(Photos by Kendra Szabo - KJZZ)

The new World War II Memorial at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza just east of the State Capitol. The Memorial will be dedicated on Dec. 7, 2013.

Nations, communities, even individuals will mark major events or historical figures — or just someone they cared about — with a memorial of some kind. It can be a huge monument or statue or something a lot more subtle.

To understand more, we spoke with University of Arizona Associate Professor Susan Crane, who researches collective memory and historical consciousness, among other things.