There is no consensus about how to conceptualize the notion of collective memory. The present contribution discusses the two main approaches: one sociological, the other psychological. It also considers whether collective memory might be merely a metaphor, rather than have distinctive ontological status. In addition to conceptual issues, the present contribution reviews work on the issue of “collective memory of what?” Other issues concerning the conceptualization of memory are also discussed, including methodological concerns and the relation between memory and history. A social interactionist approach is advanced.