Journal article
Should we only teach about real people and real places?
- Abstract:
- This article offers a discussion of teaching about real people and places. Examples of not-real people and places in the influential publication 'Thinking Through Geography' (Leat, 2001) are critically discussed, and an argument is made against the teaching of geography through not-real people and places. The examples from 'Thinking Through Geography' are suggested to: be necessarily limited in a way that sources about real people and places are not; include a problematic hidden curriculum; and offer a type of representation that positions imaginary places as if they were real. What 'the real' means is explored, and it is argued that, while teaching about not-real people and places is potentially highly problematic, simply teaching about 'the real' is impossible. A notion of 'useful fictions' is offered, and suggestions are made for further engagement with representation and abstraction in school geography.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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- Publication website:
- https://www.geography.org.uk/Journal-Issue/081bfbd2-cc54-490b-bbe3-4cacb5adc2c1
Authors
- Publisher:
- Geographical Association
- Journal:
- Geography More from this journal
- Volume:
- 102
- Issue:
- 1
- Pages:
- 26-32
- Publication date:
- 2017-04-21
- Acceptance date:
- 2017-03-01
- EISSN:
-
2043-6564
- ISSN:
-
0016-7487
- Language:
-
English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
1048415
- Local pid:
-
pubs:1048415
- Deposit date:
-
2020-10-15
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Geographical Association
- Copyright date:
- 2017
- Rights statement:
- © The Geographical Association 2017.
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