School History & the 'Other' : It's Influence on Greek Pupils' Perceptions of the 'Other'

In recent years, issues related to the cultivation of national identity and the contribution of the ''other'' to the construction of national self has assumed considerable significance. Additionally, the way the past should be narrated and presented to the younger generation through school history is beset by continual and not easily resolved debates. This book, focusing on the Greek context, reports how and to what extent school history and history education contribute to the formulation of Greek youngsters'' national identity and perceptions of the ''other''. School history is conceived as a double-edge notion which includes official aspects (educational policies, history curricula and textbooks) and every day practice (implementation of official aspects and history teaching reality). Examining both edges, this book depicts the influence that school history has on pupils'' perceptions of the ''other'' in ethnocentric educational settings and underlines the contribution of other parameters inside and out of these settings.