Views and aspects concerning contemporary History in iformational books for children
Abstract
The modern and contemporary history of Greece is full of adjustments regarding the formation of national identity. These adjustments can be interpreted in many ways and remind us, not only of the narrative nature of History, but also of how crucial the factor of time is when issues such as the modification of individual and, consequently, of collective memory, arise. Examining our cultural course across time, it is evident that the shift to modernity impacted the economic, social, military, political and religious events that took place before as well as during the 1821 Revolution. We also unravel more and more different interpretations regarding the image of those who played a leading role during the Ottoman rule and the preparation of the War of Greek Independence.
More specifically, the representations of the members who constituted the bands of kleftes and armatoloi or men at arms in the memoirs, their historical and literary construction which rests on both individualized expressions and reliable reportage, are interesting examples which indicate the contradictions that arise when it comes to interpreting historical events and/or the personality of historical figures. This article examines the way Yolanda Hatzi, in her book entitled Kleftes and Armatoloi (Kastaniotis, 2020)with the contribution of the illustrator Petros Christoulias and the historian Christina Koulouri, , attempts to inform young readers about the bandits and the appointed security forces whose members formed an armed militia, their prominent role in the revolutionary movement and, also, their actions during the Greek struggle. Additionally, in order to discover the dynamics of children's informational picture books that pertain to History, this article looks into whether this genre actually helps children to gain insights into diverse notions which refer to our collective cultural construction and the way historical realities are shaped. Last but not least, we attempt to investigate the complex question of the possible connections of Literature with History through the lens of different national traditions and ideologies.
Article Details
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Αγγελάκη Ρ. Τ. (2021). Views and aspects concerning contemporary History in iformational books for children. Hellenic Journal of Research in Education, 10(1), 181–194. https://doi.org/10.12681/hjre.27404
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- Vol. 10 No. 1 (2021)
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