Voice or Silence: Intergenerational Narratives and Official History about the Troubled Past in Cyprus
Voice or Silence: Intergenerational Narratives and Official History about the Troubled Past in Cyprus

Summary/Abstract: The relationship between intergenerational narratives and official history education concerning the 1974 Cyprus conflict, is explored in this paper, drawing from a doctoral thesis which investigates how Greek-Cypriot survivors interpret these events and share their experiences with younger generations. Through semi-structured interviews with 23 parents and grandparents of lower secondary school students in Cyprus, this paper highlights their concerns about the history textbook and teacher as tools of the government in promoting the State’s selected view of the past. It emphasizes on how they conceptualize school history to be and how they transmit historical knowledge as they identify political involvement in school history, which blocks a bona fide representation of history. Thus, they adopt independent initiatives such as storytelling, witnessing funerals of missing persons, and visiting historical sites to reinforce family memory. These intergenerational memory practices enable youth to connect with the past and understand their place in society. Research findings underscore the need for further exploring family-driven historical narratives, as these can provide a cohesive understanding of history while also influencing children’s perceptions by transmitting adults’ recollections. This study suggests the importance of widening our understanding of family memory and sensitive issues in history

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