Remembering war through images: Visual narratives of the Finnish Civil War in history textbooks from the 1920s to the 2010s

Eemeli Hakoköngäs,Virpi Kivioja,Olli Kleemola,Inari Sakki

doi:10.1177/1750698020959812

Eemeli Hakoköngäs, Virpi Kivioja + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698020959812

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Abstract

The present study focuses on memory work in school textbook illustrations of the Finnish Civil War (1918). A thematic narrative analysis shows how the content and meanings conveyed through visual narratives have developed in the past century. Besides changes in specific narrative, the interpretation of the functions of themes shows a gradual change in the schematic narrative template: the hegemonic, victor’s narrative has been gradually replaced with alternative accounts since the 1950s. The defeated side has been represented in school textbooks since the 1950s, and since the 1990s, the narrative has evolved from pointing out the similarities between the two sides to arousing emotions of sympathy for the victims of the War. Since the 2000s, visual images have been used to highlight multi-perspectivity in history. This study shows how the cultural trauma and reconciliation process has been conveyed in educational material and how the narrative templates may dynamically change.

Highlights

History education plays an important role in conveying hegemonic narratives and constructing collective memories (Sakki, 2016)
In our study, which focuses on the Finnish Civil War, we understand visual narrative as a storyline suggested in a set of images depicting events and characters of the history
As a result of thematic analysis of the history textbook images depicting the Finnish Civil War, we identified five different phases of narrative

Summary

Introduction

History education plays an important role in conveying hegemonic narratives and constructing collective memories (Sakki, 2016). In the context of traumatic national events like a civil war, an analysis of the officially transmitted collective memories makes it possible to understand the social functions different narratives play. In our study, which focuses on the Finnish Civil War, we understand visual narrative as a storyline suggested in a set of images (themes) depicting events and characters of the history. Wertsch has shown how templates may remain the same even though the specific events of the narrative alter. He did not explain the situation that the template can change

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