"Che" Guevara and the Rise of the Pop Martyr.

Integrating objective and constructionist approaches to collective memory, this paper takes the first step in developing sociological approach to martyrdom through an examination of the case of Che Guevara. The construction and maintenance of individuals as martyrs is most often and most successfully done through the actions of powerful and resourceful states and institutions. The efforts of Cuba to control the facts of Guevara's life and the efforts of Bolivia to hide his body illustrate tactics institutions and states use in the attempt to control the reputation of martyrs. The lack of control Cuba holds over the use of the famous photo of Guevara shows that in the increasingly globalized market and media, this manipulation and control is increasingly difficult, introducing questions of what martyrdom means and how it operates in contemporary society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]