15th November 2005, 08:05 PM
AT school I was taught, as part of the national curriculum (KS2-3 I think), topics such as The Romans, The Celts (whoever they were!), The Tudors etc. Never once was any understanding of who these people were ever conveyed, only a narrative (and a wholly innacurate one at that) of events that happened and people that occurred during a vague set of dates percieved to be the beginning and end of these periods. The idea of identifying any ethnic or even social diversity within these periods was never offered. Whats more, the opportunities to analyse them was never provided. They were taught because they were in the national curriculum.
Things may have changed (althought this wasn't all that long ago and I'm aware that in some areas it definitely hasn't). Perhaps if children were given a more balanced idea of the past based on [u]current</u> understanding of it (not to say that thats in any way balanced, but hopefully you can see what I'm getting at) AND were taught a basic level of critical analysis rather than being fed innacurate ideas as fact rather than outdated interpretation (which it is critical to understand these narratives as....in my opinion[:p]) they might be a little better informed and able to assess ideas about archaeology (amongst other things) and its possible relationship to themselves and anything else as opposed to, 'that thing with men with long hair and woolly jumpers getting dirty on the telly!'
The down side I suppose is that they're obviously not going to become archaeologists once they critical assess the pay, conditions etc! But then again we all know what's required to want to become an archaeologist anyway.....[:p]
Maybe I'm trying to say that factory feeding ideas into kids isn't a good thing, and what other people are saying here about archaeology MAY (or may not) be partly as result of that, amongst other things! I'm merely suggesting its a contributing factor and that we shouldn't be percieving the situation as limited to our discipline, but at the same time the answer possibly doesn't lie purely with targetting ethnic minorities or changing archaeology to attract a more racially diverse working community (not that anyone was suggesting that).
BTW, that certainly wasn't a go at teachers, more just me remembering what I was taught at school critically (especially with what I know now). Could be a unique perspective.....Maybe times have changed enough......I doubt it!
Gizza job!!!!! ....please!!!!!
Things may have changed (althought this wasn't all that long ago and I'm aware that in some areas it definitely hasn't). Perhaps if children were given a more balanced idea of the past based on [u]current</u> understanding of it (not to say that thats in any way balanced, but hopefully you can see what I'm getting at) AND were taught a basic level of critical analysis rather than being fed innacurate ideas as fact rather than outdated interpretation (which it is critical to understand these narratives as....in my opinion[:p]) they might be a little better informed and able to assess ideas about archaeology (amongst other things) and its possible relationship to themselves and anything else as opposed to, 'that thing with men with long hair and woolly jumpers getting dirty on the telly!'
The down side I suppose is that they're obviously not going to become archaeologists once they critical assess the pay, conditions etc! But then again we all know what's required to want to become an archaeologist anyway.....[:p]
Maybe I'm trying to say that factory feeding ideas into kids isn't a good thing, and what other people are saying here about archaeology MAY (or may not) be partly as result of that, amongst other things! I'm merely suggesting its a contributing factor and that we shouldn't be percieving the situation as limited to our discipline, but at the same time the answer possibly doesn't lie purely with targetting ethnic minorities or changing archaeology to attract a more racially diverse working community (not that anyone was suggesting that).
BTW, that certainly wasn't a go at teachers, more just me remembering what I was taught at school critically (especially with what I know now). Could be a unique perspective.....Maybe times have changed enough......I doubt it!
Gizza job!!!!! ....please!!!!!