ERIC Number: EJ1060707
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 34
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1050-8406
EISSN: N/A
Conquest or Reconquest? Students' Conceptions of Nation Embedded in a Historical Narrative
Lopez, Cesar; Carretero, Mario; Rodriguez-Moneo, Maria
Journal of the Learning Sciences, v24 n2 p252-285 2015
This article focuses on university students' understanding of the concept of nation. First an analysis of this concept from a historiographical point of view is presented. This allows for distinguishing between different conceptions of the nation related to 3 main approaches: the romantic, the modernist, and the ethnosymbolic approaches. Based on this analysis and also taking into account present research about history education and the construction of national identities, 5 different dimensions of the concept are presented: (a) historical subject, (b) identification, (c) territory, (d) legitimate claim, and (e) general concept scheme. Qualitative individual interviews were carried out with 31 Spanish college students about a Spanish foundational historical narrative, embedding the concept of nation, called the Reconquest (711 AD-1495 AD). Results indicated that although students showed tensions in their narratives, romantic conceptions dominated most of them. Possible reasons for the existence of these views are analyzed in terms of how the concept of nation is presented in and out of school. Also, implications for teaching and learning this concept are discussed, looking at learning strategies that could improve the understanding of this concept through its 5 analyzed dimensions.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Student Attitudes, History, Spanish Culture, Historiography, History Instruction, Historical Interpretation, Semi Structured Interviews, Personal Narratives
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain (Madrid)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A