Reparative remembering for just futures: History education, multiple perspectives and responsibility

Pete Manning, Julia Paulson, Duong Keo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

The growing literature around reparative futures in education agrees on the importance of multiple and inclusive narratives for learning about the past. Indeed, it is recognised that multiplicity has to be part of a reparative account of history given the harms caused by single, exclusionary and hegemonic historical narratives. However, there is limited literature, pedagogical guidance or accounts of how multiple perspectives approaches apprehend competing narratives of the past specifically on questions of responsibility. Drawing on experiences in Cambodia and the UK – where violent and colonial pasts (and presents) are poorly apprehended in the formal school system – this paper reflects on the place and absence of histories of responsibility within history education. We do so in order to explore the potential role such histories can play in securing more just and inclusive presents and futures. We explore the relevance of multiple perspectives pedagogies for futures research and ask questions around how multiple perspectives can interact, including whether they are treated equally, decontextualised, relativised, or can be weighted ethically towards narratives that are seen to be more ‘true’ or more in service of reparative goals. We identify limitations in multiple perspectives approaches around questions of ‘balance’ and representation before reflecting on lessons from theorists engaged in postcolonial and decolonial thinking to parse the ethical and political opportunities afforded through concepts that redefine responsibility around implication, shared future responsibility, and mutual interdependence..
Original languageEnglish
Article number103279
JournalFutures
Volume155
Early online date4 Nov 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Jan 2024

Funding

This research was supported by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council and Global Challenges Research Fund Network Plus awards “ Education, Justice and Memory ” ( AH/T007842/1 ) and “ Changing the Story ” ( AH/R005354/1 ).

FundersFunder number
Arts and Humanities Research CouncilAH/T007842/1, AH/R005354/1

Keywords

  • Historical responsibility
  • Memory
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Peace eductaion

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Development
  • Business and International Management
  • Sociology and Political Science

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