Mot interkulturella färdigheter? De utomeuropeiska samhällenas historia i finländska gymnasiets läroplansgrunder, läroböcker och studentexamen

Abstract

Against or towards intercultural competences? Teaching the history of non-European societies in Finnish upper secondary school in the 21st century

There is since 2003 an optional history course, Meeting of cultures (Kulturmöten), in the Finnish National Core Curricula for upper secondary schools. The course discusses the history of non-European societies. Some of the learning objectives can be criticised for reproducing a static picture of culture and cultural regions and for emphasising the competence to identify cultural differences rather than similarities. How images of cultural difference are constructed and what social implications and political uses they have is ignored in the objectives. The article analyses the curricula, the textbooks, and the matriculation examination questions relating to the course. It discusses, partly from an insider perspective, how the connections between curricula, textbooks and high-stakes test limit the possibility to redirect the approach in the course. It argues there has been little space in the course for reflexive analyses of the production and uses of cultural difference. Yet recent minor changes in the core curriculum may push textbook authors and exam constructors to a new fruitful direction when interpreting the objectives and contents in the core curriculum.