Censoring History: Perspectives on Nationalism and War in the Twentieth Century: Perspectives on Nationalism and War in the Twentieth Century

by Hein,Laura E.

• ISBN13: 9780765604460
• ISBN10: 0765604469
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-01-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Considering the great influence textbooks have as interpreters of history, politics, and culture to future generations of citizens, it is no surprise that they generate considerable controversy. Focusing largely on textbook treatment of lingering -- and sometimes -- explosive -- tensions originating in World War II, Censoring History addresses issues of textbook nationalism in historical and comparative perspective. Discussions include Japan's Comfort Women and the Nanjing Massacre; Nazi genocide against the Jews, Gypsies, Catholics, and others; Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Indochina wars. The essays address controversies over textbook content around the globe: How and why do specific representations of war evolve? What are the international and national forces affecting how textbook writers, publishers and state censors depict the past? How do these forces differ from country to country? Other comparative essays analyze nationalist and wax controversies in German, U.S., and Chinese textbook debates.

Author Biography

Aaron Gerow is Associate Professor in the International Student Center at Yokohama National University Laura Hein teaches Japanese history at Northwestern Univesity David Hunt is Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts at Boston Inokuchi Hiromitsu is associate professor of sociology at the University of East Asia, Shimonoseki, Japan Kimijima Kazuhiko is Professor of modern Japanese history at Tokyo Gakugei University James Loewen is Professor of Sociology emeritus at the University of Vermont Kathleen Woods Masalski directs programs for teachers for the Five College Center for East Asian Studies at Smith College Gavan McCormack is Professor of Japanese History in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian national University Nozaki Yoshiko recently accepted a Lecturer appointment in the Department of Educational Leadership and Social Policy Studies, Massey University, New Zealand Mark Selden teaches sociology and history at Binghamton University Yasemin Nuhoglu Soysal is Associate Professor of Sociology at Essex University Gregory Paul Wegner is Professor of Educational Policy at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Part I: Introduction
The Lessons of War, Global Power, and Social Change	3	(50)
Laura Hein
Mark Selden
Part II: Textbooks and Historical Memory
The Japanese Movement to ``Correct'' History	53	(21)
Gavan McCormack
Consuming Asia, Consuming Japan: The New Neonationalistic Revisionism in Japan	74	(22)
Aaron Gerow
Japanese Education, Nationalism, and Ienaga Saburo's Textbook Lawsuits	96	(31)
Nozaki Yoshiko
Inokuchi Hiromitsu
Identity and Transnationalization in German School Textbooks	127	(23)
Yasemin Nuhoglu Soysal
The Vietnam War in High School American History	150	(23)
James W. Loewen
War Crimes and the Vietnamese People: American Representations and Silences	173	(30)
David Hunt
Part III: Politics of the Classroom
The Continuing Legacy of Japanese Colonialism: The Japan-South Korea Joint Study Group on History Textbooks	203	(23)
Kimijima Kazuhiko
The Power of Selective Tradition: Buchenwald Concentration Camp and Holocaust Education for Youth in the New Germany	226	(32)
Gregory Wegner
Teaching Democracy, Teaching War: American and Japanese Educators Teach the Pacific War	258	(31)
Kathleen Woods Masalski
Contributors	289	(2)
Index	291