Chapter 6: Dilemmas of Common and Plural History: Reflections on History Education and Heritage in a Globalizing World

In 2007 six high school students (16–17 years) in Rotterdam were asked to express their views on school history. A student of Turkish descent stated:

The answer of this student is at odds with the current tendency in Western society to stress the teaching of a common history within the framework of the nation. A frequent complaint is that young people are ignorant of the history of their country of residence. Politicians assume that furthering historical knowledge and awareness about the nation will avoid fragmentation, support social cohesion and strengthen national identity (e.g., Grever & Stuurman, 2007; Phillips, 2000; Symcox & Wilschut, 2009). Several Western governments interfere with historical culture by revitalizing national institutions, rituals or symbols and by establishing an increasing grip on the subject matter of history education. However, in the globalizing world both popular culture and the pursuit of history have become increasingly pluralistic (Berger & Lorenz, 2008). Hence the emphasis on a common -nationalhistory and the heterogeneous reality of society evoke tensions which have a profound impact on the aims and tasks of education in general, and on history education in particular (Seixas, 2004, p. 5).