‘Clio’ in Danger: The Causes, Condition and Consequences of the Decline of Interest in History in Perspective

Abstract

History, which was a popular discipline in the past, is now one of the marginalised subjects in schools, while many people today also pay little attention to the events which occurred in their past lives. Several causes have combined to bring about this unfortunate state of affairs which, in turn, has produced some adverse consequences. Essentially, the problem of the decline of interest in history has three parts to it: causes, conditions and consequences. Using both primary and secondary data and employing the qualitative approach, this study generally examined the problem of the decline of interest in history in the context of what it calls the ‘“3 Cs” of historical events’. The paper arbitrarily categorised the causes of the decline into “historical thoughts” and “historical deeds”, and showed the extent to which each has contributed to the existing condition. It then provided empirical evidence to show the reality and universality of the decline. After displaying the cause-and-effect relationship between the causes and the condition, the study, in a brief fashion, identified and analysed some of the major consequences of the decline of interest in history. In its conclusion, the paper first re-emphasised the thesis of the study and evaluated the authenticity of the framework adopted for the study. Finally, the paper recommends that efforts must be made to regenerate interest in history and place the discipline back in its rightful position in the school curriculum. Keywords: Causes, Condition, Consequences, Decline of History, Historical Deeds and Historical Thoughts