Insegnamento della storia e identità nazionale : una crisi europea

While the relationship with the past has once again become a divisive issue in the public debate in Europe, the correct way to introduce new generations to history remains an open question. As a rule, the status of history in educational systems has not benefited from its prominent place in social debates. Two opposing principles have polarised the debate on school curricula in recent decades: the drive towards a civic and emancipatory use of history, supported by transnational institutions, and an identity-based use, instrumentalised by national politics. This article aims to historicise the dialectic between these instances, arguing for a \u0022third way": instead of a normative stance, an historical and reflexive one. [Publisher's text]