Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

The role of geographical education in shaping regionalidentity of childrenJoanna Szczęsna, Paweł WojtanowiczDepartament of Geography Education Maria Curie-Sklodowska University,al. Kraśnicka 2 cd, 20-718 Lublin, Polande-mail: joannaszczesna@tlen.plAbstractThe article treats of the role played by school geography in shaping emotional relations andsense of identity with their place of residence in children. The paper exposes the functionof education in developing such relations at primary school level. It shows how throughthe „Sciences” subject, implementing geographical contents concerning the economic andcultural environments of their own region, students can be made aware of their relationswith the region.Key words: regional identity, little homeland, cultural heritage, interdisciplinary pathway,regional education, primary school, landscape of immediate surroundings, teaching experiment,teacher educationIntroductionThe turn of the 20 th and 21 st centuries has been marked by integration and globalisationprocesses. Changes are particularly apparent in Europe. In 2004 the EuropeanUnion expanded by accepting ten new countries, more are waiting for access. Stateborders are becoming strictly formal in character, as people now move freely amongmost of the European countries. Representatives of different nationalities, culturesand religions, migrate for economic, scientific, or professional reasons to other partsof Europe, or even of the world. Cut off from their roots, they assimilate, to a greateror lesser degree, to new places and conditions, often losing their cultural distinctiveness.The processes of lifestyle, behaviour, and tastes are being unified, this can beseen even among people who have not left their home for a long time. The accessto mass sources of information and standards propagated results in people eating,drinking, and dressing in similar ways, having similar needs and wants, irrespectiveof geographical location.The world, in which unconstrained flows of information and people of differentnationalities is now possible, with no political barriers it is considered friendlyand convenient. There is, however one danger connected with the loss of culturaldiversity. For it is genuine customs, rites, architecture, arts and crafts, clothing, andcuisine, characteristic for each region and country, that make the world a “colourfulmosaic” which can be the source of inspiration or just a pleasant picture to look at.A very important task for the contemporary is to preserve that cultural diversity inthe modern world. The proof that we need such diversity, are people travelling to the276