J. Zajda, T. Tsyrlina-Spady, M. Lovorn: Globalisation and historiography of national leaders: symbolic representations in school textbooks

Abstract

Zajda, J. Tsyrlina-Spady, T. & Lovorn, M. (2017). Globalisation and Historiography of National Leaders: Symbolic Representations in School Textbooks. Vol. 18 in Zajda, J. (Ed). Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research. Dordrecht: Springer. Globalisation and reforms to educational policy and curriculum in Australia and elsewhere has inspired new awareness of the significance of ‘national history’ education. There has been continuing debate on the role of national leaders in building the nation and developing a preferred, ‘national’ historical consciousness; recent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, over statues of the Confederate Army general, Robert E. Lee, and in Australia, controversy over the inscription on the statue of James Cook in Hyde Park, Sydney, are contemporary instances of competing sensitivities in the role of public memory and memorialising as part of nation-building. History education is a topical educational issue of global significance so how does school history build the national agenda? What role does history education play and what is the significance of school history textbooks in furthering a ‘national history’ as part of nation-building and political socialisation of young people? These questions are examined in Volume 18 of the Springer Series on Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research edited by Joseph Zajda...