International Perspectives on Teaching Rival Histories : Pedagogical Responses to Contested Narratives and the History Wars

This book presents a survey of approaches to dealing with ‘rival histories’ in the classroom, arguing that approaching this problem requires great sensitivity to differing national, educational and narrative contexts. Contested narratives and disputed histories have long been an important issue in history-teaching all over the world, and have even been described as the ‘history’ or ‘culture’ wars. In this book, authors from across the globe ponder the question “what can teachers do (and what __are__ they doing) to address conflicting narratives of the same past?”, and puts an epistemological issue at the heart of the discussion: what does it mean for the epistemology of history, if it is possible to teach more than one narrative? Divided into three sections that deal with historical cultures, multicultural societies and multiperspectivity, the chapters of the book showcase that dealing with rival histories is very much dependent on context, and that diverse teaching traditions and societal debates mean that teachers’ abilities in engaging with the teaching of rival narratives are very different. The volume will be compelling reading for students and researchers in the fields of education, history, sociology and philosophy, as well as practising teachers. Foreword 5 Contents 8 Notes on Contributors 11 List of Figures 16 List of Tables 17 Chapter 1: Introduction: Epistemology of Rival Histories 18 The Approach 19 The Parts of the Book 24 Notes 29 Part I: Historical Cultures and National Histories 32 Chapter 2: An Early Attempt to Approach Rival Histories: Epistemological Impediments to Transnational History Teaching—A Scandinavian Example 33 Introduction 33 Truth and Different Versions of It 37 Agency, Groups, and Responsibility 42 Conclusions 47 Notes 49 Chapter 3: The Lure of Grand Narratives: A Dilemma for History Teachers 56 Introduction 56 The Fields of Making History, Narrative Form and Grand Narratives 58 Epistemological Unsustainability of Grand Narratives 62 Ethical Questionability of Grand Narratives 63 Hegemonic Canons as Politics of History Education 65 History Educators Combating Grand Narratives and Hegemonic Canons 67 Deliberative Discourse for History Classrooms 71 Concluding Remarks 73 Notes 74 Chapter 4: Bridging History Education and the Diversity of Historical Cultures 78 Introduction 78 Children, Young People, and Historical Cultures 80 School Education: Encountering the Multiple Genres and Levels of Historical Culture(s) 83 History Education and Collective Memory 84 History Education and Popular Historical Cultures 85 Specific Tasks of History Education Between Historical Cultures 86 Bridges Between History Education and the Variety of Historical Cultures: The Disciplinary Approach as an Option 88 Conclusion 92 Notes 93 Part II: Official Histories in Multicultural Societies 99 Chapter 5: Text and Contexts: Pedagogical Practices for a History Textbook Lesson on the 1947 British India Partition 100 Introduction: Practice, Memory and History Education 100 Context: 1947 Memories of Conflict and Collective Violence 102 Shifting Narratives of Partition Memories in School Textbooks 104 Methodological Considerations: Three Teachers 106 Rashmi 107 Samira 107 Pema Choden 108 Teachers’ Voices 108 Reproducing the Collective Memory and Rejecting the Textbook Content 109 Challenging the Collective Memory and Appropriating the Textbook Content 110 Reframing the Collective Memory and Textbook Content 112 Discussion and Conclusion 114 Notes 116 Chapter 6: Teaching History for Narrative Space and Vitality: Historical Consciousness, Templates, and English-Speaking Quebec 120 English-Speaking Quebec, the Teaching of Official History, and a Quest for Narrative Vitality 122 English-Speaking Quebec’s Need for a Narrative Tool 125 Historical Consciousness and Narrative Templates 127 Taking Critical Distance from Knowledge Claims as a Responsible Use of Templates 134 Conclusion 136 Notes 138 Chapter 7: Mediating Collective Memories and Official Histories in Conflict-Affected Societies: Pedagogical Responses to “Individual” Narratives and Competing Collective Memories 145 Introduction 145 Sociopolitical Backgrounds 146 Israel 146 Cyprus 148 A Brief Note on Methodology 149 Two Classroom Events 149 Event One 149 Event Two 153 Analysis of the Two Events 156 Pedagogical Implications 158 Conclusion 161 Notes 162 Part III: Critical Thinking and Multiperspectivity 166 Chapter 8: How to Make School History More Controversial? Controversies in History Education in Poland 167 Introduction 167 Two Controversial Issues from the Contemporary History of Poland 168 Scope of Research 169 Teaching Controversy in Poland: The Officially Approved Materials 170 Curriculum 170 Textbooks 171 Textbook Content Analysis 172 Teaching Controversy in Poland: A Glance at the School Practice 175 Notebooks 175 Lesson Recording 176 Teaching Controversy in Poland: (No) Representation in the Pupils’ Narratives 178 Pupils’ Stories on Poland’s Past 178 Final Exams 179 Teachers: Toward the Conclusion 181 Notes 184 Chapter 9: Teaching About the First World War in England: Exploring Controversy and Competing Historical Interpretations 190 Introduction 190 Developments in History Education in England Since the 1970s 194 Stimulating Historical Inquiry 199 Appreciating Multiple Perspectives and Multiple Interpretations 203 Analyzing Representations of the Past 206 Conclusion 210 Notes 211 Chapter 10: Promoting a Historiographic Gaze through Multiperspectivity in History Teaching 215 Introduction 215 Syllabi for History in Secondary Schools in Sweden and England 217 A Limited Educational Effort to Stimulate Multiperspectivity and Critical Attitudes 218 The Effects of the Limited Educational Effort 219 Students’ Awareness of Multiple Possible Causes of World War One 220 Students’ Abilities to Identify Multiple Perspectives 223 Students’ Critical Attitudes 226 Links Between Students’ Different Abilities and Attitudes 228 Grades and Impact of the Lesson Unit 230 Concluding Discussion 231 Notes 235 Chapter 11: After the Ideological Battles: Student Views on Sources Representing the Gallipoli Conflict 237 Introduction: Transnational Contexts 237 Public Debates in Australia: History/Culture Wars 238 Australian Curriculum Context 241 Context of Commemoration of Gallipoli 245 Peter Seixas: Rival Approaches to History Teaching 245 Case Study: High School Students’ Understanding of Historical Representations 247 International Perspectives 249 Opposition to War 251 Turkish Perspectives 251 Realities of Conflict 253 Fighting Spirit of Soldiers 254 Conclusion 254 Notes 256 Part IV: Epilogue 259 Chapter 12: Teaching Rival Histories: In Search of Narrative Plausibility 260 Introduction 260 The Contributions of Teaching Rival Histories and a Missing Piece 262 Toward a Consensus on Terms and Propositions 263 The Plausibility of Interpretive Narratives in History 266 A Further Thought: Narrative Interpretation in Life 270 Notes 272 Selected Bibliography 276 Index 296 "Foreword"--"Contents"--"Notes on Contributors " -- "List of Figures " -- "List of Tables " -- "Chapter 1: Introduction: Epistemology of Rival Histories" -- "The Approach" -- "The Parts of the Book" -- "Notes" -- "Part I: Historical Cultures and National Histories" -- "Chapter 2: An Early Attempt to Approach Rival Histories: Epistemological Impediments to Transnational History Teachingâ#x80;#x94;A Scandinavian Example" -- "Introduction" -- "Truth and Different Versions of It" -- "Agency, Groups, and Responsibility" -- "Conclusions" -- "Notes" -- "Chapter 3: The Lure of Grand Narratives: A Dilemma for History Teachers" -- "Introduction" -- "The Fields of Making History, Narrative Form and Grand Narratives" -- "Epistemological Unsustainability of Grand Narratives" -- "Ethical Questionability of Grand Narratives" -- "Hegemonic Canons as Politics of History Education" -- "History Educators Combating Grand Narratives and Hegemonic Canons" -- "Deliberative Discourse for History Classrooms" -- "Concluding Remarks" -- "Notes" -- "Chapter 4: Bridging History Education and the Diversity of Historical Cultures" -- "Introduction" -- "Children, Young People, and Historical Cultures" -- "School Education: Encountering the Multiple Genres and Levels of Historical Culture(s)" -- "History Education and Collective Memory" -- "History Education and Popular Historical Cultures" -- "Specific Tasks of History Education Between Historical Cultures" -- "Bridges Between History Education and the Variety of Historical Cultures: The Disciplinary Approach as an Option" -- "Conclusion" -- "Notes" -- "Part II: Official Histories in Multicultural Societies" -- "Chapter 5: Text and Contexts: Pedagogical Practices for a History Textbook Lesson on the 1947 British India Partition" -- "Introduction: Practice, Memory and History Education" Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Introduction: Epistemology of Rival Histories....Pages 1-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 An Early Attempt to Approach Rival Histories: Epistemological Impediments to Transnational History Teaching—A Scandinavian Example....Pages 17-39 The Lure of Grand Narratives: A Dilemma for History Teachers....Pages 41-62 Bridging History Education and the Diversity of Historical Cultures....Pages 63-83 Front Matter....Pages 85-85 Text and Contexts: Pedagogical Practices for a History Textbook Lesson on the 1947 British India Partition....Pages 87-106 Teaching History for Narrative Space and Vitality: Historical Consciousness, Templates, and English-Speaking Quebec....Pages 107-131 Mediating Collective Memories and Official Histories in Conflict-Affected Societies: Pedagogical Responses to “Individual” Narratives and Competing Collective Memories....Pages 133-153 Front Matter....Pages 155-155 How to Make School History More Controversial? Controversies in History Education in Poland....Pages 157-179 Teaching About the First World War in England: Exploring Controversy and Competing Historical Interpretations....Pages 181-205 Promoting a Historiographic Gaze through Multiperspectivity in History Teaching....Pages 207-228 After the Ideological Battles: Student Views on Sources Representing the Gallipoli Conflict....Pages 229-250 Front Matter....Pages 251-251 Teaching Rival Histories: In Search of Narrative Plausibility....Pages 253-268 Back Matter....Pages 269-292