue Kolkata’s (Calcutta) historic tram system, analyzing how nostalgia can function as a form of civic resistance against urban modernization.
Drawing on Svetlana Boym’s concepts of restorative and reflective nostalgia, the study investigates how citizens’ emotional attachment to the tram system transcends mere transportation preferences to embody deeper connections with colonial heritage, environmental consciousness, and urban identity. Through analysis of social media responses, local press coverage, and public protests, this research demonstrates how the tram has become a symbolic battleground between competing visions of urban progress.
The findings suggest that nostalgic sentiment around the tram’s discontinuation represents not simply romanticism but articulates nuanced critiques of state-endorsed urbanization and loss of cultural heritage. The theoretical framework helps us understand why the tram debate isn’t merely about transportation infrastructure but rather about competing ways of relating to the past and imagining the future of urban spaces. This case study contributes to broader theoretical discussions about the role of nostalgia in urban social movements and the politics of heritage preservation in postcolonial cities.
This essay examines the particular concept of digital nostalgia in Iranians, with technology and social media as significant catalysts to their expressions of sentimental feelings for the past, cultural symbols, and lost contacts of family and friends.
Thus, this research aimed a qualitative analysis of Instagram posts, hashtags, and user interactions is to look at the ways through which Iranians employ storytelling with a focus on the visuals to create nostalgia, thereby bridging the gap between their current lives and the memorable times of the past. In addition, the project underlines the trend of digital nostalgia to articulate a sense of belonging, cope with feelings of isolation, and resist.
As a result, this analysis is designed to bring to light the complex relationships between technology and the sentiment of yearning that exists in Iran, pinpointing social media as both a platform for personal expression and a factor of the preservation and promotion of cultural identity amidst social change. The path through which new generations perceive, relate to, and integrate their lives into a digital society is illuminated in this discourse and it further deepens the understanding of the times that they are living in.
This paper aims to present and discuss the case study of Viva, a leading pay-per-view TV channel in Brazil, entirely dedicated to reruns of classic Brazilian soap operas and other archived productions owned by Globo Corp.
Considering how Viva Channel leverages nostalgia and its importance as a market strategy, we aim to understand the five niches proposed on a promo video, the slogan change in 2018 to ‘Endless Fandom, Endless Emotion,’ and the role of fans in this culture of nostalgia. We also analyse 149 comments posted on Viva Channel’s official Instagram profile, remembering that Viva holds a total of 14 million followers if added X, Facebook and YouTube.
It seemed to us that the nostalgic appeal has been fully embraced by Viva Channel when the company decided to adopt the new slogan and to carry out this on-air media refresh in 2023, synthesised on this promo video. We should keep in mind that reruns already had their loyal audience on regular broadcast programming schedule, in a country where soap operas play a core role.
Contact Information
Derek Pasborg, Event Communications
Richy Srirachanikorn, Network Organization
THENOSTAGAINNETWORK
Released February 10th, 2025
Last updated: February 13th, 2025