We will hold a special seminar by Prof. Yiannis (University of Cyprus), who is currently at Waseda University as a visiting scholar.

○Title：The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Narrative and History Schoolbooks in Divided Cyprus

○Speaker：Prof. Yiannis Papadakis（University of Cyprus, currently Visiting Scholar Waseda University）

○Date & time：June 21 (Tue) 06:15 PM – 07:45 PM ／Zoom and Room 402, Bldg. 14, Waseda Campus

○Language：English

〇Eligible participant： students, faculty members

〇Contact：For Zoom links, please contact globalasia-office [at] list.waseda.jp

【Abstract】

What are the implications of presenting national history in the form of a story? The comparison of three sets of school history books in the divided island of Cyprus can reveal the political and moral implications of the narrative form for national history. A narrative presents history as a well-formed story with a beginning, an end and a protagonist. This, as will be explained, is similar to the standard form of Hollywood action films whereby victimization calls for revenge. This has been the form employed by the older Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot school history books which follow a common form despite telling opposed stories. The newer Turkish Cypriot school history books break with the narrative form, at the risk, though, of presenting a less powerful and compelling (hi)story.