(Un)learning the Lebanese Past: Envisioning History Education for the “Next Generation”

Sammanfattning: In view of its complex demographic composition and the lingering controversies on recent civil war historiography, Lebanon provides a unique case of education in a post-conflict context. The absence of a common Lebanese national history curriculum puts individual history teachers under significant pressure. In lieu of an engagement with recent national history, avoided because of its controversy, Lebanese history education remains largely focused on French and Ottoman history, with little relevance for present-day Lebanese affairs. Empirically based on narratives about educational experiences and reflections on history didactics from current Lebanese education students, this small-scale phenomenological study explores the complexities and political sensitivities inherent in Lebanese history education. Drawing on post-conflict and inclusive education theory, the thesis argues that an institutional and methodological marginalization of the subject of history, hinders Lebanese history education from becoming an instrument for reconciliation and social cohesion in Lebanon. The study contributes to an expanding field on research on post-conflict education by exploring the challenges and potentials of critically engaging with history didactics in the context of post-conflict Lebanese society.