Abstract
This article studies processes, policies and practices for geography and history education in Estonia. The analysis covers the societal transformation period in an ethnically divided society from the 1980s to the early 2000s characterized by Estonia’s disintegration from the Soviet Union towards the integration to the European Union and NATO. Geography and history education curricula, textbooks and related policies and practices promoted a particular national time-space by supporting the belongingness of Estonia into Europe, rejecting connections towards Russia and suggesting a division between ethnic Estonians and ethnically non-Estonian residents of Estonia. In geography and history textbooks, the Russian-speaking population, comprising then almost a third of the entire population of Estonia, was divided into non-loyal, semi-loyal and loyal groups of whom only the latter could be integrated in the Estonian time-space. The formal education policies for geography and history supported Estonia’s disintegration from the Soviet past and pawed way to integration to the western political and economic structures. However, challenging market and sensitive cultural contexts created peculiar, alternative and sometimes opposing local practices in geography and history education.
Highlights
This article studies processes, policies and practices for geography and history education in Estonia
The main topic here is Estonia but broader connections from the case can be made as regards many Central Eastern European (CEE) and post-Soviet countries, and other states facing profound social, economic and political transformations
Instead of focussing on the spatio-temporal representation of Estonia through history textbooks as the Estonian master narrative, this article opens the complex processes connected to the policies and practices in geography and history education that made possible spatial socialisation, national conciliation and the formation of the post-Soviet Estonian time-space
Summary
This article studies processes, policies and practices for geography and history education in Estonia. The political context changed when an independent Estonian nation-state was re-established in 1991 In such transformation era, geography and history education and the contexts of related school textbooks became important to reflect the new political reality. Instead of focussing on the spatio-temporal representation of Estonia through history textbooks as the Estonian master narrative (see Pääbo 2011, 2014), this article opens the complex processes connected to the policies and practices in geography and history education that made possible spatial socialisation, national conciliation and the formation of the post-Soviet Estonian time-space (see Björklund 2004; Rubene 2010). School textbooks can express different perspectives on the state population They may try to support the integration of the different ethnic groups living in the state territory, reduce ethno-cultural polarisation and promote national solidarity (Morgan 2003). School textbooks are key instruments of spatial imagination and spatial socialization
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
