Reflection of the process of the Russian state centralization in school history textbooks of the late 1930s − early 1950s

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-406
Author(s):  
Nikita V. Tikhomirov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
History Textbooks ◽  
Russian State ◽  
School History ◽  
State Centralization

Narrative Strategies Regarding Japanese Ethnic Origins and Cultural Identities in Japanese Middle-School History Textbooks

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryôta Nishino
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
History Textbooks ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Narrative Strategies ◽  
Long Period ◽  
School History ◽  
Middle School History ◽  
Japanese Identity ◽  
Ethnic Origins

This article examines how middle school history textbooks published between 1951 and 1995 explain the origins of the Japanese as an ethnic group (minzoku). The analysis shows that despite the relatively long period from which the sample of textbooks was taken, these texts continue to emphasize two categories of Japanese identity: a biologically heterogeneous people through prehistoric immigration and a unified language. Building on the latter theme, the textbooks continued to treat the innovation of the kana as a quintessential development underlying the Japanese cultural achievement. The analysis reveals that the narrative tone shifted from being emotive in the early 1950s texts to somewhat muted in later decades.

Japan's History Textbooks Debate: National Identity in Narratives of Victimhood and Victimization

Asian Survey ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 683-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Bukh
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Junior High ◽  
History Textbooks ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Japanese People ◽  
National History ◽  
School History

This article examines the narratives of wartime victimhood and victimization in Japan's junior high school history textbooks in the early 1980s and in contemporary times from the perspective of national identity. Unlike most existing scholarship, this article argues that the narrative regarding the wartime suffering of the Japanese people can be seen as inducing a critical perspective on imperial wars and their disastrous impact on ordinary people. It also argues that contemporary narratives contest the notion of a monolithic Japanese identity and challenge Japan's monopoly over writing its own national history.

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