Beyond the Canon pp 63-76 | Cite as
A Narrative that Encompasses Our History: Historical Culture and History Teaching
Chapter
Abstract
When people are asked where they first encountered history, the most likely answer will be ‘the classroom’. But the classroom is neither the first nor the last place where history comes into the life of a human being. Historical traces and narratives are almost everywhere. This chapter deals with the position of history teaching within the fast changing historical culture in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It focuses on the tension between the political agenda of a national canon and the increasing cultural diversity among the young people who are assumed to ‘need’ such a canon.
Keywords
Historical Culture Historical Narrative Historical Knowledge National History School History
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Notes
- 1.K. Ribbens, Een eigentijds verleden. Alledaagse historische cultuur in Nederland, 1945–2000 (Hilversum, 2002);Google Scholar
- D. Lowenthal, The Past is a Foreign Country (Cambridge, 1985). For an overview of the impact of this modern historical culture on the popular perception of history,Google Scholar
- see R. Rosenzweig and D. Thelen, The Presence of the Past: Popular Uses of History in American Life (New York, 1998).Google Scholar
- 2.For a selective example of textbooks on national history, see W. Schiffauer and Th. Sunier, ‘Representing the Nation in History Textbooks’, in W. Schiffauer, G. Baumann, R. Kastoryano and Steven Vertovec (eds), Civil Enculturation. Nation-State, School and Ethnic Difference in The Netherlands, Britain, Germany and France (New York, 2004), pp. 33–59.Google Scholar
- 3.Recent views on history education in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands can be found in C. Husbands, A. Kitson and A. Pendry, Understanding History Teaching: Teaching and Learning about the Past in Secondary Schools (Maidenhead, 2003),Google Scholar
- and in A. Wilschut, D. van Straaten and M. van Riessen, Geschiedenisdidactieck Handboek voor de vakdocent (Bussum, 2004).Google Scholar
- The historical development of history teaching is described in D. Sylvester, ‘Change and Continuity in History Teaching, 1900–93’, in H. Bourdillon (ed.), Teaching History (London, 1994), pp. 9–23,Google Scholar
- and in R. Phillips, History Teaching, Nationhood and the State: a Study in Educational Politics (London, 1998).Google Scholar
- For the Netherlands see, J.C. Toebes, ‘Van een leervak naar een denk- en doevak: Een bijdrage tot de geschiedenis van het Nederlandse geschiedenisonderwijs’, Kleio, XVII (1976): 202–46Google Scholar
- and C. van Boxtel, ‘Geschiedenis als schoolvak. Veranderende opvattingen over doelstellingen en inrichting van het middelbaar geschiedenison-derwijs in Nederland 1945–1992’ (MA Thesis, Utrecht University, 1993).Google Scholar
- 5.M. Grever and K. Ribbens, ‘De historische canon onder de loep’, Kleio, XLV (7) (2004): 2–7.Google Scholar
- 7.See P.W. Klein, 1000 jaar vaderlandse geschiedenis (Amsterdam, 2004), pp. 7–29.Google Scholar
- 8.J. Marijnissen, ‘Historisch besef verdient herwaardering’, www.janmarijnissen.nl/opinies/Historisch_besef_verdient_herwaardering.html (9 January 2004);Google Scholar
- J. Marijnissen, Waar historie huis houdt (Amsterdam, 2005).Google Scholar
- 12.J. Bank and P. de Rooy, ‘Wat iedereen moet weten van vaderlandse geschiedenis. Een canon van het Nederlands verleden’, NRC Handelsblad, 30 October 2004.Google Scholar
- 13.An English edition of this booklet was published as J. Bank, G. van Es and P. de Rooy, In Short, the Netherlands. Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Dutch History (Wormerveer, 2005).Google Scholar
Copyright information
© Kees Ribbens 2007