The Conflict of Neo-Conservative and Liberal Historiography in United States and Lynne Cheney

Abstract

When education systems and history education are scrutinized, it is quite easy to notice the intervention of power in chronologically presented historical facts and massages that are conveyed through this information, which can be exemplified with many solid examples. As expected, alternative arguments are often constructed by sides that can be considered as opposition against this involvement of power. These contrasting opinions have myriad of points of origin according to which ideology they are based on, such as but not limited to liberalism, conservatism and socialism. This research examines historical meanings that were attributed by growing neo-conservatism in the United States after 1980, along with history education and history perception of Lynne Cheney who defended neo-conservatism. Thus, by profoundly portraying the education system of the United States, a country that stands among others as a modern state, we would be able compare the American system with its counterparts. While we write about how history education in a particular country can be subjected to various discussions and political conflicts, we will shed light to the fact that education, especially history education, does not only have educational purposes.

Keywords

• Neo-conservatism, the United States, History Education, Lynne Cheney

AMERİKA’DAKİ NEO-MUHAFAZAKAR, LİBERAL TARİHÇİLİK ÇATIŞMASI VE LYNNE CHENEY

Öz

Modern anlamda eğitim sistemlerine ve tarih eğitimine bakıldığında, kronolojik bir süreç halinde sunulan tarihi bilgiler ve bu bilgiler ışığında verilmeye çalışılan mesajların hemen hemen hepsinde iktidarın müdahalelerini hissetmek, hatta bu müdahalelerin somut örneklerle planını ortaya koymak mümkündür. Tabii iktidarın bu anlayışına karşılık her zaman muhalif diyebileceğimiz düşünce alternatifleri de oluşmuştur. Bu alternatifler çıkış noktaları itibariyle liberal, muhafazakâr, sosyalist vb. ideolojilerin merkeze alındığı çeşitlilik gösteren niteliklere sahiptirler.Bu yazıda 1980 sonrası Amerika’da, güçlenen neo- muhafazakarlığın tarih eğitimine yüklediği anlamlar ve bu düşüncenin savunuculuğunu yapmış olan Lynne Cheney’in tarih ve tarih eğitimine yaklaşımı incelenecektir.Bu vesile ile Amerika’daki tarih eğitimini anlatırken bir taraftan gelişmiş ülke modellerinin başında gelen Amerika örneği ile karşılaştırma yapma şansını bulmuş olacağız. Diğer taraftan da dünyanın herhangi bir ülkesinde okullarda tarih eğitiminin nasıl tartışmalar ve siyasal kavgalara konu olabileceğini, genelde eğitimin, özelde tarih eğitiminin, yalnızca eğitim olmadığını gözler önüne sermiş olacağız.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Neo-muhafazakarlık, Amerika, Tarih eğitimi, Lynne Cheney

Kaynakça

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