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The more I think about it the more angry I am that we are taught history as a series of politicians starting wars and kings beheading wives. There are SO MANY lenses to look at history through, why must we focus on this?
I thought I'm not interested in history, because I'm not interested in which king shagged which princess in what year, and learning about all the many horrid ways that people have suffered and died in war makes me want to cry. But recently I've realised that there's SO MUCH MORE.
I could have learned about:
- history of queerness
- history of race
- development of scientific thought and history of medicine
- social history; huge social change in the 20th century I'd have loved to learn about
- economic history and the switch from feudalism to capitalism
- history of queerness
- history of race
- development of scientific thought and history of medicine
- social history; huge social change in the 20th century I'd have loved to learn about
- economic history and the switch from feudalism to capitalism
- rise and fall of superpowers throughout history
- pre-history history, and what we know of very early man
- how gender has been perceived throughout time and in various societies
- how class systems have changed over time
- history of fashion
- technological history
- pre-history history, and what we know of very early man
- how gender has been perceived throughout time and in various societies
- how class systems have changed over time
- history of fashion
- technological history
- history of colonialism; I think it's downright criminal that the British Empire has caused so much ongoing damage and we aren't asked to learn about it (or its horrors) in school
- history of art
- history of religion, and how major world religions have developed
- history of art
- history of religion, and how major world religions have developed
- history of colonialism; I think it's downright criminal that the British Empire has caused so much ongoing damage and we aren't asked to learn about it (or its horrors) in school
- future studies! What past people thought the future would be like, and our own speculations
- future studies! What past people thought the future would be like, and our own speculations
Perhaps most importantly, history class could include more focus on what's happening in history RIGHT NOW. We could encourage students to read newspapers and talk about what they think will be remembered by history from the modern age - why? And EVALUATE the news they read.
I would also love to see "positive history" (as in positive psychology), a term I invented to describe the study of "golden ages" throughout history, what factors led to those coming about, and were there groups of people who lost out when that happened.
There's so much more! Environmental history (relationship with/views of the natural world throughout history), or history of specific objects - those can be very illuminating especially wrt social and economic history. Etymology and history of language!
In primary school, I learned about: the ancient Egyptians. The acient Romans. Little bit about Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. Daily life in World War II.
In secondary school: causes of World War I. Causes of World War II. Little bit about the Atlantic Slave Trade.
In secondary school: causes of World War I. Causes of World War II. Little bit about the Atlantic Slave Trade.
At GCSE I did all of those again, plus some of 20th century Russian History.
Oh and at some point Henry VIII, his numerous wives, and the Reformation.
None of this stuff is bad. It's all valuable and useful information.
Oh and at some point Henry VIII, his numerous wives, and the Reformation.
None of this stuff is bad. It's all valuable and useful information.
Some of it, especially the Reformation, is useful for understanding why the country I live in is the way it is. Most of it was not. And opportunities were missed - the Atlantic slave trade was covered as a series of events, not as a key factor in our current racial landscape.
It gave me the impression that if I read about history I'd be reading about huge, paradigm shifting events controlled by the political elite, and nothing else. As an adult I am discovering that there is so much more to history, and making a super long reading list.
I was failed by history class. I didn't understand how most of it was relevant to my life or how to use its lessons in understanding the world around me. I needed more social history, more direct links to the modern day, and less World Wars I.
I hope things change in the future.
I hope things change in the future.
