Assignment One: The History Wars

Essay Instructions:

Assignment #1: Point of View Paper: The History Wars
Prompt: Why have history curriculums created so much controversy around the world? What should history teach children, about their nation(s) and the world? Why?
• The first question of this prompt requires you to marshal evidence from the course to make an academic argument: why have history curriculums created so much controversy around the world? (Why do we have “history wars?” What’s at stake in these debates? Where and how have these confrontations played out?)
-Use ideas and examples from lecture and the readings/course materials to answer this question.
-Spend at least two pages on answering this first question.
• The second part of the prompt asks you to marshal evidence from this class to come to your own conclusion (a point of view) about the purpose of history teaching: What should history teach children, about their nation(s) and the world, and why? This is often a fundamental disagreement at the heart of battles over history and curriculum, engaging ideas of power and values.
-Draw on examples from lecture and the readings/course materials to make an argument about what you think the purpose of history should be for young people in schools. Should it be about developing a love and loyalty to country? Is history an ongoing “conversation” and debate over the meaning of the past? Is the purpose to instill pride in one’s heritage? (Whose heritage?) Critical thinking skills? A sense of community? Should it function to expose and overcome past and current injustices? Some combination of these? Something else entirely?
-Spend two-three pages answering this question.
-Note: we will not be grading you on the stance you take, but rather if you support that stance with evidence and make a strong, evidence-backed case for your point.
Requirements:
• Use at least 3 readings/media objects from class to answer the prompt and advocate a position(use proper in-text MLA form).

● The paper should be 4-5 pages in length, 12-pt font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins,
• Have a clear thesis statement of 1-3 sentences that is developed over the course of the paper (The thesis should be clearly written, somewhere in the first paragraph,
and present an original and thoughtful argument)
• Strategically and effectively use evidence from course texts/materials to prove the
thesis
• Reflect a clear organizational structure (with an intro paragraph, supporting
paragraphs logically arranged, and a conclusion) Prove, don not tell
• Be clearly written
• Use MLA citations and include a bibliography
My personal requests for this paper:
1. The thesis in the first paragraph should answer both questions in the prompt.
2. sources:Thereadingsthatyoucanuseareinthefile(mustuse“IntheMatterof
History”), the rest two you can choose.
There is one source that is an online source: http://bostonreview(dot)net/race/lorgia-garcia- pena-mordecai-lyon-decolonize-university
I also include the class lecture ppt, you can find some key points.
3. The first question Why have history curriculums created so much controversy around the
world? I think most of the evidence can be found but not limited in articles “In the Matter of History” “Geography, History, and citizenship”. My understanding of this question(you may use as argument in the paper): history created so much controversy because: a. History is like politics, it helps build national identity, different nations have different perspectives and political purpose in writing history (imperialism, “us” narrative vs. “them” ). b. Historians create contradictories while writing history and historical fact is independently and objectively
4. Inthepaper, please answer all questions from the prompt and meet all the requirements. Using in-text MLA quote citation and after-text bibliography correctly

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Assignment One: The History Wars
History is complicated because of the constant change in views and perspectives over time. Historians, philosophers, and public intellectuals have taken upon themselves to record, study, and analyze history to come up with explanations for why things are the way they are. For countries, history is a component of its identity that represents the good and the ugly. This gives birth to political narratives for and against what the country’s history stands for. This essay, therefore, looks at stakes in the fight for political dominance being the cause of history wars and how it plays into successfully controlling narratives of a country’s history. Consequently, it explains why history causes so much controversy since it is required for stable nation-building and the cultivation of national values. Therefore, history should teach children about the strengths and weaknesses of their nation to be more inclusive in fostering love and loyalty to the country.
To understand why we have history wars, it is important to consider the impact of historical narrative on countries’ and the process of nations’ building. According to the article “In the Matter of History”: “History is unceasingly controversial because it provides so much of substance for the way society defines itself and considers what it wants to be”(Nash 7). A government with a common identity and structure is more likely to elicit a sense of loyalty and patriotism within the citizens. A firmly established and peaceful political state is dependent on recognized principles therefore, the government relies on school curriculums to maintain the status quo. History curriculums are therefore an important tool for governments therefore, political elites are incentivized to control the narrative of a nation. The governments go about it will bring out oppositions from different factions that don’t agree with the narrative. Aspiring political candidates are also incentivized to use the history of a country to garner the support of factions that are unsatisfied with the current government. History wars are the outcome of the push and pull of political narratives that intend to acquire or retain power.
The controversy arises because the curriculum provided in schools has a major impact on the post-school occupation of individuals and conditioning their minds to accept political views. In the lecture, the professor uses a quote from Napoleon I: “If the child is not taught from infancy that he ought to be a republican or a monarchist, a Catholic or a free-thinker, the state will not constitute a nation; it will rest on uncertain and shifting foundations, and it will be constantly exposed to disorder and change.” When done effectively, countries enjoy a shared sense of identity and are satisfied with the dealings of the government. However, the opposite is also possible as the ugliest periods in history involved oppression, empire-building, and constructing racial hierarchies that utilized information as a radical control tactic. During the colonial period in Kenya, the colonial government designed a curriculum that stressed vocational and religious education. The vocational education was to condit...

Updated on January 26, 2024

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Assignment One: The History Wars

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