Taking the First World War as an example the workshop will demonstrate how concept learning can serve as an approach in CE to explore the dynamics of conflicts and war.
How could concepts like 'fatherland' and 'honour' contribute to war euphoria all over Europe in 1914? Would this be possible today? Key concepts that have been and still are central in European countries, such as 'nation', 'patriotism', 'man', 'honour', 'courage', 'Europe' have been explored by young people from all over Europe in a workshop held in spring 2014. The historical use of the concepts has been compared with their contemporary understanding, whilst reflecting their societal and personal significance as well as their lasting potential to mobilise political and civic action.
The members of the NECE focus group CLEAR will share their experiences with concept learning related to the history of the First World War and will discuss with the participants how key concepts can shed light on important societal conditions and they will reflect the impact of concept learning in CE.
Inputs by
Claudia Lenz The European Wergeland Centre (Norway)
& Lise Kvande, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway)