Sensibilități și controversate în predarea istoriei
Teaching about sensitive and controversial issues în History classes

Summary/Abstract: The study of history not only helps us understand particular events of the past but also indicates how we should behave to avoid repeating some reprobable actions of a distant or more recent past. Conventional history teaching singles out one perspective of events as “the truth”, but this approach must be reconsidered in a European continent that aims to be a truly integrated community. It is a known fact that historical truths are not absolute and that historical knowledge is subjective, therefore controversial issues must be approached in a multidisciplinary manner in history classes as their understanding contributes to the understanding of the present. History often generates strong moral reactions, as some events are considered with admiration, others with discontentment, and others only with remembrance. Controversial and sensitive events are present at some point in the history of every nation. They are usually issues considering central aspects of group identity and refer to painful episodes or shameful events from the historic past of nations, which can be sensitive without being explicitly controversial. The reconstruction of the historic past during history classes may generate controversies difficult to manage by the history teacher due to these difficulties and the various facets of the same events given by different researchers. These controversies may also be caused by the inconsistencies between the issues taught in school, the history of the family or the communities, and other histories. Controversial and sensitive issues must be taught in class by using distancing and compensating, empathic strategies, or by using exploratory strategies which can generate in students the ability to critically analyze evidence and data to avoid the emergence of stereotypes and to offer insight into the possible consequences of present actions.

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