On historical consciousness and popular pasts

Abstract

This article investigates the nature of historical consciousness-conceptualizations and constructions of the past outside academic history-and the way in which this has changed in parallel with developments in historical theory in recent decades. With the increased constructivist questioning of historical narratives as somehow objectively true, academic history is seen to have lost some of its authority regarding the past. It is argued that, in becoming more aware of its nature as interpretation as well as more sensitive to its motives and consequences, history now has the potential to become more pragmatic and presentist. At the same time, some theoretical discussions have turned to the less strictly historical questions of memory and presence, thus evading the call to responsibility. By examining historical consciousness in relation to these debates, the article suggests that, in line with the liberation of the past from the constraints of academic history, historical consciousness no longer needs to be as focused on the interpretations and knowledge provided by the institution of history but can be increasingly determined by popular understandings and the needs of consumers.

The Level of Student's Historical Awareness in Historical Education Program as a Need Analysis of Digital Learning Media Development

“…Based on the data that has been described in the previous section, it can be concluded that they can understand historical awareness attitudes so that it can make it easier to teach these attitudes to their students later and they will also easily apply the values of historical awareness to everyday life. In line with that, Pihlainen (2013) argues that the development of media to increase historical awareness of historical awareness does not always focus on the interpretation and knowledge provided by historical institutions but can increasingly be determined by popular understanding and consumer needs. So the developer can adapt to what is in the field, for example, using specific local historical material for areas with potential historical heritage, developing instructional media for schools in need, and so on.…”