Empati och dömande: Historiedidaktik och mänskliga rättigheter : Empati och dömande: Historiedidaktik och mänskliga rättigheter

Sammanfattning: Human rights are a relatively modern term that has a key role in our globalized society. Before human rights were developed, European colonialism was dominating the world arena and the rights that came with it. However, when human rights were established after World War 2 and it’s atrocities, decolonization began through social movements demanding independence and the rights they sought after. Throughout the twentieth century, human rights have been implemented in most countries and laws that protect human life against discrimination of ethnicity, culture, religion and gender, which also pervades the school's activities. In schools human rights have become an increasingly dependent resource to protect the rights for children but also adults. One subject that is highly affected by human rights is history when reflecting upon the treatment of indigenous people historically. When reading history it is important to source and corroborate sources in order to understand historical views and policies in order to connect them to the present. At the same time, empathy and judgment have become an increasing way of viewing history. According to a study made by Thomas Nygren, some students in Sweden tend to ignore historical views and place their own views of what's right and wrong historically connected to empathy and judgment. The consequence of viewing history through personal opinions or only referring to modern standards, may decrease historical consciousness and exclude critical thinking. To understand the school's foundation of values ​​and governing documents, colonialism is an essential historical area to make sense of the past, present and future. It may change the perception of what today's students think of how human rights has grown throughout history, and in turn affected our school system and society.