Discourses of the Politics of History School Textbooks

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter, using critical discourse analysis, provides a new insight into an understanding of the nexus between ideologies, the state, and nation-building – as depicted in history school textbooks. It especially focuses on the interpretation of social and political change, significant events, looking for possible new biases and omissions, leadership and the contribution of key individuals, and continuities. Nation-building architects make extensive use of history to promote those preferred historical narratives that embody the politically correct teleology of the state. A number of countries, like the USA, China, the Russian Federation (RF), Germany and Japan, and elsewhere, use their school history textbooks and preferred historical narratives to promote desired values of nationalism, patriotism and national identity.