Ambiguity: Rethinking history education in postcolonial perspectives

Abstract

This contribution examines the role of ambiguity and the integration of tolerance of ambiguity in history education in response to debates within postcolonial studies. It argues that fostering tolerance of ambiguity holds potential for supporting students in engaging with contested historical narratives, while cautioning against the risk of slipping into relativism, which may undermine orientation in interpreting the past or present. Dealing with complexity emerges as a central human challenge and appears to be a core concern of history education in our world shaped by plurality, ambiguities, contradictions, and persistent (post-/)colonial power structures. In addressing the challenges involved in cultivating tolerance of ambiguity, the contribution critically reflects on tendencies toward binary thinking in historical narratives. It emphasizes the role of history education in enabling critical dialogue and in questioning (post-/colonial) narratives, advocating a differentiated approach that takes seriously the complexities of the past, the present, the future, and their entanglements.