Crises and renewals: reasons for making and teaching History

Abstract

This article addresses the current connection between History as a discipline and the teaching of History, with special attention to the result of this binomial, embodied in a critical renewal of history that responds to the current needs of society. To this end, the current crisis of the historical discipline is addressed and the decrease in confidence in traditional methods and approaches is underlined, while, despite this “crisis”, an optimistic vision of the future is
advocated, insofar as crises can be opportunities for the renewal of historiography. Likewise, the importance of integrating new perspectives and voices in History is emphasized, which leads to a certain decentralization of the discipline, and the impact of information technologies on historical teaching and research is questioned, as it must be accompanied by the development of critical thinking in students. The text also highlights the importance of History in understanding identity and contemporary challenges, and advocates a vision of History as a critical social instrument. In this sense, the need for a global history that connects the local with the global, integrating diverse themes and approaches, is raised. Finally, the
responsibility of historians in education and public debate is underlined, emphasizing that knowledge of the past is essential for making ethical decisions in the present and future.

Key words: Historiography; teaching of history; public use of the past; education.