History teaching and the common origin: How students in the American continent think about the "nations awakening"

CARRETERO, MARIO; KRIGER, MIRIAM

CULTURE AND PSYCHOLOGY

Clark University

Lugar: Worcester; Año: 2011 vol. XVII p. 87 - 105

1354-067X

The topic addressed by this article has become increasingly important during recent years, in the field of academic research as well as in debates on educational policy. We refer to the conflictive articulation between history teaching, national identity and students? citizenship formation.However, given that history teaching arose precisely as a ?cultural device? (Anderson, 1983) to the service of the construction of national citizenships (Boyd, 1997; Hobsbawm, 1990; Smith, 1991), the topic is not new. Along this line, it is possible to establish close links between the rise of the liberal state and the implantation of history teaching in state schools during the 19th century. At that time, the development of loyalty and patriotism were valued as better than universal education, as was so well illustrated by Prussian emperor Wilhelm II?s call exhorting his ministers to ?educate German youths, not Greek or Roman? (Boyd, 1997: 77 in the Spanish translation).