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2018, The 20th century through historiographies and textbooks
Ever since Cicero’s quote on history being “life’s teacher”, we keep asking ourselves rhetorically whether we learn anything from history. At the same time, we take great pleasure in repeating ad nauseam how history keeps repeating itself. The two stipulations are in themselves contradictory, for if we had learned anything from history, we surely would not keep repeating all of our historical mistakes.
2011, The Social Studies
EJ949423 - Remembering George Washington: What Do Instructional Materials Teach Us about Washington.
In this chapter we discuss how people in present societies construct historical narratives. This topic, related to the field of the teaching and learning of history, extends to the debates in the last decade about the “history wars” maintained in numerous societies. All these cases share a process of consumption and production of historical narratives. To this respect, school history master narratives are analyzed in terms of six common features. On the other hand, a theoretical distinction between Romantic and Enlightened functions of teaching of history is presented. From this point of view, significant educational developments and research in this field are analyzed, showing the limitations and possibilities of both functions. Finally, the relevance of socio-cultural theories for the field of learning and teaching history is also presented, along with future developments in this area of study. Keywords: teaching/learning, history, narrative, Romantic model, enlightenment model
2011, Nations and Nationalism
American history textbooks for the USA's public schools act as quasi-official loci for the renegotiation of national identity and are, as such, subject to much controversy. The choice of heroes and the way in which textbooks depict them display the interplay between competing visions of popular ethno-history and scholarly historiography. This article examines contemporary renegotiation of the national narrative through an analysis of the evolving representation of the USA's two most prominent traditional national heroes – George Washington and Abraham Lincoln – in history textbooks for elementary-school students published from the early 1980s to 2003. This period marks the development of the multiculturalist movement and its subsequent conservative backlash, with debates intensifying in the wake of the events of 11 September 2001.
2009, HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE …
This chapter, published in "Self-Censorship in Contexts of Conflict", focuses on the mechanism of intentionally omitting any teachings—content, ideas, and perspectives—that are seen as contradictory to the national narrative. Specifically, we examine the process by which teachers opt to self-censor factual truths that contradict the themes of these narratives, particularly in societies involved in intractable conflict. The chapter presents self-censorship as an important concept for consideration in the study of education in societies undergoing conflict. The intentional and voluntary decision of individuals throughout the educational process to avoid teaching content that contradicts or questions national narratives promotes the maintenance of these narratives among generations of students. Thus, instead of offering opportunities for critical thinking and perspective taking that may lead to conflict resolution and reconciliation, education actually reinforces the ethos of conflict and contributes to its perpetuation.
This brief paper will critically examine the contentions of Japanese nationalist intellectuals whose stated goal is to restore the Japanese people’s pride in their nation through the rehabilitation of patriotism at home, consolidation of a state-centric view of Japan, and pursuit of a more assertive foreign policy. In particular, what roles do China and Korea play in the nationalists’ arguments? The paper demonstrates that the nationalists engage in a selective use of ideas, events, and institutions of historical significance and that they reconstruct a past Japan in their ideal image and use that image to frame their discourse on the major political and foreign policy challenges facing Japan today. It concludes that the more critical the Chinese and Korean criticisms of Japan are, the more determined the nationalists will be in their rejection of those criticisms and appeals to the general public.
Kritika 10:4 (2009): 825-833
1998, Critical Asian Studies
... by Laura Hein and Mark Selden" Why Fight Over Textbooks? Textbooks provide one ofthe most important ways in which nation, citizenship, the idealized past, and the promised future are articulated and disseminated in contemporary societies. ...
2009, … to Special Issue: …
This chapter examines the nexus between globalisation, and education reforms in history education around the world. Recent research on globalisation and education policy has indicated that forces of globalisation and dominant ideologies have affected the nature and the content of historical narratives and the social and political value of school textbooks Zajda, 2014a). The term 'globalisation' is a complex modern construct and a convenient euphemism concealing contested meanings and dominant ideologies, ranging from Wallerstein's (1979, 1998) ambitious 'world-systems' model, Giddens' (1990, 2000) notion of 'time-space distantiation', highlighting the 'disembeddedness' of social relations and their effective removal from the immediacies of local contexts, to a view of globalisation as a neo-liberal and bourgeois hegemony, which legitimates an 'exploitative system' (McLaren & Farahmandpur, 2005; Ritzer, 2005; Zajda, 2013). I would like ...
2009, Educational Philosophy and Theory
2007, Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education
2018, Vpogledi
Chapters from Japan, East Asia, Slovenia and Southeast Europe
2011, Journal of Thought
1997, NOTE OF THANKS
This study examines how social studies textbooks present group identities (ethnic and Ethiopian identity) and students’ views on the contribution of textbooks in shaping their identity. Data were collected using document analysis and interview. Interview was conducted with purposefully selected ethnically diverse university students at Bahir Dar University. The contents of history and civic and ethical education textbooks were analyzed page by page. Students’ interview results showed that textbooks reinforced a strong sense of ethnic identity. Students also acknowledged the contribution of civic and ethical education in respecting other ethnic groups and accommodating differences. Its contribution in inculcating Ethiopian identity was not distinctly mentioned by the students. History was presented mainly in the form of narration of facts in a monolithic manner, by excluding controversies in Ethiopian history, which students stated to have limited the lessons to be learnt from it. Ethiopian identity was presented in the form of flag, anthem, respecting diversity, tolerance, commitment to serve the country, and loving the nations and nationalities. Students emphasized recent leaders and renowned people as their heroes and heroines. Implications for policy makers and the development of a sustainable Ethiopian multination state are drawn.
2008, Journal of Curriculum Studies
2012
This dissertation used a mixed method to develop an analytical model from a random selection of one of eight secondary history textbooks for instances of Indians to determine if the textual content: 1) constructs negative or inaccurate knowledge through word choice or narratives; 2) reinforces stereotype portraits; 3) omits similar minority milestones in United States history and politics; and 4) contained the enactments of political milestones in the development of US history and politics with regard to personhood and sovereignty of the American Indian. The methods used to evaluate secondary history textbooks are content manifest and critical discourse analysis and a modification of Pratt’s ECO analysis which measures judgment values of descriptive terms. Data mining includes word choice, events, contributions, and governmental relations as these refer to the American Indian. Unexpected outcomes from this research resulted in a spider graph of four relational power axes to visually display diametrically opposed ideological discursive formations. Textbooks introduce students to authoritative content within the public school environment to impart national historical experiences that will shape their national identity, ideology and culture. Negative or inaccurate instances of the United States relationships with 566 American Indian Nations can affect social and political issues of Indian People today. This work will contribute to the field of American Indian Studies, Curriculum and Instruction, Cultural Studies, Critical Discourse, Critical Pedagogy, Indigenous Theory and Pedagogy, Popular Culture, Social Justice, Language Studies, Identity, Ethics, American Indian and Public Education.
2009, Nations and Nationalism
ABSTRACT. This article identifies several theoretical approaches to the role of culture in the construction of national identity. Embedded in the presently emerging approach, which emphasises the relations between popular culture/consumerism and national identity, this study focuses on a specific consumer good manufactured in Israel in the early 2000s, the height of the second Palestinian Intifada (uprising): small sugar packets bearing portraits of the patriarchs of Zionism. The analysis of this product, employing semiotic analysis, interviews and focus groups, locates it in the five ‘moments’ of du Gay's ‘circuit of culture’ (i.e. identity, representation, production, consumption and regulation). Three main general arguments were stated, empirically examined and largely sustained: (1) Consumer goods are used not only for constructing national identity but also as a means for ‘healing’ it; (2) in their ‘healing’ capacity, representations of nationalism on consumer goods do not add new elements to representations offered by the ‘high’ official version of nationalism but replicate them in a simplified way; (3) while trivialising the insights and concepts that originated in ‘high’ culture, consumer goods expose the prejudices, stereotypes and rules of inclusion and exclusion that in ‘high’ culture are often hidden in a sophisticated manner.
2008, Paedagogica Historica
Peace education is considered a necessary element in establishing the social conditions required for promoting peace-making between rival parties. As such, it constitutes one of Israel’s state education goals, and would therefore be expected to have a significant place in Israel’s educational policy in general and in response to peace moves that have occurred during the Arab–Israeli conflict since the 1970s in particular. This article reviews the educational policy actually applied by Israel’s state education over the years as reflected in formal educational programs and school textbooks, and suggests that although some significant changes have taken place over time, there has been and still is a significant gap between the stated goal and the practice of peace education in Israel. Reasons for this disparity and its implications are discussed and possible directions are proposed for coping with this educational challenge.
2015
In this dissertation, I examine how the Latvian national narrative was crafted and altered after the end of the Soviet regime. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union Latvian political memory has been dominated by a singular hegemonic narrative of the past, one which employed binary categories and was characterized by certain ethnocentric and self-defensive traits. In this dissertation I outline the national narrative, examine social conditions of its permanence, and observes social processes that challenge its dominance. In three case studies I show how such challenges appear as " cracks " in the Latvian national story that stem from historical inconsistencies – past episodes, actors or periods that do not readily fit the dominant plotline and have contrasting representations in cultural and communicative memories. The cracks evolve from the complex interactions of various actors and mnemonic communities which do not always deliberately seek to break away from dominant representations of the past. Each of the three case studies I examine a distinct episode in Latvia's 20 th century history. The first case study focuses on representations of the Soviet period in history education. The second follows contested reforms of a Soviet memorial dedicated to Latvian Riflemen in WWI. And the third case study focuses on a musical about a member of SS Einsatzgruppen (Nazi Auxiliary Security Police) in WWII. All three case studies probe the relationship between three modes of collective memory – political, cultural, and communicative – and show how the disparities between them can shift the political discourse of the past.
2011
In Economic and Political Weekly 39 (16), 2004, 1605-1612 (Also in Tom Ewing ed. Revolution and Pedagogy, Palgrave-Macmillan, 2005, 195-218).
Undoubtedly, the terrorist attacks and the U.S. retaliatory strikes have brought to the surface a variety of feelings, some latent, some unfamiliar, for the United States. In many ways, the new " patriotism " that emerged sparked old debates about the meaning and value of " patriotism " as well as the emotions involved. What is the role of educators in helping students to deal with these emotions and face the challenges of critical emotional literacy? We begin by defining how a " pedagogy of discomfort " engages students in facing the contradictory and emotionally complex dimensions of patriotism. We then outline the challenges faced by educators who wish to engage students in learning to " see beyond nationalism, " given that the American mass media has systematically enacted a " media blackout " with respect to media coverage of peace protests and dissent that have occurred within the U.S. and internationally. Third, we describe how a pedagogy of discomfort can resituate emotions of patriotism in the aftermath of 9/11 within the context of what Walter Mignolo calls " critical cosmopolitanism. " The terrorist attacks of September 11 and the U.S. retaliatory strikes have brought to the surface a variety of feelings, some latent, some unfamiliar, for people around the globe. After the attacks in New York and Washington, Americans were moved to spontaneous displays of " patriotism " and solidarity. Flags were hoisted along roadways around the country, cars and trucks sported flags attached to their antennas, while individuals and businesses used the flag to identify their " American " solidarity. Flying on US Airways, one of the us recently heard the pilot on the intercom demarcate a bizarre confluence of economic and nationalistic " class " : " A special welcome to our First Class, Premiere, Dividend Miles, and fellow Americans. " The loud silence of exclusion is blatant and represents the power of an emotion like patriotism to define not only policy but everyday life and identities. For some, the ubiquitous patriotism visible in the aftermath of September 11 may represent a nationalist outbreak and a show of chauvinistic military power. As Arundhati Roy comments, " what we're witnessing here is the spectacle of the world's most powerful country reaching reflexively, angrily, for an old instinct to fight a new kind of war. " [1] For others this represents an incredible feeling of sorrow over the loss of innocent people and a need to create solidarity, compassion and support for those affected by the attacks. In many ways, this new " patriotism " sparks old debates about the meaning and value of " patriotism " as well as the emotions that underlie this complex ideological phenomenon. As Roy urges,
2002, The Teachers College Record
In 2003 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations declared the establishment of an ASEAN Community. The teaching of regional history is seen as indispensable to the attainment of this goal. Eight country reports commissioned by UNESCO Bangkok in 2013 serve as the basis of an inquiry into history education and the teaching of Southeast Asian history in primary and secondary schools. State control of education has produced school systems that, despite their potential, hamper the imagining of a regional community. Under state directives, schools prioritize political socialization into the nation-state and sacrifice shared regional history in favour of national history. Yet promoting interest in national and Southeast Asian histories is possible.
Being a Historian Opportunities and Responsibilities
2020, Handbook on Patriotism
In this chapter, I develop a pragmatic defense of critical patriotism, one that recognizes the many personal and social benefits of patriotic sentiment yet which is also infused with a passion for justice. Though the argument is pragmatic given the ubiquity of patriotic sentiment, I argue that critical patriotism is able to reconcile a love of one’s country with an ardent determination to reform and improve it.
1998
In recent years, the concern for civic education has re-entered the mainstream agenda of American political science. The reasons for this are many and far from irrelevant to the current spate of projects and debates centered on the profession's responsibility in this area. Besides the rhetoric devoted to justifying a profession-wide effort to deal with civic education, most of our collective attention has been spent considering the various means for meeting the challenges of educating citizens.
2012, Historian
ABSTRACT In this paper we examine how the Abolition Movement’s approach to non-violent resistance has been silenced in four American history textbooks. Despite extensive research that reveals an extensive network of groups dedicated to the peaceful abolishment of slavery little of this historical record is included in the textbooks. Instead, a skewed representation of the movement is conveyed to the reader, one that conveys an image of a movement that contributes to a climate of social violence. Through a critical discourse analytical approach to the data we carefully deconstruct how this process of misrepresentation occurs. By employing the discursive tools of narrative framing, positioning, and stance we lift up what is often hidden from the reader and demonstrate how language use communicates powerful social messaging to the reader. We argue that student readers are left with an impoverished sense of how non-violent democratic change has occurred when presented with a limited portrayal of the Abolition Movement. We therefore emphasize the importance of equipping students with the skills needed to critically interrogate both historical and contemporary sources that purports to convey the inevitability of war to resolve complex social problems; we maintain this is both an educational imperative and a civic obligation.