ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the use of the concept "communism" in life stories told by current or former members of two Finnish organizations: the Communist Party of Finland and the Communist Youth League; as well as current or former members of two French parties, the Revolutionary Communist League, that was reorganized in 2009 as the New Anti-capitalist Party and the Communist Union. The source material consists of oral and written interviews with 14 activists. Studying communism as a living political identity not only takes seriously the multiple and conflicting uses of the term, but sheds light on the formation of political identities. The communist identity provides a framework that an activist can utilize to maintain a sense of relevance. The ideological motivations to keep or to discard communism, the uses of history for that purpose, and the experiences and memories of party activists of different generations, still share some common traits.
