Narrative disputes and history teaching: contributions from a theoretical reflection

Abstract

In historical science, narrative has been a subject of reflection by different authors, from different approaches. This article aims to expand the reflection on the historical narrative—academic and didactic—in order to understand the limits of its attempt to represent the past. Based on this problematization, the objective is to set narrative as a focus of analysis in the teaching of history as a possible way to face the confrontation of narratives that are part of the classroom routine. The methodology is based on the critical analysis of specialized literature, seeking to understand the criteria that legitimize the historical narrative. In conclusion, based on the theoretical framework—especially on Paul Ricoeur—it is argued
that the procedures that constitute the historical narrative can be used as a viable strategy to cope with narrative disputes in the classroom and to promote the understanding of the relationship of trust and credibility that such written report holds in the task of representing the past.