Historical Thinking and Narrative in a Global Culture

Abstract

The chapter discusses procedural knowledge and narrative in history education. In the context of his own research, Rom Harre (JTheory Soc Behav 39(4):466–473, 2009) rejects exclusive focus on substantive knowledge as the enchantment of substantivalism. Excessive focus on substantive content often works its spell on the development of history courses. History as heritage falls victim to this imbalance; the result is an epistemologically naive rendering of the subject. Substantive knowledge does not offer all of the answers for learning and teaching. This is not to suggest that substantive content has no place in planning curriculum, but it is not the only game in town. The chapter argues that the mutual interdependence of substantive and procedural knowledge means that teachers must address both aspects of the discipline to foster historical understanding. The chapter concludes that historical narrative is central to such matters; it is part of the syntax of history. Its explanatory function combines substantive and procedural knowledge.