european journal of social sciences issn: 1450-2267 - EuroJournals

European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 5, Number 3 (2007)
Conclusion
The primary question here lies in the distinctive form and worth of community, and how far the
educational structure of that community should go in order to ensure that it retains its own sense of
identity, yet exercise a pragmatic approach to a much larger and more interconnected world. There is
nothing particularly wrong in fomenting the development of national character, but in this situation and
when one follows it to the ultimate end, it has succeeded in separating people rather than bringing them
together out of a sense of mutual pride. Raymond Grew (1980) addressed bias when he wrote of the
need and legitimacy in comparing historical accounts between peoples. Quoting Lord Acton, “The
process of civilization depends on transcending nationality” 27 . This speaks directly to the limitations
imposed by strict nationalist interpretations of historical accounts and directly addresses the Cypriot
situation.
The story and state of the island of Cyprus is one of the conflicts between group ethnic
experience(s). One of the parties happens, at the present time, to occupy a more advantaged position
than the other. The Turkish north is the one at a disadvantage here. Though it may not be fair, it is the
reality of the situation. Both groups of Cypriots desire to improve their status and standing in relation
to the world community. It is my contention that if both sides would take the steps of fundamentally
re-examining their structure of the history and civic knowledge taught in schools, it would promote
much of the faith and open-mindedness required for national and social healing with the generations
yet to come enter and leave the school doors. If the status quo remains unchanged or unchallenged, the
lines will be drawn even deeper and the already sizable tasks made larger and more difficult.
Regardless of the resources, be they monetary, ethnic, religious, or any other, using them within the
institution of education as a means to frustrate the ‘other’ or depict the other in a marginalizing fashion
will not help in presenting a solution to a problem. As has been shown in numerous other national
examples, ethnic beliefs and attitudes have inherently complimentary features that are more capable of
solving problems through dialogue than strictly creating them.
As important as cultural and ethnic identity is, it must still relent to the forces around it and
within it. There is an unhealthy context of hegemonic maintenance which occurs when the leadership
of a group of people is simply unwilling to budge, especially in light of efforts by leaders of other
countries. What sort of future is the political leadership building for their younger generations? It
would be easy to conclude that these are little more than ongoing proxy identity wars being fought
using schools and the same younger generations as a means to continue the conflict and reach a desired
end that is specific to the ethnically-oriented goals of the older generation. In a speech given by the
Cyprus chief negotiator, Cypriots are entreated to understand that it is in their own best interests to
overcome what has historically separated them and possess a common set of goals and vision for the
future 28 . The legitimacy inherent in any historical account lies in the power of depiction 29 .
Eventually, the north will have no choice but to concede, but by that time they may have come
to occupy an even lower position of affluence or influence with respect to larger social and economic
entities that surround them. The Greek part of the island is benefiting by default from existing
European associations, so they really have nothing to lose, other than the continued observation by
other countries that they come from a land that is still split, all the way down to Nicosia, the capital city
itself. The question remaining is whether and to whom that matters and how much.
27
Grew, R. (1980). The case for comparing histories. American Historical Review, 85, 763-778.Griffith, B. (1990).
Traditional American history texts: The search for alternatives. (Report No. SO021461). Proceedings from the Annual
meeting of the American Historical Association. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED337387)
28
Vassiliou, G. (8 April 2002). “European union and enlargement and the Cyprus political and economic implications.”
Speech by Cyprus chief negotiator. http://www.pio.gov.cy/news/special_issues/special_issue087.htm. (accessed July 26,
2003)
29
Barbre, J. (2006). “Powers of Depiction: A Textual Analysis of Secondary-Level History Books Currently in Use In
Toronto, Ontario and Stillwater, Oklahoma”. PhD diss., Oklahoma State University. [School of Educational Studies]
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