Facing History

Facing History and ourselves is a unique course. What else can you say about a course with almost no homework apart from blogging? Putting what I learned in the course is hard to say. Not because I did not learn anything, but because what I learned generally barebones was more than just barebones facts. I remember having a vague impression that the course was a history for class for people who don't like history classes. I don't remember how I got this impression, but I do remember that it made me reluctant to take it, and had to be persuaded to put it down on the list of electives I was willing to take.  I'm not sure that impression was precisely wrong, but it certainly was not completely right. I am glad I took it, and think it would be worthwhile to other students who enjoy their normal history courses, but I do feel that it's true value is in how it can connect those students who normally would find history quite boring, whether they prefer science/math or they simply do not enjoy almost any kind of academic setting. The average class is spent watching a movie. These are split fairly equally between documentaries and historical dramas, such as The Pianist. 

The documentaries purpose is self evident of course. But the importance of the dramatic films should be scoffed at. I can't help but imagine I am talking to an old cynical bureaucrat right now. "Watching Hollywood movies in class? Watching entertainment?" my imaginary bureaucrat is saying, “How can that help a kid learn about history with that?" Well for a start all of the films, (with a single exception) are closely based on documented events. More importantly the dramatic films connect students to the subject matter, showing how these events happened to human beings, not words in a history book. The difference in the intentions between Facing History, and the other courses, are that normal history classes are meant to teach students what events happened and why. Facing History is about teaching kids to see historical events, consider them, and think about their own actions. Its aim is less to enable students to list and argue various political and social reasons that Germany became fascist, than it is to stop and think "Would I have been a Nazi in that kind of situation?" I would describe myself as a very introspective person, and have thought about those kinds of questions before. However readings on things like the Hitler Youth, and related topics provided an excellent opportunity for considering how I would have acted in Nazi Germany.

 Exchanging opinions in Mr. Gallagher’s blog’s comment section  is an excellent way of seeing things from different points of view. If someone has not ever thought about such questions than I would strongly recommend that that they please, please, think about taking the course.

                 What I am grateful for this class for is for clearing up several misconceptions, and details I was unclear about on the Holocaust. The fact that the Nazi's would convince Jews to work with them in perpetrating their atrocity as a way of sparing themselves from suffering was a revelation.

I am amazed, and rather annoyed that I had never known that fact before.  I had not known about Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto, or the sabotage of crematoriums at Auschwitz. 

I had known about the Nazi paranoia of Jewish influence in various parts of their culture, but hadn't realized they were determined to purify the fine arts. The idea inherently subjective things like music, paintings, and other arts were 'corrupted' by Jews was very surprising to me, and gave me an idea into the mentality that lead to the Holocaust.  These kinds of details helped me to realize how many significant details of history stay out of general knowledge. After taking this class I much better understanding of how historical illiteracy can be dangerous.  I can see several ways a lack of general knowledge about the holocaust could be used for political gain, or lead to misunderstanding of how a similar event could take place.

                Something that the class did for me specifically was get a chance to see other peoples perspectives and examine my own biases. I recall watching the film "After the First." The film concerns a boy going hunting with his father for the first time, and feels disturbed after he shoots a rabbit. After watching it we split into groups and discussed the films message. It seemed that the general consensus of the group was that the film had an anti-gun message, with one person discussing a metaphor she saw with the rabbits. I thought that they were seeing things through a political prism, but since I couldn't see any meaning in the movie myself I did not argue. After we were done the teacher asked us our ideas about the movie were informed more by the movie or by ourselves. I realized I should have spoken up, and been willing to question the group I was in, suggested that perhaps the movie wasn't as complex as some people thought. I learned that I should be more willing to voice a dissenting opinion, a lesson that learning about the history of the holocaust reinforced.  Over all the most important thing I learned from the class is that I should be willing to challenge people I disagree with, even when I like them, respect them, or am under the authority of them, as well as be willing to listen to the ideas of those that I don't normally like or respect. I think I have always been a fairly open-minded person. I think that has always been a key strength of mine. But this course has made me more a little bit more open minded than I used to be.

 

And when I have considered a points of view, whether I agree or disagree with it, I am more willing to voice my opinion on it. That is because I was fortunate enough to let go of my skepticism and take Facing History and Ourselves.