Representations of women and their role within society in the past in Flemish and Hungarian history textbooks

The current middle and high school history textbooks under the Revised Curriculum of 2015 are the first history textbooks developed amid the growing social interest in the importance of authorized history textbooks after the regime''s attempt at replacing old history textbooks with new government-designated ones. Today, authorized history textbooks are oriented toward the development of textbooks to present diverse perspectives reflecting the changing situations of the times and the research achievements of the academic circles instead of textbooks containing only a single perspective under the guidance of the government. The description perspective of a textbook serves as a starting line to establish what and how to look at history for students. In the current history textbooks, the perspective for the description of political history finds the accountability of the ruined nation in the failure of political management from factional politics to power politics. The economic and cultural history is described from the perspective of development with the symbolic elements of Western modernization set as a standard of pursuit. The social history describes the social class system and the rural community society from the perspective of discrimination and conflict. The current history textbooks keep almost the same perspectives and descriptions as the old government-designated textbooks within their larger framework of depicting the aspects of Joseon in its latter part. History textbooks need to have a narrative transition and offer students a chance to understand the times from more diverse perspectives so that they can align with the goals oriented by today''s history education. The descriptions of political history should help students figure out the various patterns of political management and changes during the latter part of Joseon according to historical causal relations. The descriptions of economic and cultural history should focus on development as an objective phenomenon based on proof and comparison and present reasonable historical meanings accordingly. The descriptions of social history should move students closer to the reality of Joseon society during its latter part based on the coexistence of conflict and integration. These proposals will hopefully lead to description changes in history textbooks through collaborations among researchers, teachers, and people concerned.

Article History: Received 12.12.2015 Received in revised form 24.01.2016 Accepted 02.02.2016 Available online 13.03.2016 This study analyzing the place of women history in current secondary education history textbooks in Turkey is based on case study. The analyzed history textbooks are Secondary Education History 9, 10, 11, Turkish Republic Revolution History and Kemalism and Contemporary Turkish and World History. Content analysis is used in the analysis of the data and the place of women in the historical events presented in the textbooks is assessed through content analysis. As the textbooks are shaped by curriculum, it is found out that an independent women history is not given. Within the history subjects, the subjects related with women history is seen through text, historical characters or as an expression within the subject. It is also found out that women are visible within the history subjects in the history textbooks; however this rate is not enough. The most prevalent role represented by women in secondary education history textbooks is mother and wife in Turkey. The state leadership and direction of the female warriors are discussed in the textbooks. Women are also found out to be given as writer; artist, sportswomen and nurse in the textbooks, but their roles in economy are not given. In this study it is found that although women history is limited in the current secondary education history textbooks in Turkey, some certain roles taken and given by women are stand on. © 2016 IOJES. All rights reserved

Visual images are important in textbooks because they are a vital part of the symbiotic relationship with the written text.Most importantly, visual images are essential in history textbooks because they render human experiences less abstract.This article analyses the visual images of women contained in three junior secondary school history textbooks used in Malawi.The purpose being to explore how women are portrayed visually and why they are portrayed the way they are.The article is based on empirical research and employed feminist theory which is premised on the oppression and subordination of women in society.The visual images were analysed quantitatively through visual content analysis and qualitatively using visual semiotic analysis.We argue in this article that women are generally oppressed, under-represented and subordinated in their portrayal in the visual images in the textbooks analysed.As textbooks are authoritative in nature this kind of portrayal can send a certain message about women as historical characters to textbook users.We furthermore argue that our research findings in an African context speak to similar findings in other parts of the world and can for the most part be attributed to similar reasons -the powerful influences of patriarchy on both history and history textbooks.

History textbooks play a crucial role in history education and are an important tool for imparting historical knowledge and developing historical consciousness. This study explores the formation of historical consciousness in Kazakhstan from secondary school history textbooks. Since the content of history textbooks for grades 10 and 11 is a review and integration of the content of grades 5 to 9, the sample of the study in this paper was selected from history textbooks for grades 5 to 9 in Kazakhstan. The study analyzes the content of Kazakhstan's secondary school history textbooks for grades 5-9 on the relations between China and the Kazakhstan region from ancient times to the present day, explores the past, present, and future of the relations between the two countries, describes the impact of Kazakhstan's secondary school history textbooks on the formation of the population's historical consciousness. The existence of numerous historical materials proves that the relations between China and Kazakhstan have a long history. Nowadays, under the auspices of the Belt and Road cooperation initiative, the prospects for the development of relations between the two countries are optimistic. The narratives about China in the history textbooks of Kazakhstan's secondary schools make it possible for students to implicitly accept China's influence and participation in the historical development of Kazakhstan's region, as well as to make the relationship between the two countries a part of the construction of the national identity of modern Kazakhstan and a part of the population's historical consciousness.

The shortcomings of the current English secondary school history curriculum have been widely discussed since its inception in 2013. Less widely explored, however, are the narratives underpinning a key classroom resource: textbooks. In this paper, I review nine history textbooks currently in use in schools across the country, drawing on post-colonial theories in order to assess the extent to which the narratives of these textbooks are fundamentally rooted in Eurocentric discourses of superiority. Findings demonstrate that textbooks across the sample draw on outdated tropes when discussing Others in a global and historical context, ultimately reifying notions of ‘Oriental’ barbarism, despotism, and religious fanaticism, ‘African’ servility and submissiveness, and ‘native’ savagery and backwardness, whilst also emphasising ideas around European civility and advanced development. Accordingly, with few exceptions, the ‘master narratives’ of these textbooks wholly conform to the model I identify for Eurocentric worldviews, being (i) totalistic; (ii) oppositional; and (iii) teleological.

Schools have one characteristic that media and family do not. A “state-sponsored” means of promoting perceptions of the past, they are obligatory to attend in most countries. That means students don’t have a choice but to be exposed to a certain interpretation of facts and values. Among other classes, history class involves this exposure. Ideally, history textbooks should offer open-minded views, diverse perspectives on certain experiences, developments, events, and processes stemming from national and general history that carry messages corresponding to content based on science and established facts. Since in most cases of the demanding task of writing history textbooks there is room for numerous controversies, is it problematic when children are taught different “truths,” “facts,” and “values”? When they are taught that diversity is a major problem in multicultural societies? That the “others” are always perpetrators of the crimes? That there cannot be reconciliation with “them”? Because Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) never established official truth about events from the most recent war, this space for manipulation is wide open. Ironically, even if writers of history textbooks in BiH wish to include established facts, that would be not possible, since there is no such a thing. The only facts established according to the legal standards—“beyond reasonable doubt”—would be those in the final decision of the international and domestic courts dealing with war crimes committed in BiH between 1992 and 1995. What happens, then, if one brings together all the history textbooks in schools in BiH? What can found in them? And, most important, are they to be trusted?

The Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China in February 2020 published the "standards for ideological and political education, language, and history in secondary vocational schools," and announced that history will be the first one among these three subjects to become a compulsory part of secondary vocational education, starting from the fall of 2020. The Ministry asserted that the ultimate goal of such attempt is to promote the stability and lasting reign of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese state, emphasizing that history textbooks hold a great deal of strategic significance for the great revival of the Chinese nation. This paper examines the "standards for history education in secondary vocational schools (2020)," and reviews issues associated with the descriptions of Korean history in the current history textbooks of secondary vocational schools, History of China and World History. This study also analyzes how these textbooks describe Korean history, in comparison to The Outline of Chinese and Foreign History (中外歷史綱要), the standard history textbook for general high schools which was published after the country adopted government-issued textbooks when President Xi Jinping began his second term in office. It can be said that Korea accounts for larger shares in History of China and World History for secondary vocational schools, compared to the history textbook used by general high schools, of which descriptions of Korea have been significantly reduced since 2001 when China standardized its textbooks. Further, unlike The Outline of Chinese and Foreign History, these two textbooks have sections dedicated to "ancient Joseon (Korea)," put "Joseon (Korea)" before Japan, and include positive narratives about cultural exchanges between Korea and China. It is worth noting that the textbooks suggest that ancient Korea made a significant contribution to cultural development and that Korean culture was conveyed to China. These run counter to the general trend observed in the Chinese academia, in which research on cultural history―focused on China-centered cultural diffusion― is increasing rapidly and the research outcomes are being incorporated into the textbooks. The Outline of Chinese and Foreign History displays an inherent inconsistency in some parts, and different perceptions of history that do not match those of the country’s previous textbooks. Such a gap is expected to serve as an example that can clearly show how China''s historical perception has changed after President Xi Jinping took power and the country shifted to government-approved textbooks.

İlk olarak Çin’de başlayan coranavirüs pandemisi bütün dünyada toplumsal hayatı durma noktasına getirmiştir. Pandemi her ne kadar tıbbın konusu gibi görünse bile eğitim ile ilişkisi de bulunmaktadır. Özellikle tarih eğitimi ile. Mazideki salgın hastalık vakalarına ilişkin bilgileri öğretmediysek bireylerden bugünkü durumu anlamlandırabilmeleri, muhakeme etmeleri, tutarlı davranışlar sergilemelerini beklemek rasyonel olur mu? Hakkında yeterince bilgi sahibi olmadığınız bir olayla karşılaştığınızda tepkileriniz nasıl olurdu? Bir şeyin geçmişteki parçalarıyla ilgili enformasyon verilip, bütünü hakkında yeterince fikir sahibi olamadıysanız hatayı nerede aramak gerekirdi? Bu makalede bu sorulara yanıt verilmeye çalışılmıştır. Nitel araştırma yöntemi baz alınarak yapılan bu araştırmada veriler betimsel analiz tekniği ile analiz edilmiş ve değerlendirmeler yapılmıştır. Araştırmaya örneklem teşkil eden dokümanlar 2019-2020 yılı zorunlu ve seçmeli ortaöğretim tarih ders kitapları ile sınırlanmıştır. Dolayısıyla araştırmanın bulgu ve sonuçları yalnızca söz konusu yıllardaki ders kitapları ile sınırlı olup, diğer dönem ve sınıf kitaplarını kapsamamaktadır. Araştırma sonucuna göre ortaöğretim tarih ders kitaplarında geçmişteki salgın vakalarını kapsayan konular üzerinde yeterince durulmadığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca, öğrencilere salgın hastalık vakalarının geçmişteki örneklerini ve atalarının bu vakalarla nasıl yüzleştiklerini öğretmenin aktüel bir ihtiyaç olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Hem onların geçmiş vakalardan ders çıkarmalarına hem de gelecekte oluşması muhtemel salgın vakalarına karşı daha bilgili ve hazırlıklı olmalarına tarih ders kitapları ile katkı yapmak olasıdır.

South Africa and Russia share an intricate and complex historical relationship. At one time, Russia played as both an ally to the anti-Apartheid opposition as well as an enemy of the South African state. Given the straddling of ideological eras and the influence on South African politics, historically and contemporarily, how does South Africa represent this vital partnership in its programmatic curriculum or textbooks? This article focused on the representation of Russia in South African school history textbooks. This article focused on the phenomenon of representation guided by two research questions: how is Russia represented within South Africa’s school history textbooks, and why are they represented the way they are? Given South Africa and Russia’s significant historical, political and economic affiliations, it is essential to understand how South Africa represents its crucial partner in its history textbooks. Using qualitative content analysis, history textbooks for Grades 9, 11 and 12 (where Russia appeared) were analysed to understand how Russia was represented. What was found is that there is not only an overt focus on Russian history but Russia’s history is largely presented as a history great men. The textbooks focus on key male leaders rather than key events. Specific key events identified in the textbooks lack in detail as the focus lies on male leaders and their decision. In addition, despite the large content coverage dedicated to Russia, very little specific detail is provided and thus, more of a superficial historical coverage emerges. Finally, a fragmented historical representation appears across the textbooks.

History textbooks are special sources, reflecting on the era in which they were published. They play a role in formation of national identity and shape students’ perception of the past and their relation to the present. Central Europe’s recent media have given considerable attention to emigration. How do history textbooks narrate migration? This paper explores how the current history textbooks in Hungary and Poland narrate mass emigration. Findings reveal several reasons for the mass migration named by the textbooks, which include a desire for improved economic and living conditions. The treatment of emigrant groups as transnational populations in both Hungarian and Polish narratives suggests that they are separated from their home country’s national history and in a way ‘step out’ of its flow – however, the narratives appearing in the Polish textbooks deal with the overall neglected groups in greater depth. In addition, this research explores how these textbooks treat these transnational populations.

Despite their significant contribution to the country's historical development, women's influence is commonly underestimated and ignored in Zambian history literature. Subsequently, their role remains undocumented in secondary school textbooks to the extent that the sex blindness of traditional historiography, which sustains male dominance in history, remains unchallenged in the books. Through a qualitative approach and purposive sampling of two Zambian secondary school Grade 12 learners' history textbooks, the study examined the portrayal of women. Located within the decoloniality paradigm, it counters the coloniality of power manifested through the insularity of dominant patriarchal historical narratives entrenched in the secondary school history curriculum, largely reflecting the remnants of colonial epistemologies and historiographical traditions. The findings in both textbooks reveal that the female characters are silenced and invisible compared to their male counterparts, reflecting the patriarchy hegemony in the secondary school Zambian history curriculum. In decolonising colonial power manifested in the curriculum, the study recommends mainstreaming gender equality in the history curricula and teaching and learning materials, mainly the learners' textbooks, to reflect women's achievements. Keywords: Decoloniality; Visual images; Gender; History textbooks; Secondary school; Women; Zambia.

The analysis of historical narratives representing key events in current Russian history school textbooks in RF, demonstrates the nexus between ideology, and new historical narratives. There is a direct, state-dictated push for a ‘national ideology’, promoted by Putin and his team. This ideological perspective is defined in the National History Standards, and is promoted in Russian history textbooks. It is also clear from the history curriculum documents, the new second generation standards in history, and introductions to Russian history textbooks, that values education is incorporated in historical narrative, and class work. Such values include patriotism, national ideology; identity and citizenship. Revised and edited historical narratives in current core Russian history textbooks, representing key events in current Russian history school textbooks in RF, demonstrate the nexus between ideology, the state, and nation-building. Current history textbooks aim to offer new narratives, which focus on the ‘positive historical examples’, stressing Russia’s power and significance, both nationally and globally. The narratives of the key events generally emphasise nationalist ‘bright spots’ in Russian history and Russia’s glory, and military achievements. In historical narratives, among various events during the last two hundred years, the two major world events, signifying Russia’s political and military power, are represented by the Battle of Borodino, and the Great War of the Fatherland. The latter, representing battles of decisive significance for the Soviet Union, is acquiring even a greater ideological and national significance in Russia’s on-going nation-building process.

The emergence of modern China nationalism was originally a response to the international nationalism in nineteenth century. Toward the end of the Qing Dynasty, facing the invasions of many great powers, two groups of Chinese contended to resort to revolution to save China: one supported constitutional monarchy while the other group was full of revolutionists who believed that only drastic measures could save the country. They proposed “Five Races Under One Union” and “Han-Centric” perspectives, resulting to the emergence of the term “Chinese People” in the international community. Republic of China faced internal and external turbulence soon after its establishment. As the result the government had to take initiative and expanded the term “the Chinese Race”. After the May Fourth Movement, the Chinese nation continued to urge the government to establish its sovereignty and eliminate its enemies. Soon “Chinese Nation” has become a popular term among patriots. After the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese War, the “Chinese Nation” theory was even more closely associated with patriotism and different academic viewpoints did not get to be heard until after the end of the war. The discourse of “Chinese Nation” was conceptualized through its presentation of the Chinese culture in textbooks. Before the Nationalist Government relocated to Taiwan, it did not place a firm control over the compiling of textbooks, allowing the term “Chinese Nation” to be presented in many different ways. After moving to Taiwan, the government started editing and printing unified version textbooks with nationalism as the focus in history courses. Textbook content has been consistent during this long period of time. Junior high school history textbooks use texts and pictures to present the topics on Yellow Emperor, stages of racial integration, heroes and the great Chinese culture. After Martial Law was abolished, private publishers started compiling textbooks. The government also introduced new courses to help students know Taiwan better in response to the people’s expectations, which caused quite a disturbance. History textbooks have become more diversified in their contents and the discourse of “the Chinese nation” gradually faded away from the spotlight. However such discourse has not faded in the current history textbooks used in China, showing the differences of both governments’ authorities.

This article opens with a general consideration of the modern education system and its position within nationalist ideology. Drawing on Michael Hechter’s typology of nationalism, it proposes two types to use as a tool for a discourse analysis of history textbooks in the context of the post-conflict society of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH): state-affirming and state-denying nationalism. It then provides a background and review of the literature addressing the challenges of education reform in the Western Balkans, wherein ethnically exclusivist narratives of the past have been gradually transformed into more inclusive history teaching, allowing multi-perspective approaches and different interpretations of historical events. The article proceeds to set out how this progress in BiH is still uncertain, given its complex and ethnically segregated education system. Critical discourse analysis of two history textbooks dealing with medieval Bosnia shows that their content may be interpreted to serve two mutually opposed outcomes: inclusive “civic” Bosnian nationalism, or exclusive “ethnic” Bosniak nationalism. This conclusion invites criticism and reconsideration of the structural problems and ideologies that have shaped educational processes in the past two decades.

Local populations in Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, and to a lesser degree in the Czech Republic, experienced much interaction with Muslims throughout the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the Ottomans, as well as the Crimean Tatars, invaded the Kingdom of Hungary and waged wars against the Polish-Lithuanian state and the Habsburg Hereditary Lands. The Ottoman era has usually been reflected in the history textbooks of these four countries under the headings "Turkish Wars" or "Ottoman Expansion." Since the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989, all four ex-communist states have been involved in rewriting textbooks, although the perception of the Ottomans and Muslims has not changed in all cases. Without claiming to map the entire historical presentation of the Ottomans, this article demonstrates the polyphony found in the textbooks of this region. By analyzing secondary school educational materials in all four languages, it is possible to identify stereotypes, prejudices, and distortions within the perception of the Ottoman Turks.