"You Are Your History": Family Memory and Identity on Genealogy Platforms

• Duration: 2023 – 2026
• Project lead: Dr. Rieke Böhling

Funded by: Central Research Funding (ZF) of the University of Bremen

Genealogy platforms such as Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com offer users the opportunity to research family histories at home on computers and smartphones. These platforms are changing the way family history is researched. The platforms offer

a) large amounts of digitized historical documents,
b) DNA tests and an assessment of users’ ancestry, and
c) a forum for connection and collaboration between users.

This project analyzes how genealogy platforms shape and change media practices related to memory. It combines a mapping of platforms and an analysis of affordances with research into the lived experiences of users. It considers issues of privacy and digital traces in relation to potentially sensitive information (such as DNA test results) and the platforms’ use of this information, as well as users’ perceptions and reflections on these issues. It also examines the function of algorithms and artificial intelligence in the interpretation of historical information.

Finally, the project offers insights into how these types of platforms shape constructions of individual identity and ‘doing family’ (see also Lohmeier & Böhling, 2017), particularly with regard to categories such as nationality and ethnicity. The project contributes to insights into the impact of media platforms, technology and artificial intelligence on everyday life and media practices related to (family) memory.

Literature

Lohmeier, Christine and Rieke Böhling. 2017. “Communicating Family Memory: Remembering in a Changing Media Environment.” Communications 42 (3): 277-92