Historical Consciousness in Youth.

Theoretical and Exemplary

Empirical Analyses

The thesis that historical consciousness is an anthropological competence and

category is called into question. A concept of modern historical consciousness is
outlined which from then on serves as a working concept. This kind of historical
consciousness, it is argued, is not a universal anthropological fact, but a result of the
development of occidental cultures and societies. Long since a great number of
groups and individuals have been deeply affected by this development in which the
establishment of a scientific world view and methodical thinking played a major role.
Their historical consciousness is modern since it refers to a radically temporalized
and dynamic world and since it ties partial representations of this world to (implicit)
criteria of validity. Moreover it is closely connected with the possibility of self-critical
reflections which are grounded in the historically mediated encounter with strangers.
After a concise overview of the important questions and the state of the art in different
disciplines, selected results of a broader qualitative-empirical study are presented. In
the group discussions which were carried out with young people—only results from a
discussion with thirteen to fourteen year old grammar-school pupils (Gymnasiasten)
are presented here—the analysis revealed clear indicators of a specifically modern
historical consciousness. Looked at closely this consciousness is committed in a
surprisingly high degree to scientific-methodical standards of rationality. One may
welcome this as a successful implementation of a life form oriented towards rationality
into young people's everyday life or deplore it as a symptom of the distortion of
pragmatic orientations for activity and living by scientific standards: first of all it is a
fact that the commitment to tie the reconstruction of past realities, historical events
and contexts to an operation of knowledge which is intersubjectively transparent and
rationally justified and to reflect this is strongly developed in the young persons we
analysed. Their thinking proves to be specifically "modern" also in other respects. In
addition to the description of the historical knowledge in content and the historical
interests of the young people, this finding is described in detail. Finally it is discussed
to which degree the central finding can be applied against the widespread
lamentation of an alleged poor historical consciousness of pupils.
Young explorers aim to raise historical awareness

Organized by Turkey's Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Young Explorer Train Project
will kick off its second journey with 118 young female university students and graduates
to introduce the historical and natural beauties of countries once part of the Ottoman
Empire to young people. The journey will set off on Sept. 5 from the Edirne train station
and return to the city on Sept. 17. The train will visit Bucharest Romania; Budapest,
Hungary, Vienna, Austria Zagreb, Croatia; Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina Belgrade,
Serbia; Skopje, Macedonia; Pristina Kosovo and Thessaloniki, Greece. The first leg of
the project was executed with 118 male univer- sity students and graduates on
September 3. The project aims to raise historical awareness, create a social environment
for youngsters during the journey and encourage reading books through competitions.

Assessment of students’ awareness of the national heritage (Case study: The

preparatory year students at the University of Hail, Saudi Arabia)
This study financed by the deanship of scientific research, Hail, University,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to identify the degree of students’ awareness of
the national heritage, to investigate the role school in raising awareness of the
national heritage, to explore the degree of student satisfaction about that role
played in addition to explore the impact of family in predicting the personal
interest in the local heritage. A survey was conducted. About 250 questionnaires
were distributed to random sample of students in the preparatory year in both in
the males and females sections in cooperation with a number of teaching staff.
Students who accepted and filled the questionnaires were 210 only, from which
32 were incomplete and thus eliminated from the study. As a result, 178
questionnaires were accepted for the purpose of the final analysis, representing
a response rate of 87%. The results show that there is statistically significant
contribution for familial interest in the national heritage in predicting the personal
interest in local heritage. There is a statistically significant relationship between
the place of residence and the perception of the level of awareness of the
importance of the national heritage.
Public Interest Statement

Heritage subject is universally recognized. The aim of this article is to evaluate

the role of school in developing students awareness about their national heritage
as it is considered as one of the main social institutions affecting the society in
general where students stay for a long time to learn not only scientific information
but also values, traditions which would continue with the leaner till the end of his
life. Heritage awareness is an essential element of heritage conservation.
Heritage has a substantial importance for sustaining the economies of tourist
destination.

American Teens Need a History Lesson

Some basic facts of history are missing from the heads of a notable majority of teens.
This is the finding from the latest Gallup Youth Survey, in which we asked American
teens aged 13 to 17 a number of questions about American and world history.

About four in ten teens surveyed (42%) know that 1492 was the year of Columbus'
discovery of America. An additional 22% gave some answer other than 1492; more than
one-third (36%) said they do not know.

Senior-high history teachers have apparently been more successful than junior-high
teachers at getting this fact into young people's heads. Only 34% of teens 13-15 years
old pick 1492, compared to 52% of teens 16-17 years old.

Less than four in ten teens (39%) knew that it was the Civil War in which states' rights
were a major issue. About one in five (18%) gave some other answer, but a large
minority (43%) said they don't know which war was concerned with states' rights.

Both age and gender affect knowledge of the states' rights issue in the Civil War; boys
and older teens are more likely to get this one right than are girls and younger teens.

The year of the United States' birth is apparently an even greater mystery to teens. Only
one teen in four (25%) said that 1776 was the year in which the United States declared
its independence. About one-fifth (19%) answered with some other year. More than half
of teens (56%) said they do not know the year of American independence. Boys are
more likely than girls to know their country's birthday (30% of the boys know the year
was 1776, compared to 20% of girls).
Perhaps not surprisingly, above-average students and students whose parents both
attended college are more likely than other teens to get the correct answers to all three
of these history questions. And teens with one college-educated parent are more likely
than teens with no college-educated parents to get the answers right.

What document guarantees the right of a free press in this country? Many teens are
unsure about the answer to this question as well. Less than half (42%) gave some
semblance of a correct answer, with 18% naming the Bill of Rights, 16% naming the
Constitution, and 8% mentioning the First Amendment. Another 42% of teens said they
don't know the answer.

It's not just American history that buffaloes American teenagers, however. The poll
suggests that today's teenagers may need more than a few lessons in world history as
well.

Just two-thirds of American teens (66%) are able to identify Adolf Hitler with Germany.
One in seven (14%) give some other answer; 21% do not know with which nation Hitler
is associated.

Four in ten teens (41%) are able to associate Indira Gandhi with her home country of
India. A small minority (13%) give some other answer; nearly half (46%) simply don't
know.

Napoleon Bonaparte means "France" to just over a third of teens (36%), with 23%
giving some other answer and 40% saying they don't know where he was from.

Only one-fourth of teens (25%) can associate Winston Churchill with England. Just as
many (27%) give some other response; fully half (50 %) cannot identify Churchill with a
particular nation.

In every instance of identifying these world leaders, boys are more up on their
international history than are girls. Three-fourths of boys (74 %) can associate Adolf
Hitler with Germany, compared to just 58% of girls.

Half of boys (51%) know Indira Gandhi is associated with India, versus just 31%of girls.
Nearly half of boys (46%) are aware of Bonaparte's connection to France, versus just
26% of girls.

And while the gap is narrower regarding Churchill, 27% of boys can tell us he was from
England, compared to 22% of girls.

It is also the case that older students (16 and 17 years old) remember their world history
more successfully than do younger students (13 to 15 years old). Fully 72% of older
students associate Hitler with Germany, compared with 62% of younger students.
Fifty percent of older students know to associate Indira Gandhi with India, versus just
35% of younger students. And 44% of older students identify Bonaparte with France,
compared with 31% of younger students.

For Churchill, the figure is 31% of older students compared with just 20% of younger
ones.

Students of above-average standing, students from "white collar" families, and students
with at least one college-educated parent are also more likely than their counterparts to
associate these world leaders with the correct country. Teens whose parents both
attended college are more likely to know these answers than are teens with one or no
college-educated parents.

Teens living in suburbs are also more likely to have the correct answers than are teens
in urban or rural areas or small towns.

Survey Methods
These findings are based on telephone interviews with a representative national cross-
section of 501 American teenagers, 13 to 17 years old. Interviews were conducted from
January through April 2000. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95
percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random
effects is plus or minus 5 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into
the findings of public opinion polls.
7 National Heroes of Indonesia Who Did Not Live to See
Independence

Most nations have their own stories of independence.

A story about their struggles and resilience in gaining liberty fueled by an aspiration to
be freed from the chains of oppression. Colonisation and conquests are inseparable
parts of history, and Indonesia’s past is no different.

This year (2016) Indonesia celebrates its 71 years of independence on the 17th of
August, 2016. The steps that Indonesia took to achieve this feat were not easy, and
today, in honour of the sacrifices made by the ones who had helped in achieving
Indonesia’s freedom, we recognise those who fought in the struggle but never lived to
see the independence.

 we are taking a look into 7 of many who had played a major role in shaping Indonesia
as what it is today, but never had the opportunity to be part of the glory they fought for:
 So here are 7 Indonesian heroes that never lived to see independence…

1. Teuku Umar (1854 – 1899)

Rindamiskandarmuda.mil.id

Teuku Umar was one of Indonesia’s masters of deception during the colonial era. Born
in Aceh, 1854, he fought in the Battle of Aceh when he was just 19 years old, although
his forces were forced to retreat in 1878. He married Cut Nyak Dhien in 1880 and
pretended to accept the Dutch’s offer for a peace treaty and after acquiring enough
weapons from the Dutch by saying that he needed more weapons to succeed in a
mission, Teuku Umar distributed the arms to his own forces in Aceh and fought against
the Netherlands once again. That was not the only time Teuku Umar successfully
deceived the opposition; he did it once again in 1896 before being shot by the Dutch in
1899.
 2. Sultan Hassanudin (1631 – 1670)

Biografiku.com

Sultan Hassanudin, nicknamed The Rooster from the East, or de Haavvan de Oesten in
Dutch, due to his bravery and valour in retaliating against colonisation was born in
Makassar, South Sulawesi, 1631. He attempted to unify all the kingdoms in the East
side of Indonesia to fight against the Netherlands, which started in 1660. Sultan
Hassanudin even managed to seize control of two of the coloniser’s ships, de Walvis
and Leeuwin. He signed one of the most notable treaties during the colonial era, the
Bongaya Treaty, which marked the commencement of the market monopoly by the
Dutch East India Company. Sultan Hassanudin died in 1670, putting his remarkable
endeavour of bravery into an end.
 3. Cut Nyak Dhien (1848 – 1908)

Biografiku.com

Cut Nyak Dhien was born in 1848, Aceh. Growing up in a patriarchal family and society
at the time, she was married to Teuku Ibrahim Lamnga, who lost his life during a war
against the Dutch. She was then married to Teuku Umar who allowed her to join him in
the battle against colonisation, and together, they commanded the forces and waged a
number of battles to achieve independence. Even after the death of her husband, Cut
Nyak Dhien continued to fight until the bitter end. She died of old age in 1908, and her
legacy as one of the fiercest female fighters for independence still lives on.
 4. Prince Antasari (1797 – 1862)

irwanreker-parkker.blogspot.com

Prince Antasari was born in Kayu Tangi, Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan, in 1797.
He was one of the national heroes who attempted to free Banjar from the Dutch’s
colonisation after being trusted with the task of monitoring the movements of the people
in the area and fight off the Dutch. From attacking the Dutch’s coal mine during the War
of Banjar to the assault on the military posts, Prince Antasari had always shown a
fearless attitude and utmost resilience in all his people’s and his own endeavor for
independence, as proven by his letter to the Lieutenant Colonel Gustave Verspijck in
Banjarmasin which stated about his refusal to surrender. He remained a valiant figure
until his death in 1862 due to the lung disease and smallpox suffered during the battle in
Bagantung Hills.
 5. Tuanku Imam Bonjol (1772 – 1864)

kiblat.net

Tuanku Imam Bonjol was one of the most renowned figures during the colonisation
period in Minangkabau, Sumatra. Born in 1772 in Bonjol, West Sumatra, he was the
leading figure for the Padri, which was the group of people fighting for the rights of the
Muslims in Minangkabau. What started as a fight for the religious influence soon
developed into a battle against colonisation by the Dutch in the Battle of Padri, with
Tuanku Imam Bonjol refusing to give in even after losing the war. Tuanku Imam Bonjol
died in 1864 after being exiled to Minahasa by the Dutch.
 6. Sisimangaraja XII (1849 – 1907)

Kompasiana

Sisimangaraja XII (Sisimangaraja the Twelfth) was born in 1849, Tapanuli. He

conducted a discussion with fellow kings within the area to be wary of the Netherlands,
and soon, tensions started to rise between him and the Dutch. Hence, battles upon
battles were waged, and despite him losing the battles, Sisimangaraja XII kept on
fighting by utilising guerilla tactics until the time when he managed to exhaust the
opposing armies. He fell in the hands of war after refusing to accept the Dutch’s offer to
surrender in 1907.
 7. Captain Pattimura (1783 – 1817)

kumpulangambarpahlawannasional.blogspot.com

Born in Hualoy, South Seram, Maluku, in 1783, Captain Pattimura had always been
viewed as a charismatic leader. He had fought against the Dutch East India Company
and colonisation due to the unjust treatments after the shift of power from England to
Netherlands. He had coordinated a number of major battles such as the battle for the
Durrstede Fort, before his death by hanging after refusing to cooperate with the Dutch in
1817.

Being an independent nation may not be easy, be it before or after the declaration, and
these seven individuals, along with many more others, are now the prominent figures
that have acquired an eternal life in the form of the results that they have contributed to
Indonesia and its society, as well as their legacy in many forms.