Chapter 1. Understanding Empire in the 21st Century

• Autores: Terry Haydn
• Localización: Conflicts in History Education in Europe. Political context, history teaching, and national identity / Ander Delgado Cendagortagalarza (ed. lit.), Andrew Mycock (ed. lit.), 2023, ISBN 979-8-88730-251-5, págs. 3-25
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In terms of "a historical education," and of being equipped with a wellinformed and usefuJ grasp of the world we live in today, questions persist as to the extent "empire" is something that people should know about and understand? How important is empire, as a concept and a historical phenomenon for people living in the 21 st century, and what questions are worth asking about the concept of empire at this point in time? The chapter presents a brief summary of a small exploratory study which aimed to provide insights into what young people in England learn about empire in schools today. The outcomes revealed that the teaching of empire in English schools often focuses predominantly on the zenith of the British Empire in the 19th century.

    This noted, empires are a longstanding and ubiquitous historical phenornenon. Although changing in forrn and nature, they have an influential impact on the way the world operates, and on many people's lives, right up to the present day. The chapter considers the implications of this reality and the concluding section suggests ways in which the teaching of empire might provide more useful and meaningful insights into this important historical phenomenon. It also raises the broader question of whether the aims and purposes of a historical education are constant and unchanging or should evolve in response to "the challenges ofour times."