National Myths

Is the purpose of history to promote a strong national identity and support national myths? Certainly, it has been used in this way for centuries, and this is often reflected in the history curriculum. We can all remember history at school as a matter of learning lots of facts and dates, and long lists of kings and queens - a grand narrative of how we got from a· not so civilized past to the great nation we are today. Putting aside the fact that national identity is a complex and divisive question - especially in countries like the UK, which is composed of several nationalities - this approach to history emphasizes a broad understanding, rather than a detailed understanding. Yet history is, or should be, a critical, skeptical discipline: some historians see their work as disproving myths, demolishing orthodoxies, and exposing politically-motivated narratives that claim to be objective. What students need to develop are more critical and analytical skills; in other words, to think for themselves. They can do this by studying certain historical problems in depth. This involves being critical of the narratives presented by historians and skeptical of the myths preserved in the national memory.