Reflections of the Construction Process of Social Memory by the Political Sphere on the 2024 Social Studies Curriculum and 5th Grade Textbook
Chapter from the book:
Temizkan,
Ö.
(ed.)
2025.
Social Memory and Social Studies Education in Türkiye: Cultural Transmission, Political Construction, and Civic Learning.
Synopsis
Social memory is crucial for transmitting a society’s historical events, cultural values, and shared experiences to future generations. The political sphere plays a significant role in constructing this memory. Tools such as political discourse, historiography, and educational policies help shape and direct social memory. This study aims to analyze how the process of constructing social memory by the political sphere is reflected in the 2024 Social Studies Curriculum. In order to discuss the influence of political memory construction on educational policies, the study examines the curriculum’s learning outcomes, values, and skills. It also explores how these elements are represented through activities in the 5th-grade Social Studies textbook. The findings indicate that the Social Studies course serves as a platform through which the political sphere can contribute to the construction of social memory, thereby shaping students’ perceptions of historical and cultural identity. These results highlight the strategic importance of education in mediating the relationship between social memory and the political domain.
