Construction of stories: The glorified and the silenced in 1980 and 2015 Greek history textbooks Vilelmini Tsagkaraki Department of Integrated Studies in Education Faculty of Education McGill University, Montreal 2016 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy © Vilelmini Tsagkaraki 2016 I dedicate my work to my father Panayiotis, from whom I learned the importance of combining knowledge with kindness. i Abstract This research project is situated in the Greek context, one defined by the continuous diversification of Greek society and the rise of extreme right political groups. Drawing from the theoretical frameworks of a critical approach to diversity, the disciplinary approach to history, the principles of historical thinking, and Ross Dunn’s three models of world history, this study compares two sets of textbooks: the 1980 and 2015 grades six, nine, and twelve Greek textbooks of modern history. The three research questions of this study trace the development of the textbooks’ epistemological stance, their thematic focus, and the narratives of non-Western peoples. Research findings show that the 2015 textbooks have made moderate steps toward introducing historical thinking and a disciplinary approach to history, elements that were absent in the 1980 textbooks. Regarding thematic focus, the 2015 textbooks’ titles indicate a turn to world history; however, similar to the 1980 textbooks, little attention is paid to history beyond Greece and Europe. Finally, despite the fact that 2015 textbooks provide a greater exposure to non-Western history, both the 1980 and 2015 textbooks lack multiperspectivity. The voices and stories of non-Westerners are mostly silenced. The implications of these findings are linked to the writing of history textbooks in Greece. Reference is also made to the teaching of history and how it can prepare students deal with today’s multicultural and interconnected world. ii Resumé Ce projet de recherche se situe dans un contexte Grec, défini par la diversification continue de sa société et la montée de groupes politiques d'extrême droite. Puisant dans les cadres théoriques de l’approche critique de la diversité, de l’approche disciplinaire à l'histoire, ainsi que des trois modèles de Ross Dunn de l'histoire du monde, cette étude compare deux séries de manuels scolaires grecs de l'histoire moderne: ceux des années 1980 et 2015 de sixième, neuvième, et douzième classe. Les trois questions de recherche de cette étude retracent le développement épistémologique des manuels, leur thématique et les récits concernant les peuples non-occidentaux. Les résultats des recherches montrent que les manuels de 2015 comportent des mesures modérées prises en vue d'introduire une pensée historique, ainsi qu’une approche disciplinaire à l'histoire qui étaient absentes dans les manuels scolaires des années 1980. En ce qui concerne le focus thématique, les titres des manuels de 2015 réfèrent au “World History” (Histoire du monde), alors que dans les manuels des années 1980, peu d'attention est accordée aux sujets qui n’étaient pas reliés à l’histoire de la Grèce et de l'Europe. De plus, malgré la plus grande exposition à l’histoire non- occidentale des manuels de 2015, les volumes des deux époques – 1980 et 2015 - manquent de multi-perspectivité. Les voix et l’histoire non-Occidentale sont, la plupart du temps, passées en silence. Les résultats de cette analyse visent à informer et à influencer la façon dont les manuels d'histoire sont rédigés en Grèce. Il sera également fait référence à l'enseignement de l'histoire et comment ce dernier peut préparer les étudiants à faire face aux multitudes de cultures du monde interconnecté d'aujourd'hui. iii Acknowledgments The research and writing of this dissertation was possible due to the insight, guidance, and support offered by many people. First and foremost, I would like to thank my doctoral supervisor, Professor Ratna Ghosh. From the beginning until the very end of this degree, Prof. Ghosh, you have been my mentor, my friend, my family. Your broadened vision of multiculturalism and your critical conception of difference and identity have become the pillars of my work. Your leadership has also been a great source of inspiration. I learned from your example that a leader could be strong, but also generous, considerate, and kind toward others. Over the years, you have offered me your immediate support whenever I needed it. Thank you for your academic insight and for encouraging me along the way, thank you for reading and responding to my work, even when travelling all the way across the world. Thank you very deeply, for always having your door open when I needed someone to talk to. Thank you for being available to help me solve any issues, big or small, anytime they occurred. Thank you for standing by me like family during my health issue, for the flowers, for caring. I am extremely grateful to have had you at my side throughout this PhD journey. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Two more people who have been pivotal for the completion of this thesis are my doctoral committee members: Professors Anastasia Kesidou and Paul Zanazanian. I am grateful to both of you for the time and effort you put into this project. Prof. Kesidou, I still remember when we met in your office in Thessaloniki. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly, for openly sharing your resources and insights, and for agreeing to be on my committee. During the years that followed, your comments and suggestions provided my work with a necessary link to Greece. I recall very fondly all the long conversations we had about my research, about our homeland, and about life. I am grateful for your promptness and your encouraging and detailed comments during all stages of the research. Prof. Zanazanian, thank you for your willingness to join my doctoral committee at a later point in the research process, when I was making changes in my approach. Your guidance and expertise provided me with the tools necessary to navigate through new iv methodology and various aspects of history education. Thank you for the close reading of my work, for your insight, and for challenging me to reexamine elements of this thesis. I would also like to thank Prof. Ayaz Naseem, who was part of my committee before I changed my methodology. Prof. Naseem, thank you for your contribution during the earlier stages of this project. I am truly thankful to my professors from Loyola University Chicago, Prof. Erwin Epstein and Prof. Noah Sobe for acquainting me with Comparative Education. It was both of you who inspired me to move forward with my studies and pursue a PhD. The Faculty of Education and the Department of Integrated Studies in Education has felt like home in the years I have been a student at McGill University. Thank you to all the academic and administrative staff for your continuous support. I would especially like to thank Mr. Michael Larivière, the department’s graduate coordinator. Michael, I cannot thank you enough for assisting me every time I needed your help. Thank you for all the letters you have written for me, which allowed me to fulfill my obligations towards numerous institutions. Thank you for your patience and for always greeting me with a smile. I owe another special thanks to the former Greek Consul of Educational Affairs in Canada, Dr. Despina Hatzidiakos. Thank you for your willingness to listen, for your generosity, and your continuous support during the past two years. I would also like to thank Prof. Anastassios Anastassiadis for giving me the opportunity to work at McGill’s Modern Greek Studies program. I learned a lot from our collaboration and from my students during these two and a half years. The research for this project received invaluable financial support primarily from the Alexander Onassis Scholarship Foundation in Greece (2011-2015). I would especially like to thank the person responsible for my scholarship, Ioanna Kailani, for her continuous and kind assistance. I am also indebted to the WYNG Trust Fellowship for awarding me a one-year scholarship (2012-2013). I would also like to thank Prof. Ratna Ghosh, the Faculty of Education, and the Hellenic Scholarship Foundation of Montreal for their financial contribution in various stages of my degree. v Gratitude is due to the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, and especially to Mr. Fotis Komborozos, for opening the doors of their rich library and lending me the materials that have been the sources for my research. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Angelina Leggo, who meticulously edited this thesis in record time. Of course, this project would not have been possible without the immense support I have received from my friends. Whether near or far, your encouragement and your faith have kept me sane and gave me the strength to carry on. Ευχαριστώ, to all my friends in Greece: Thank you Lena Taki for always checking up on me and making sure that I am doing well. Thank you Katerina Tsalla and Anna Antonakaki for sharing your sea, your food, and for all the great laughs. These moments provided me with the necessary energy. Maria Georgoula, I am deeply grateful for all the support you have shown to me and to my family during these past years. Thank you for your patience, your thoughtfulness, and your generosity. A special thank you to my dear childhood friend Ioanna Sklavou. Thank you for pushing me to understand myself. Thank you for our long, long conversations and all the trans-Atlantic text messaging during times of difficulty. You are my sister. Merci to all my friends in Montreal! You made the PhD a beautiful and memorable journey.