Revised Image of the Ottoman-Turks in the Current Sixth-Grade Greek History Textbook: A Comparative Analysis with the Previous Edition

Abstract

History textbooks are of key importance in constructing nations' identities. They have been the major medium for raising citizens who exhibit similar emotions and behavioural patterns in construing current events and developments. This paper traces back the formation processes of established stereotypes and the image of other(s) in relation to forming a positive self-image. Greece and Turkey have long been discussing forming teams of bilateral experts to emend their history textbooks, in particular removing othering and negative other images. Yet no success in this regard has been achieved, two littoral states have separately revised their textbooks several times. The focus of this study is limited to the current sixth-grade Greek history textbook, which launched to displace a historic textbook that was used for over two decades. The study employs interpretive discourse analysis and attempts to examine the main elements of self/other constructions, and whether there is a continuity or change in the Ottoman-Turks images between the previous edition and the current one in use.

Keywords

• Greece
• Greek history textbooks
• Ottomans
• Turkey
• Turks
• identity studies
• self/other
• image of Ottoman-Turks

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