Cultural learning and historical memory: A research agenda

Abstract

Over the past two decades, there have been significant developments in the field of cultural learning. In museums, galleries, archives, and in myriad informal educational activities, children and adults have been encouraged to identify, explore, and celebrate their heritages in an attempt to combat social exclusion and promote individual and collective well-being. This paper argues that projects for cultural learning are important educational interventions, but their operation and outcomes are matters that require further research. In particular, cultural learning offers opportunities for historians of education to critically engage with important topics around history, memory, and identity. Yet, this critical engagement will also require reconsidering and refining the theoretical models currently popular in the history of education. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.15572/ENCO2014.01