Interpretative paradigms The Holocaust in textbooks

1 interpretative paradigms

1.1 conceptualizations of holocaust
1.2 aims, motives , responsibilities of protagonists
1.3 causes
1.4 historiographical paradigms
1.5 metanarratives
1.6 comparisons

interpretative paradigms

textbook authors present holocaust in context of political history of second world war (of rise of national socialist party, of hitler, of nationalism, expansionism , appeasement), emphasize state racial policy, hitler’s personal beliefs, totalitarianism, , concentration , extermination camps, while in cases drawing on historiographical models such ‘breach in civilization’ (in chinese , indian textbooks) , stages of ‘deportation’, ‘concentration’ , ‘extermination’ (in ivorian textbook) correspond concepts found in dan diner’s , raul hilberg’s work on holocaust.

conceptualizations of holocaust

the majority of textbooks in countries name event ‘holocaust’, added, in course of presentations, paraphrases of event in terms of, example, ‘discrimination against jewish people, sent concentration camps’ (in japanese textbook) or, characteristically, ‘systematic killings’, ‘extermination’, ‘systematic genocide’, ‘final solution’ , ‘massacres’ (in south african textbooks). largely descriptive nature of history textbooks means adopt inclusive definitions of event, is, definitions derive details of event rather exclusive priori definition. exceptions general rule cases in holocaust not named or alluded euphemistically, in 1 indian textbook, or in paraphrased in partial terms, in egyptian , syrian textbooks.

aims, motives , responsibilities of protagonists

most commonly, in countries, personalization of event (its explanation stemming personal convictions of 1 person) in relation hitler central interpretative paradigm. textbook used in namibian schools characteristic of technique. in book, holocaust dealt in section entitled ‘antisemitism’, on first page of word ‘hitler’ appears in box in middle of page arrows point towards party organizations; authors describe hitler’s personal ‘determination remove jews germany’. english textbooks refer hitler’s irrational hatred of jews , personal desire revenge against jews.

causes

the named cause of holocaust ideology (racism, antisemitism, totalitarianism, authoritarianism, militarism, capitalism, fascism). textbooks in brazil, germany, côte d’ivoire, japan, republic of moldova , rwanda qualify expansionist policy of nazi germany form of colonialism.

historiographical paradigms

most textbook authors make use of 1 or more historiographical paradigms in order explain holocaust. 2 common, , largely shared, paradigms identification of categories of protagonists in terms of perpetrators, victims , bystanders, , attribution of moral responsibility 1 or more individuals in has become known ‘intentionalism’. textbooks in survey conceive of protagonists either perpetrators or victims, in addition resisted regime and, occasionally, bystanders and/or rescuers. no textbooks explore ambivalent roles beyond these categories. in cases, in french , ivorian textbooks, hilberg’s stages of holocaust, defined identification, concentration , deportation, reflected in textbook representations. other paradigms include: ‘breach of civilization’ ascribed dan diner, echoed in textbooks in china , india; behaviour of ‘ordinary germans’ ascribed daniel goldhagen in english textbooks; effects of bureaucratization ascribed zygmunt bauman, featured in textbooks in argentina; effects of peer pressure ascribed christopher browning, discussed in textbooks in usa; cumulative radicalization or functionalism ascribed hans mommsen, raised in textbooks in england; , references colonial aspects underpinning holocaust, made in textbooks brazil, germany, japan , republic of moldova. large variety of historiographical authorities , works referred in order explain event show there little consensus between textbook authors on explanatory models.

metanarratives

a small number of textbooks, in argentina, poland, spain , usa, example, complement presentations of history of holocaust meta-historical commentaries in form of glossaries of historic terms. meta-narrative approaches pedagogically effective when explaining political expediency of commemorations of holocaust via monuments or in international relations, in textbooks argentina, germany, india , russian federation. encourage critical approach such phenomena personality cult surrounding hitler, outlined in salvadorian textbook in our sample. in exceptional cases, authors not apply historiographical paradigms, discuss merits, in sketches of hannah arendt’s, zygmunt bauman’s , daniel goldhagen’s explanations of holocaust in argentinian textbooks.

comparisons

comparisons between holocaust , other mass atrocities or genocides alluded not explained. usage of terms ‘terror’ , ‘cleansing’ in polish textbooks describe historically different events detracts historical specificities. similarly, use of term ‘terrorist’ describe hitler in 1 brazilian textbook, ‘terror’ describe holocaust in 1 german textbook, or definition of zionist forces in palestine jewish ‘terror groups’ in 1 iraqi textbook lend semantic confusion if not anachronism. similar semantic confusion arises when term ‘extermination’ used describe function of gulag in 1 brazilian textbook or when belarussian textbook inaccurately claims national socialist regime planned ‘extermination of soviet people’, or when different regimes described collectively ‘totalitarian’ in argentinian, brazilian, french, moldovan, polish, spanish, , briefly in english , rwandan textbooks. use of term ‘fascism’ describe german , japanese authorities during second world war , use of term ‘genocide’ (datusha) in chinese textbooks refer crimes committed both japanese forces in nanjing , national socialists in holocaust detract historical distinctions. comparisons evoked use of images. juxtaposition of images of different events, such images of auschwitz , nanjing massacre in 1 french textbook, or of dresden , hiroshima in french textbook, association of suffering during holocaust suffering caused atomic bomb in hiroshima in 1 ivorian textbook, or association of auschwitz , life under apartheid in 1 south african textbook, obscure historical differences rather explaining them comparatively. while such indiscriminate use of terms , imagery describe different historical events commonplace, , while textbooks in countries allude similarities juxtaposing images or textual association, textbooks in poland , argentina, example, avoid relativizing holocaust providing clear explanations of comparable motives, methods , aims of perpetrators of different mass crimes.