Title: Problems of history
Headings: Problems of history
Problems of history
Generalisation
Conspiracy theories
Myths and mythology
Nationalism
Nostalgia
‘The noble savage’
Eurocentrism
‘Top-down’ or ‘bottom-up’?
The militarisation of history

Content: popular history’ and ‘good history’ are rarely the same. There is a sizeable gulf between historical understanding in the public domain and the history written by historians. The general public can be knowledgeable and interested in the past but unlike historians, their knowledge is not usually based on rigorous standards of research and evidence. Popular history is often simplified, ‘cherry-picked’ and distorted to the point of corruption. There are several reasons for this. Most people tend to value story over analysis. When thinking about the past, they like clear and simple explanations. They like to assign responsibility, liability or ‘blame’. They like interesting and ‘complete’ narratives with moral heroes, immoral culprits and satisfying endings. They also like to think their own nations and societies to be more advanced, civilised or culturally superior than others.