09 Feb Constructing National Identities through School Historical Narratives
Mario Carretero (Psychology, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid/Flasco, Buenos Aires)
Thursday, February 9 / 4:00 PM
Lane Room, 3rd floor Ellison Hall
Memory construction and national identity are key issues for societies. How can we believe and give sense to traditional narratives that explain the origins of nations and communities? History taught at school plays a fundamental role in the construction of collective memory, as childhood and adolescence are periods in life in which identity starts to form. This talk will present the ways in which historical knowledge is understood by students from twelve to eighteen years of age and by adults. Carretero will draw on research from his recent book, Constructing Patriotism: Teaching History and Memories in Global Worlds (2011). Mario Carretero is the Bliss Carnochan Visitor at the Stanford Humanities Center and a Professor of Psychology at the Universidad Autonoma, Madrid/ Flasco, Buenos Aires.
An article by Professor Carretero may be downloaded here.
Sponsored by IHC’s Identity RFG, the Latin American and Iberian Studies, and the Department of Political Science.