Formation of a regional image through geography textbooks: The case of north-west Bohemia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the article is to examine the ways in which regional geography textbooks are used in elementary education, using north-west Bohemia as a case study. The authors analysed 18 textbooks published since the beginning of the 20th century, in two steps: (1) the construction of geographical names frequency maps indicating which parts of the case region are accentuated or suppressed in individual textbooks, and (2) a qualitative analysis of the textbooks’ content. The study revealed that a complex image of north-west Bohemia in interwar period in Czechoslovakia and in the period of accession to the European Union is presented in the textbooks. The textbooks published during communist era are imbued with the adoration of local industries, whereas those published later, in the period of political and socio-economic transformation, accentuate the risks of excessive environmental exploitation. At any time since the beginning of the 20th century, the places and regions that represent the values preferred by the governing ideology are emphasized within the studied textbooks. Thus, the geography textbooks, that reflect the society-wide discourse, disseminate not only knowledge but also dominant values. In this way, a desired image of reality is created that legitimates the aims and stances of those in power.