This book focuses on inter- and intracultural differences in academic writing and ways of understanding. The example of primary and lower secondary history textbooks has been chosen as a rich source of cultural viewpoints, and in particular the topic of 'The Romans' as part of a common European heritage. Textbooks (and their related curricula) are examined in terms of their writing styles, the kinds of skills demanded in pupil tasks and overall objectives. Researchers working in different European countries: Austria, England, France, Germany (2 different LC$nder), Ireland and Italy present case-studies of 'The Romans' from their own country. It is thus possible to track cultural differences closely, and the intercultural expertise of the team also adds an informing dimension here. The writing team came together for a conference in February 2002 at the University of Bath to present and discuss their research. The book can thus be said to build on an interactive understanding of inter- and intracultural difference.

Papers from a conference held in Feb. 2002 at the University of Bath.

Offers an in-depth analysis of the historical, political and ideological backdrop to the denominational education system in the Republic of Ireland

The issues which are discussed in the 29 chapters of this volume address core matters with respect to modern diverse societies. The most important relate to the following: the societal needs of migrant populations and the educational needs of their children; the exclusivist policies which usually impact upon migrant groups; the need to enrich school texts and curricula with new intercultural and citizenship dimensions; the importance of integrating the notion of Paideia within the school ethos and educational programmes. This volume has a dual aim. The first aim is to envisage the field of Multicultural and Intercultural Education from different disciplines at the international level, describing the new educational and social conditions that have been created by recent migration and identifying new trends in the field. The second aim is to highlight the importance of Multicultural and Intercultural Education in the development of a new citizen, who moves around the world, interacting with different people, and has a dynamic and flexible identity with polymorphic personal, social and cultural characteristics – a new intercultural persona. To sum up, this volume highlights that authors coming from different continents share some common ideas and tend to believe in the notion of Intercultural/Multicultural Education as a useful new dimension within the dynamics of many disciplines, as a new inter-disciplinary approach that is embedded within them and which characterizes modern societies.

This Handbook outlines the current state of research in social studies education – a complex, dynamic, challenging field with competing perspectives about appropriate goals, and on-going conflict over the content of the curriculum. Equally important, it encourages new research in order to advance the field and foster civic competence; long maintained by advocates for the social studies as a fundamental goal. In considering how to organize the Handbook, the editors searched out definitions of social studies, statements of purpose, and themes that linked (or divided) theory, research, and practices and established criteria for topics to include. Each chapter meets one or more of these criteria: research activity since the last Handbook that warrants a new analysis, topics representing a major emphasis in the NCSS standards, and topics reflecting an emerging or reemerging field within the social studies. The volume is organized around seven themes: Change and Continuity in Social Studies Civic Competence in Pluralist Democracies Social Justice and the Social Studies Assessment and Accountability Teaching and Learning in the Disciplines Information Ecologies: Technology in the Social Studies Teacher Preparation and Development The Handbook of Research in Social Studies is a must-have resource for all beginning and experienced researchers in the field.

This cross-disciplinary edited collection presents an integrated approach to critical diversity studies by gathering original scholarly research on ideational, technical and actual social dimensions of contemporary governance through diversity.

This book highlights and examines the role of the textbook in legitimising established political and social orders. It analyses the way in which the ‘other’ is presented in school textbooks, focusing on a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and argues that the role of textbooks in developing and maintaining a national identity should be afforded greater critical attention. Textbooks can help form national identities by developing a society’s collective memory; this might involve a historical narrative which may be self-contradictory or even fabricated to a certain extent, including myths, symbols and collective memories that divide “us” from “them”, and ultimately resulting a dichotomy between the Self and the Other. As well as addressing a range of theoretical questions relating to the study of textbooks generally, the volume also covers a broad spectrum of Middle Eastern states and societies, with contributions from Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Cyprus, Lebanon, Iraq, Kurdistan, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel and Palestine. It will be essential reading for researchers and students working in the fields of Education, Sociology and History, particularly those with an interest in national identities in the MENA region.