Contested Narratives: Education, Identity, and Politics in the Post-Soviet Era (Cases of Armenia and Russia)

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel explores the intersection of education, identity formation, and political context in the post-Soviet periods. By examining history textbooks’ writing and history teaching strategies, the presentations investigate how national identities have been constructed, negotiated, and contested in response to shifting socio-political environments.
Together, the presentations contribute to broader discussions on the politics of history education, the role of textbooks in shaping national consciousness, and the evolving relationship between educational institutions and the socio-political landscape of the post-Soviet territory.

Sub Unit

• Sociology, Public Health, Education

Chair

• Anahit Kartashyan, Yerevan State U (Armenia)

Papers

• 'Country of Heroes': Wars in Russian School History Textbooks - Arseniy Kumankov, U of Mainz (Germany)

• Nationwide Identity and Security: The New Criterion and Armenian History Textbooks Discussions - Ashkhen Hakobyan, Yerevan State U (Armenia)

• The 1917 Revolution and Civil War in Current School Textbooks in the Russian Federation - Anatol Shmelev, Hoover Institution

• Unteaching 'Great Men' History: Strategies for Introducing Social History to Undergraduate Students in Post-Soviet Armenia - Tigran Matosyan, American U Armenia (Armenia)

Discussant

• Norihiro Naganawa, Hokkaido U (Japan)