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Journals name baner

No. 2(13) (2020)

Artykuły

A teacher as a memory maker. Analysis of history classes at a Polish school in Vilnius

Published: 2020-12-31

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of historical memory narratives conveyed to high school students during history classes. Of particular interest is the way in which history teachers shape their in-class narratives in the context of narrative conflicts between the cultural memory and the politics of history of the country’s government and the historical consciousness of the national group the teacher belongs to. The article claims that, in such cases, the way teachers shape their narratives pertaining to the past is a product of their agency and the strategies they adopt regarding the official narratives. The article distinguishes three strategies concerning government narratives (Hall 1980): hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional. The article is based on observation of history classes conducted in a Vilnius school with Polish as a teaching language, as well as interviews with history teachers employed by the school. The research carried out shows that, when it comes to selecting the strategy, a key role is played by the teachers’ emotions resulting from their personal experiences. In the Vilnius school, the experiences connected with one’s national group were the deciding factor.

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