Chapter 7: Hazards in Spanish History Education: Essentialism, Oblivion, and Memory

“It is time to reestablish the coalition of those who believe in history as rational enquiry into the course of human transformations, against those who distort history for political purposes,” Eric Hobsbawm (2005, p. 32) wrote. As the brilliant historian he is, nobody could deny the pertinence of this assertion, but to what extent can this coalition be reestablished at school level without the alliance of politicians and citizens? Within the field (or rather battlefield) of history education, one important issue should be tackled, which is not only idiosyncratic from a Spanish perspective, but very much linked to current concerns in Greece, Portugal, and, certainly, in many other European, Western, and Eastern countries (Argentina, Chile, Japan, Mexico, former Soviet Republics, Turkey, United States, former Yugoslavia, etc.). This issue is—again—the inner conflict fought by school history education between the need to ensure the building of a common national identity fostered by political stakeholders, and the importance for students (and citizens in general) to developing their critical historical thinking and knowledge. While recognizing that the problem is not exclusive to Spain, Spanish particularities in history education will be the focus of study in the following pages. Nevertheless, attention will be given to broader and comparative approaches, to illustrate similarities and differences across countries.