Abstract
SOME THOUGHTS ON HISTORY EDUCATION AND PATRIOTISM
This study deals with the relationship between history education and patriotism with different perspectives from local and foreign literature. Within this framework, ideas regarding patriotism in history education were handled in some respects. Additionally, how patriotism in history education has been changed over time in terms of Turkish national history was examined.
At first, the attitude of an individual towards his/her country developmentally occurs in the period of the egocentrism that is based on the physical environment, then the socio-centric period and late adolescence period related with the development of objective view. Besides, patriotism has both affective and cognitive dimension. The nineteenth century holds an important place in shaping the attitude of an individual towards his/her country with the concept of patriotism. Hence, in the nineteenth century, with the development of national states, one of the main objectives of the national educations which controlled totally by the state was to inculcate the values like patriotism to younger generations. History education for younger generations has become an important educational area to inculcate patriotism. On the other hand, patriotism is not idealized in the same way for each country.
In this context, it can be said in general sense that different meanings to patriotism which means love of individual for his/her country were assigned. Thus, homeland and patriotism can be identified with the region in which national language spoken and political sovereignty exists, king or dynasty which assumes real representation of the country, political system, political institutions of the country and the country symbols. These different meanings for homeland and patriotism impressed history education and patriotism too. Educational, national and humanistic ideals and forms of governments keep an important place in these differences. Recently in the US, evaluating history education and patriotism in the light of Americanism, multiculturalism, citizenship and September 11th attacks is such a case. Then again in the Europe, there is a changing orientation in history education from homeland of nations to common European culture. As a result it can be said that patriotism in history education varies from country to country.
Another important issue in terms of history education and patriotism is humanistic ideal and history methodology. In this context, general of the arguments from past to present ar
Keywords
History education, patriotism, citizenship.