Osler, A., & Goldschmidt-Gjerløw, B. (2024). Nordic perspectives on human Rights education: Research and Practice for Social Justice.
Abstract:
The chapter discusses how the Nordic countries’ self-perception of being untouched by colonial legacies is an obstacle in addressing vital challenges within their educational systems, like exclusion, discrimination and racism. The tendency to ignore the Nordic colonial past reinforces a regional perception of the Nordic societies as post-racial, and ultimately undermines the ideals of inclusiveness and diversity that are inscribed in Nordic national curricula. Drawing on the textbook representations of colonialism, the chapter demonstrates that the textbooks tend to downplay Nordic colonial complicity and are often based on the assumption of a shared cultural and historical background. By emphasizing the inherently anti-human rights nature of colonialism, the chapter highlights a link between history education and human rights education and explores how the concept of historical awareness resonates with Homi Bhabha’s idea of ‘right to narrate’. Based on these reflections, the chapter draws attention to the teacher’s role in fostering critical thinking and empowering students to recognize and dismantle the colonial legacy.