History teaching and Intergroup relations: The

Transcript:History teaching and Intergroup relations: The:
History teaching and Intergroup relations: The case of Cyprus Charis Psaltis Assistant Professor of Social & Developmental Psychology Department of Psychology University of Cyprus cpsaltis@ucy.ac.cy Knowledge and Communication in a globalised world of plurality and diversity An understanding of processes of communication between knowledge systems is imperatave in the 21st century (Jovchelovitch, 2007) Knowledge is a plastic and plural phenomenon originating in subjective, intersubjective and objective worlds which it seeks to represent Communication with and representation of OTHER crucial importance for any form of knowledge construction whether it concerns the present, the future or the past (hence history). Group A Group B Stereotypes Prejudice Competition Outgroup homogeneity Accentuation of differences Post-conflict societies as a specific context for understanding alterity Two ways to approach teaching and learning of history David Lowenthal (1998). The heritage crusades and the spoils of history Heritage vs History Heritage vs History deliberately omits aspects of the past thrives on ignorance and error its nurturing virtue is bias its essential purpose prejudiced pride transmits exclusive myths of origin and continuity endows a select group with prestige and common purpose is held as ‘a dogma of roots and origins must be accepted on faith the past is used as a weapon is disinterested and universal Bias is a vice that history struggles to eliminate History conforms to accepted tenets of evidence is subject to debate it is always altered by time and hindsight learning how to question a historical account to become aware of the evidentiary base upon which it rests assess it in relation to contrasting accounts “If historians, curriculum experts, textbook writers and school authorities make all the decisions about the right version of the past, then the students only job is to absorb it. What started out as contentious, debate-ridden investigation about truth, right and meaning in the past and present ends up before the students as a catechism to be memorised…historical knowledge appears as something fixed by authority rather than subject to investigation, debate and its own system of warrants”. Seixas (2000, p. 23) Important questions What is teaching? It implies a social relation between a pupil and another person either physically or symbolically present and it is thus a form of social influence. It is first of all a form of social interaction, contact, communication between an adult and a child or children between them constrained by a series of social psychological factors