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Sarah Shad

Modern Day: Erasure of Yesterday

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Sarah Shad is a fourth-year student of Toronto Metropolitan University whose publication is the analysis of the way history is constructed, twisted, and, sometimes, purposely lost. Her capstone project, Modern Day: Erasure of Yesterday, explores the way the modern world interacts with the past, not as a document, but as something that is continuously restructured by the media, education, and the will of the people to do so. Her studies are on the effects of selective storytelling and omissions on collective memory which in turn shape the way people perceive identity, truth and belonging. The question of what histories are remembered and what are erased is used by Sarah to point out how these mechanisms are connected with larger systems of power and representation. In addition to her studies, Sarah is a Special Needs Resources support worker in Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and for Family Daycare Services. Her experience of working closely with children has added weight to her perception of how knowledge, at an early age, and lack of it can influence perception at an early age. In her work, she hopes to invite people to be more critical about the stories that we pass on and to be more aware of the way in which the past has a new influence on the present.

In the capstone project “Modern Day: Erasure of Yesterday,” the author considers the constructive nature of history as it is not merely documented, but constructed through selection, omission, and redefinition. This project focuses on the role of modern media, education systems, and popular discourse in the distortion or erasure of history, with the dominant viewpoints being promoted at the expense of the marginalized ones. With the help of a critical communicational prism, the study examines the role of these distortions, and, consequently, the impact on collective memory and, subsequently, identity, sense of belonging, and the perception of truth by the masses. The project sheds light on the ways of how the past is constantly being rewritten to suit the current interests by paying attention to the connection between history, media, and power. The results indicate that historical erasure or simplification is not a neutral process and does have actual implications in terms of how individuals and communities perceive themselves and others.

Finally, this project encourages the heightened criticality of engagement with historical narratives and proposes more inclusive, accurate, and accountable ways of telling stories in the media and in education.

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