Memoria Colectiva del Golpe de Estado de 1973 en Chile

In this paper, results of a qualitative research about collective memory of the facts, causes, and consequences concerning September 11 th 1973 in Chile, are presented. Starting from 44 half-structured interviews, both, a qualitative content analysis, and a linguistic analysis were made. The results show a distinction between the content of collective memory depending on the political position of the interviewees, and on the object of memory, that is, if it refers to the facts, the causes, or the consequences concerning September 11 th . While in connection with the facts the shared contents prevail, varying almost exclusively the valuations of these, in the causes differences appear among participants of different political positions. These differences are accentuated in the thematic of the consequences. On the other hand, the linguistic analysis shows mainly four types of speeches that are distinguished in relation to type of contents of memory, and to the degree of certainty that the interviewees manifest in relation to the contents. The political position distinguishes contents as long as it bears a different valuation of the events of September 11 th in people of the right, and of center and left. On the other hand, participants with more political implication, so much of the right as of the left, share the certainty about what they recall, while those of smaller political implication possess more uncertainty.